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F2H Banshee

A US Navy F2H-2 Banshee flying over, Wonsan, North Korea, 1952

TypeCarrier-based fighter aircraft
National originUnited States
ManufacturerMcDonnell Aircraft
Maiden flight11 January 1947
IntroducedAugust 1948
Retired1959 USN, USMC
12 September 1962 RCN
1964 USNR
Primary usersUnited States Navy
United States Marine Corps
Royal Canadian Navy
Number built895
Developed fromFH Phantom

The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a military carrier-based jet fighter aircraft, used by the United States Navy from 1948 to 1959 and by the Royal Canadian Navy from 1955 until 1962. North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, Year 1952 ( MCMLII) was a Leap year starting on Tuesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Naval Aviation is the application of manned military air power by navies A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed The United States of America —commonly referred to as the An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American Aerospace manufacturer based in St The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. Year 1947 ( MCMXLVII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full 1947 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Other names In Arabic, the month is called أغسطسص ʾUġusṭuṣ or آب ʾĀb; usage varies from place to place and This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1959: Events Unknown The Canadian Golden Hawks aerobatic team Events 1213 - Albigensian Crusade: Simon de Montfort 5th Earl of Leicester, defeats Peter II of Aragon at the Year 1962 ( MCMLXII) was a Common year starting on Monday (the link is to a full 1962 calendar of the Gregorian calendar. For the year see 1964 This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1964: Events January January For the history of Canada's naval forces after 1968 see Canadian Forces Maritime Command The Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN) was the WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American Aerospace manufacturer based in St An aircraft carrier is a Warship designed with specific --->A jet engine is a Reaction engine that discharges a fast moving jet of Fluid to A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1948: Events January January 17 - BOAC begins to replace This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1959: Events Unknown The Canadian Golden Hawks aerobatic team For the history of Canada's naval forces after 1968 see Canadian Forces Maritime Command The Royal Canadian Navy ( RCN) was the This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1955: Events February February 26 - George F This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1962: Events January US Army CH-21 Shawnees are dispatched to The Banshee had unswept wings, a single seat, and two engines. Together with the F9F Panther, the Banshee was one of the USN's primary single-seat fighters during the Korean War. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the

Contents

Design and development

The Banshee was a development of the FH Phantom, although it was being planned before the Phantom went into production. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The basic design was for an enlarged and more powerful Phantom, with a pair of Westinghouse turbojets raising power from 1,600 to 3,000 lbf (7 kN to 13 kN) each, an increased fuel load, a move away from the WW II standard 0. Founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. TurboJET (噴射飛航 is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong -based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司 World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including 5 in (12. 7 mm) guns to 20 mm cannon, and additional capability to carry bombs, rockets or missiles as well.

A mock-up of the new fighter, designated XF2D-1, was completed in April 1945. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1945: Events January January 1 - the Luftwaffe begins targeting The project survived the end of the war, but development work was slowed and the first of three prototypes was not built until late 1946. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1946: Events January January 1 - a British South American Airways The aircraft made its maiden flight on the 11 January 1947 from Lambert Field, St. Louis, Missouri; test pilot was Woodward Burke. Events 1055 - Theodora is crowned Empress of the Byzantine Empire. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1947 Events January January 26, A KLM Douglas Dakota crashed Lambert-St Louis International Airport is the primary airport for St The Navy redesignated the aircraft as the XF2H-1 as the manufacturer's designator "D" was already assigned to the Douglas Aircraft Company. The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American Aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach California. After some problems with the tailplane were resolved, an order for 56 craft was placed in May 1947.

The F2H-1 was first delivered in August 1948 for service evaluation by Navy pilots. Relative to the XF2D-1, the fuselage was extended 14 in (0. 36 m) forward of the wing to provide the capacity for an additional 351 US gallons (1,330 L) of fuel. The F2H-1 was retrofitted with 3,150 lbf (14 kN) thrust engines as they became available.

Despite the Navy's accepting the F2H-1, it was the more capable F2H-2 that was most widely used; 306 of this type were built. With newer 3,250 lbf (14. 5 kN) thrust engines, it had improved performance. The wing was also modified to add provisions for weapons pylons and 200 US gallon (757 L) wing-tip fuel tanks. Unlike the contemporary F9F Panther, the Banshee's wing-tip tanks were detachable, although most historical photographs show the aircraft flying with the tanks in place.

The F2H-2 was the foundation for three minor variants of the Banshee. The F2H-2B had strengthened wings to allow it to carry a small nuclear weapon, a mission it was thankfully never asked to carry out. A nuclear weapon is an explosive device that derives its destructive force from Nuclear reactions either fission or a combination of fission and fusion. 35 were produced. The F2H-2N was a night fighter variant outfitted with a 2 ft 10 in (0. A night fighter (also all-weather fighter) is a Fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility 86 m) longer nose to accommodate internal radar equipment; 14 were produced. Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships The F2H-2P was a photo-reconnaissance version with 6 cameras housed in a 2 ft 5 in (0. Reconnaissance (also scouting) is a military and medical term denoting exploration conducted to gain information A camera is a device used to capture images either as still Photographs or as sequences of moving images ( Movies or Videos. 74 m) longer nose; it was the first jet-powered reconnaissance aircraft used by the USN. 81 were built.

The F2H-3 was the last significant alteration. The fuselage was extended by 8 feet (2. 4 m) to increase internal fuel load from 877 US gallons (3,320 L) to 1,102 US gallons (4,172 L), allowing the aircraft to complete many missions without the wing-tip tanks seen in most photographs of earlier variants. The horizontal stabilizer was moved from the vertical tail down to the fuselage and incorporated significant dihedral. Dihedral is the upward angle from horizontal of the wings or tailpane of a Fixed-wing aircraft or the wing of a Bird. The Banshee was also fitted with Westinghouse radar equipment, 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. Founded in 1886 as Westinghouse Electric Company and later renamed Westinghouse Electric Corporation by George Westinghouse. These changes resulted in an airplane that looked significantly different from its predecessors. 250 F2H-3s were built.

The last variant was the F2H-4. It had a Hughes radar in place of the earlier Westinghouse set, and also had slightly more powerful 3,600 lbf (16. Hughes Aircraft Company was a major aerospace and defense company founded by Howard Hughes. 0 kN) thrust engines. The F2H-4 was externally identical to the F2H-3. 150 were built.

A proposed F2H-3P photo-reconnaissance variant was canceled before reaching production. Unlike most other early jet fighters, no two-seat version was ever produced.

Production ended in September 1953 after a total of 895 aircraft were delivered. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1953: Events The first year in which the world's Airlines carried more than 50 million people ( The F2H-3 and F2H-4 were given the new designations F-2C and F-2D respectively under the 1962 unified designation system. On the 18 September 1962, the United States Department of Defense introduced a unified designation system for the aircraft of the United States armed forces The designations F-2A and F-2B presumably referred to the F2H-1 and F2H-2, but these variants had already been withdrawn from service. No Banshees ever flew under the new designations; the last ones in USNR service were placed in storage before the new designations went into effect.

Operational history

United States Navy and Marine Corps

The F2H-2 served during the Korean War with the USN Task Force 77 and the USMC. The Korean War refers to a period of military conflict between North Korean and South Korean regimes with major hostilities lasting from June 25 1950 until the Due to its good performance at high altitude, it initially proved its worth as an escort for long-range USAF bomber formations. A bomber is a Military aircraft designed to attack ground and sea targets primarily by dropping Bombs on them As the war progressed, USN and USMC fighters were primarily assigned to ground attack missions, including close air support of ground troops and destruction of the North Korean army's supply lines. In Military tactics, close air support ( CAS) is defined as air action by fixed or rotary winged aircraft against hostile targets that are in close proximity to North Korea is the commonly used short form name for the Democratic People's Republic of Korea (or DPRK) a State located in East Asia, [1] The North Korean air forces had been almost completely annihilated during the opening weeks of the war by the combined US and UK Far East Air Force (FEAF), mostly due to the far superior training and World War II combat experience of the US and Commonwealth pilots. The United Kingdom of Great Britain and Northern Ireland, commonly known as the United Kingdom, the UK or Britain,is a Sovereign state located World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including From that point onwards, the combined North Korean, Chinese, and Soviet forces were unable to open new airstrips near the combat zones in South Korea because of constant FEAF airstrikes, forcing them to operate out of air bases in China. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. An airstrike is a Military strike by Air forces on either a suspected or a confirmed enemy ground position China ( Wade-Giles ( Mandarin) Chung¹kuo² is a cultural region, an ancient Civilization, and depending on perspective a National The Banshee and other USN fighters had limited exposure to hostile enemy aircraft because they operated far out of the range of enemy fighters operating from China. [1] Air-to-air combat missions, such as patrols in the Yalu River area, were primarily assigned to F-86 Sabres. A dogfight or dog fight is Aerial combat between Fighter aircraft. The Yalu River ( Chinese) or the Amnok River ( Korean) is a River on the border between China and North Korea. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout [1] Consequently, the Banshee would score no victories nor suffer any losses in air-to-air combat, although three F2H-2s were lost to anti-aircraft gunfire. Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces

The F2H-2P also made a great contribution to the Korean War, particularly in USMC service. At the time of the war, accurate surface-to-air missiles had not yet been developed, the vast majority of enemy aircraft did not have onboard radar, and the speed of newer jets was rapidly making AAA guns obsolete. A surface to air missile ( SAM) or ground-to-air missile ( GTAM) is a Missile designed to be launched from the ground to destroy Aircraft Radar is a system that uses electromagnetic waves to identify the range altitude direction or speed of both moving and fixed objects such as Aircraft, ships Anti-aircraft warfare, or air defense, is any method of engaging hostile military Aircraft in defence of ground objectives, ground or naval forces 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 airplane 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 AAA gunfire, with no air-to-air losses.

In the late 1940s, the USN had resisted the novel swept wing design concept, fearing that the tricky low-speed handling displayed by early swept wing airplanes would make it unsafe to operate them from aircraft carriers. A swept-wing is a wing Planform common on high-speed Aircraft, with the wing swept back instead of being set at right angles to the Fuselage. Unfortunately, the USN failed to fully appreciate how much this would hamper the performance of its new jets. As a consequence of its unswept wings, the Banshee was almost 100 mph (161 km/h) slower than new Soviet jet fighters such as the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15, a serious handicap in air-to-air combat. A soviet (сове́т, "council" originally was a workers' local council in late Imperial Russia. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout As further testing proved that swept wing aircraft could be flown safely at low speeds, development of new swept wing USN fighters began. The USN deployed the new radar-equipped F2H-3 and F2H-4 for all-weather fleet defense after the conclusion of the Korean War, but only as a stopgap measure until the much faster F9F Cougar, F3H Demon, and F4D Skyray could be deployed in significant numbers. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Later variants of the Banshee only served for a few years on the front lines and saw no action. Similarly, the F2H-2P was superseded by the F9F-8P (later RF-9J) variant of the F9F Cougar and the F8U-1P (later RF-8A) variant of the F8U Crusader as these faster aircraft became available. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Royal Canadian Navy

In 1951, the RCN expressed interest in replacing their obsolescent Hawker Sea Furies with Banshees, drafting a $40 million deal for 60 new aircraft. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1951: Events February February 21 - an English Electric Canberra WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Unfortunately, due to fiscal wrangling in the Canadian Cabinet, the purchase was not approved until after Banshee production had been shut down in 1953. The Cabinet of Canada (Cabinet du Canada plays an important role in the Government of Canada, in accordance with the Westminster System. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1953: Events The first year in which the world's Airlines carried more than 50 million people ( The RCN was forced to acquire second-hand USN aircraft, 39 at a cost of $25 million. The aircraft were delivered from 1955 to 1958 and flew from HMCS Bonaventure (CVL-22) or as NORAD interceptors from shore bases. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1955: Events February February 26 - George F This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1958: Events Gulfstream Aerospace founded in Savannah Georgia, USA History As HMS Powerful she was laid down at Harland and Wolff in Belfast on 21 November 1943, and launched on 27 February

In order to improve the Banshee's capabilities as a long-range interceptor, the RCN equipped the aircraft with the AIM-9 Sidewinder missile. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range Air-to-air missile carried by Fighter aircraft and recently certain gunship helicopters The RCN conducted sea trials of the Sidewinder in November 1959, during which several remotely-piloted drone aircraft were shot down. This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1959: Events Unknown The Canadian Golden Hawks aerobatic team An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV is an unpiloted Aircraft. UAVs can be remote controlled or fly autonomously based on pre-programmed flight plans or more complex dynamic [2] After the retirement of the F2H-3, the Canadian military would not deploy another aircraft armed with the Sidewinder missile until the introduction of the CF-18 Hornet in 1982. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout This is a list of Aviation -related events from 1982: Events January January 8 - the Airbus A300 is certified

The Banshee, although initially well-liked by its Canadian pilots for its flying qualities, began to suffer from problems in RCN service. Two Banshees and their pilots were lost after in-flight structural failures of the folding wing mechanism, and another Banshee suffered an apparent brake failure aboard Bonaventure and rolled off the carrier's deck, falling into the ocean and drowning its pilot. A folding wing is a design feature of Aircraft to save space and is typical of naval aircraft that operate from the limited deck space of Aircraft carriers The [3] The RCN would eventually lose 12 of its original 39 Banshees to accidents, a loss rate of over 30%. [2]

Utilization of the Banshees fell as the RCN shifted its primary focus to anti-submarine warfare (ASW). Anti-submarine warfare (ASW or in older form A/S is a branch of Naval warfare that uses surface Warships Aircraft, space craft or other Submarines Bonaventure was too small to accommodate many Banshees while carrying an adequate number of CS2F Trackers to conduct around-the-clock ASW patrols, so the carrier began to frequently leave port with no Banshees aboard. The Grumman S-2 Tracker (previously S2F) was the first purpose-built single airframe Anti-submarine warfare (ASW Aircraft to enter service [3] Furthermore, the Canadian military was coming under increasing political pressure to cut its budget, and the increasingly obsolescent Banshees were becoming expensive to maintain as years of punishing carrier service and the harsh North Atlantic climate took their toll. The last RCN Banshees were retired without replacement in September 1962. They were the only jet-powered carrier-based fighters ever deployed by the RCN.

Banshees were the primary aircraft of the short-lived RCN Grey Ghosts aerobatic team. The team's name was a play on the Banshee name and the RCN color scheme. The RCN's Banshee fleet was too small to maintain a special contingent of aircraft for airshow service, so the team simply flew whichever active-duty Banshees were available at the time of each show.

Three of the former RCN Banshees survive today:

The remaining RCN Banshees were cut up for scrap or destroyed as practice targets. The Canada Aviation Museum ( French: Musée de l'aviation du Canada) is the national aviation history Museum, located in Ottawa (ˈɒtəwə or sometimes /ˈɒtəwɑː/ is the Capital of Canada and the country's fourth largest municipality. Ontario (ɒnˈtɛrioʊ is a province located in the central part of Canada, the largest by population and second largest after Quebec 12 Wing Shearwater, is located in Shearwater, Nova Scotia on the eastern shore of Halifax Harbour in the Halifax Regional Municipality. See also Halifax Nova Scotia See also Halifax Regional Municipality municipal election 2008 Halifax Regional Municipality is the capital Nova Scotia (ˌnəʊvəˈskəʊʃə ( Latin for New Scotland; Alba Nuadh Nouvelle-Écosse is a Canadian province located on Canada 's Calgary (ˈkælgəriː is the largest city in the Province of Alberta, Canada Alberta (ælˈbɝtə is one of Canada's prairie provinces. It became a province on September 1 1905 [2]

Variants

Operators

Flag of Canada Canada
Flag of the United States United States

Specifications (F2H-3)

General characteristics

Performance

Armament

Popular culture

The aircraft played a central role in the 1953 James A. Michener novel The Bridges at Toko-Ri. The AIM-9 Sidewinder is a heat-seeking, short-range Air-to-air missile carried by Fighter aircraft and recently certain gunship helicopters James Albert Michener ( February 3, 1907 – October 16, 1997) was an American author of more than 40 titles the majority of which The Bridges at Toko-Ri is a 1954 film based on a novel by James Michener about a Naval aviator assigned to bomb a group of heavily defended bridges The subsequent 1955 movie of the same name used F9F Panthers in place of Banshees for all flight sequences, although parked Banshees are visible in the background of several scenes. Year 1955 ( MCMLV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays the 1955 Gregorian calendar) WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

See also

Related development

Comparable aircraft

Related lists

References

  1. ^ a b c Jackson, Robert (1998). WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype pre-production and operational types This list of military aircraft of the United States includes prototype pre-production and operational types Air War Korea 1950-1953. Shrewsbury, England: Airlife Publishing Ltd. . ISBN 1-85310-880-4.  
  2. ^ a b c Cook, D. Glenn. McDonnell F2H-3 Banshee 126464. Canada Aviation Museum Aircraft. Retrieved on 2006-09-08. Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. Events 70 - Roman forces under Titus sack Jerusalem. 1264 - The Statute of Kalisz
  3. ^ a b Snowie, J. Allan (1987). The Bonnie, HMCS BONAVENTURE. Erin, Ontario: The Boston Mills Press. ISBN 0-919783-40-6.  
  4. ^ McDONNELL F2H-2 "BANSHEE". Flting Leatherneck Historical Foundation and Aviation Museum. Retrieved on 2007-12-16. Year 2007 ( MMVII) was a Common year starting on Monday of the Gregorian calendar in the 21st century. Events 755 - An Lushan revolts against Chancellor Yang Guozhong at Fanyang, initiating the An Shi Rebellion

External links


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