AIR FAN 64 McD F2H BANSHEE USN USMC / USS NIMITZ CVN CVW-8 MED 83 / BOLIVIAN AF F-86F

SINGLE ISSUE OF FRENCH LANGUAGE MAGAZINE OF MILITARY AVIATION / PHOTO CAPTIONS ARE ALSO PRESENTED IN ENGLISH

***VERY GOOD CONDITION***

FEATURED ARTICLES INCLUDE:

McDONNELL F2H BANSHEE “BANJO” USN VF VC USMC VMF VMJ KOREAN WAR (INCLUDES 5-VIEW SCALE DRAWINGS & DETAILS)

BOLIVIAN AIR FORCE FAB FUERZA AEREA BOLIVIANA (NORTH AMERICAN F-86F SABRE, T-28 TROJAN, CESSNA 310, CESSNA 172, NAA AT-6 HARVARD, PILATUS PC-7 TURBO,

US NAVY NUCLEAR-POWERED AIRCRAFT CARRIER USS NIMITZ CVN-68 CARRIER WING EIGHT CVW-8 MEDITERRANEAN CRUISE 1983 (GRUMMAN C-1 TRADER VRC-24, GRUMMAN F-14 TOMCAT VF-84, LOCKHEED S-3 VIKING VS-24, LTV A-7E CORSAIR II VA-82 VA-86, DOUGLAS EA-3B SKYWARRIOR VAQ-2, GRUMMAN E-2C HAWKEYE VAW-124,

FLIGHT SYSTEMS PRIVATE AIR FORCE (T-33, F-86, FJ-4B, US NAVY CONVAIR CV 880 UC-880 TANKER, F-100 SUPER SABRE)

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Additional Information from Internet Encyclopedia

The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a single-seat carrier-based jet fighter aircraft deployed by the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps from 1948 to 1961. It was one of the primary American fighters used during the Korean War and was the only jet-powered fighter ever deployed by the Royal Canadian Navy, serving the RCN from 1955 until 1962. The aircraft's name is derived from the banshee of Celtic mythology.

The Banshee was a development of the FH Phantom, although it was being planned before the Phantom went into production. McDonnell engineers originally intended the aircraft to be a modified Phantom that shared many parts with the earlier aircraft, but it soon became clear that the need for heavier armament, greater internal fuel capacity, and other improvements would make the idea unfeasible.

The new aircraft would use much larger and more powerful engines, a pair of newly developed Westinghouse J34 turbojets, raising power from the J30's 1,600 lbf (7 kN) to 3,000 lbf (13 kN) each; since the larger engines had to fit within the wing roots, this required a larger and thicker wing with a span of 41 ft 6 in (12.65 m) rather than the Phantom’s span of 40 ft 0 in (12.19 m). The more powerful engines also used more fuel, so the fuselage was enlarged and strengthened to increase fuel capacity. Navy leaders decided to move away from the World War II standard .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine gun to 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon; four of the guns were mounted low on the nose to prevent pilots from being blinded by muzzle flash when firing the guns at night, a problem that vexed the Phantom with its top-mounted guns. The Banshee was designed to accommodate an ejection seat, a capability the Phantom lacked, and it incorporated a large number of improvements to other aircraft systems. The cockpit was fully pressurized and air-conditioned, and the flaps, landing gear, folding wings, canopy, and air brakes were electrically operated rather than pneumatically operated. The front of the canopy was made of bulletproof glass that was electrically heated to prevent frost.

The aircraft incorporated a novel design feature: a “kneeling” nose landing gear consisting of a pair of very small wheels forward of the regular nosewheel. The nosewheel could be retracted so the aircraft rested on the smaller wheels, allowing it to taxi with its tail high in the air. This was intended to ease hangaring and enhance safety by directing the hot jet blast upwards while taxiing. The feature was found to be of little use operationally, however, and was omitted from later Banshee variants.

The F2H-3 was the last significant alteration. The fuselage was extended by 8 ft 0 in (2.44 m) to increase internal fuel load to 1,102 gal (4,172 l). The detachable wingtip fuel tanks were reduced in size to 170 gal (644 l) each, but due to the aircraft’s increased internal fuel capacity, these tanks were seldom used in service. The horizontal stabilizers were moved from the vertical tail down to the fuselage and incorporated significant dihedral. The F2H-3 was fitted with a Westinghouse AN/APQ-41 radar unit, enabling the fighter to be used for all-weather missions, and the cannons were moved downwards and rearwards away from the nose to accommodate the radar and increase ammunition capacity from 150 rounds per gun to 220 rounds for each upper gun and 250 rounds for each lower gun. Another four weapons pylons were added under the wings for a total of eight, and the bomb load was increased to 3,000 lb (1,361 kg). The F2H-3 also added provisions for aerial refueling consisting of a bolt-on, readily removable refueling kit that replaced the upper portside cannon with a refueling probe. These changes resulted in a longer, larger airplane that looked significantly different from its predecessors.

Although the Navy accepted the F2H-1, it was the more capable F2H-2 that was most widely used. With newer Westinghouse J34-WE-34 3,250 lbf (14.5 kN) thrust engines, it had significantly improved performance. The wing was modified and strengthened to add provisions for 200 gal (760 l) wingtip fuel tanks; unlike the contemporary USN F9F Panther, the Banshee's wingtip tanks were detachable. Two armament pylons were added under each stub and outboard wing, for a total of eight, allowing the aircraft to carry a maximum stores load of 1,580 lb (454 kg), consisting of four 250 lb (113 kg) bombs and four 5-in (12.7 cm) unguided rockets.[8] The “kneeling” nose gear was omitted from the F2H-2 and most other subsequent Banshee variants.

The F2H-2 was the foundation for three minor variants of the Banshee. The first, the F2H-2B, had strengthened wings and a strengthened inner pylon under the portside wing to allow the craft to carry a 1,650 lb (748 kg) Mark 7 nuclear bomb or a 3,230 lb (1,465 kg) Mark 8 nuclear bomb.[9] In order to compensate for the vastly increased load, the F2H-2B was fitted with stiffer landing gear struts and a pilot-switchable power booster for the ailerons;[10] the latter was necessary so pilots could control a roll to the left with a heavy Mark 8 nuclear bomb fitted on the left-hand pylon. One 20 mm cannon was omitted to make room for additional electronics to arm the nuclear weapon.

The F2H-2N was a night fighter variant outfitted with a 2 ft 10 in (0.86 m) longer nose that housed a Sperry Corporation AN/APS-19 radar unit. The cannons were moved rearwards in the nose to make room for the radar. One F2H-2N, BuNo 123311, was eventually returned to McDonnell to serve as the prototype for the enlarged and enhanced F2H-3 and F2H-4 series.[9] A handful of F2H-2Ns retained the "kneeling" nose feature of the earlier F2H-1.

The F2H-2P was a photo-reconnaissance version with six cameras housed in a 2 ft 5 in (0.74 m) longer nose; it was the first jet-powered reconnaissance aircraft used by the USN. Remote controls allowed the pilot to rotate the cameras in the vertical and horizontal planes, and the aircraft could be fitted with a pair of underwing pods that each contained 20 flash cartridges for night photography. The camera bay was electrically heated to prevent frost.[13] The F2H-2P was considered a valuable photo-reconnaissance asset due to its long maximum range for a jet aircraft, maximum operational altitude of 48,500 feet, combined with its speed that made it extremely difficult to intercept by other combat jet aircraft of the early 1950s era.

US Navy and Marine pilots often referred to the F2H as the "Banjo".[17]

The F2H-2 served during the Korean War with the US Navy's Task Force 77 and the Marine Corps.

Due to its good performance at high altitude, the F2H-2 initially proved its worth as an escort fighter for USAF bombers, which were supporting United Nations Command (UNC) ground forces.

From mid-1950, the F2H-2 had negligible exposure to hostile aircraft over Korea, due to several factors. During the opening weeks of the war, the North Korean air force was almost completely annihilated by UNC fighter units. From that point onwards, North Korea and its allies were unable to open new airfields near combat zones in South Korea, forcing them to operate out of air bases in China. As a result of their air superiority throughout most of 1950, UNC squadrons were restricted to ground attack missions, especially close air support and interdiction of North Korean army supply lines.[18] In addition, the Banshee, like most jets of its generation, had a serious handicap, relative to the latest fighters: naval air services, including the USN, had resisted faster, swept wing designs – fearing that their characteristics at low speeds would make them unsafe to operate them from aircraft carriers. Consequently, the Banshee was almost 100 mph (160 km/h) slower than the latest fighter designs. The obsolescence of all straight-wing fighters was reinforced by the introduction, in November 1950 of the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 – often covertly operated by elite Soviet units. Most UNC air combat missions, such as patrols over "MiG Alley", were undertaken by F-86 Sabres of the USAF Far East Air Force.[18] Consequently, the F2H-2 operated for virtually the entire war in areas beyond the range of enemy fighters.[18] During the Korean War, Banshee pilots scored no victories in air-to-air combat, nor suffered any losses, although three F2H-2s were lost to anti-aircraft gunfire.

The F2H-2P flew reconnaissance missions during the Korean War, primarily with the USMC. At the time of the war, accurate surface-to-air missiles had not yet been developed and the vast majority of enemy aircraft did not have onboard radar, and AA guns were all but ineffective at fast, high-altitude targets. Air defense tactics still largely depended on being able to see the enemy, and US commanders soon discovered that a lone high-flying F2H-2P was almost impossible for ground forces to spot, much less shoot down. The aircraft was soon in very high demand for the invaluable battlefield photography it could provide. F2H-2Ps even received USAF fighter escorts when operating in areas frequented by enemy fighters. Despite being deployed constantly throughout the war, only two F2H-2Ps were lost to radar-directed AA gunfire, with no air-to-air losses.

In 1954, a Banshee flew coast-to-coast, nonstop without refueling, approximately 1,900 miles (3,100 km) from NAS Los Alamitos, California to NAS Cecil Field, Florida, in approximately four hours.[14]

During the Korean War, the US was concerned about a general war in Europe involving the Soviet Union and the total lack of intelligence on that country, in particular the location of airfields. The US Navy devised a plan named "Operation Steve Brody", where four F2H-2P photo reconnaissance Banshees would launch from a carrier cruising on routine maneuvers off the north-east coast of Greece and fly north photographing the land mass of Russia bordering the Black Sea. In May 1952, the U.S. Navy presented the plan to Secretary of Defense Robert Lovett, with the request that he take it to President Harry Truman. Lovett refused, effectively canceling the operation.

Later, in 1955, there was another crisis involving the possible invasion of Taiwan by Communist China. Marine Banshees were chosen for secret overflights of areas where the Communist Chinese would be preparing such an invasion. Unlike the purposed photo-flights over the Soviet Union in 1952, these missions were escorted by other Marine Banshee fighters based in South Korea. Twenty-seven missions took place without incident.

XF2H-1 (XF2D-1)

Prototype aircraft (originally designated XF2D-1), three built.]

F2H-1

Single-seat fighter version, two 3,000 lbf (1,400 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-22 turbojet engines. Initial production version, 56 built.

F2H-2

Improved version with detachable wingtip fuel tanks, eight underwing weapons pylons for 1,580 lb (454 kg) stores capability, 3,250 lbf (1,475 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-34 turbojet engines. Second production version, 308 built.

F2H-2B

Single-seat fighter-bomber version, strengthened portside weapons pylon for 3,230 lb (1,465 kg) Mark 8 nuclear bomb, 25 built.

F2H-2N

Single-seat night fighter version with APS-19 radar housed in lengthened nose, 14 built.

F2H-2P