Douglas F5D Skylancer

F5D Skylancer
Douglas F5D Skylancer prototype in use by NASA for Dyna-Soar abort training
Role	Fighter aircraft
Manufacturer	Douglas Aircraft Company
First flight	21 April 1956
Primary users	United States Navy United States Marine Corps
Number built	4
Developed from	Douglas F4D Skyray

The United States Douglas F5D Skylancer was a development of the F4D Skyray jet fighter for the United States Navy. Starting out as the F4D-2N, an all-weather version of the Skyray, the design was soon modified to take full advantage of the extra thrust of the Pratt & Whitney J57 eventually fitted to the Skyray instead of the Westinghouse J40 originally planned.

Design and development

Soon the design became too different from the Skyray to be considered just a variation of it, and the aircraft was assigned a new designation as the F5D Skylancer. Almost every part of the airframe was modified, though the basic form remained the same as did the wing shape, though it became much thinner. The wing skinning was reinforced, correcting a problem found in the F4D. The fuselage was 8 ft (2.4 m) longer and area ruled to reduce transonic drag, being thinner in the region of the wing roots. Everything was shaped to reduce drag and increase stability at high speed.

Although the four 20 mm (.79 in) cannon in the wing roots were retained, primary armament was to be missiles or rockets; four AIM-9 Sidewinders or two AIM-7 Sparrows, and/or a battery of spin-stabilized unguided 2 in (51 mm) rockets.

Nine test airframes were ordered, with a 51-aircraft production order to follow. Production aircraft were to be powered by the more powerful J57-P-14 engine, while there were plans to use the even more powerful General Electric J79.

Operational history

The first flight was on 21 April 1956 and was supersonic; the aircraft proved easy to handle and performed well. After four aircraft had been constructed, however, the Navy cancelled its order. The stated reason was that the aircraft was too similar to the already-ordered F8U Crusader, but it is believed by some historians that politics played as big a part; Douglas was already building a very large proportion of the Navy's planes, and giving them the F5D contract would have made it even closer to monopoly. The project test pilot was Lt.Cmdr Alan B. Shepard Jr. whose report stated that it was not needed by the Navy.

Neil Armstrong's Skylancer, on display at the Armstrong Air and Space Museum.

NASA use

The four aircraft continued to fly in various military test programs. Two were grounded in 1961, but the other two: F5D-1 (Bu. No. 139208) NASA 212, later becoming NASA 708 and F5D-1 (Bu. No. 142350) NASA 213, later becoming NASA 802 continued to fly. Transferred to NASA in the early 1960s, one was used as a testbed for the American supersonic transport program, fitted with an ogival wing platform (the type eventually used on Concorde; data from the program was shared with the European designers). This aircraft was retired in 1968. NASA 802 was used for simulation of abort procedures for the X-20 DynaSoar, because it had a very similar shape and handling characteristics. Following the DynaSoar cancellation, it was used as a chase plane and for various other programs until it was retired in 1970.

Survivors

NASA 802 still exists at the Neil Armstrong Air and Space Museum at Wapakoneta, Ohio, since Neil Armstrong flew the aircraft during the Dyna-soar research program. NASA 708 still in NASA markings exists as part of Merle Maine's private collection in Ontario, Oregon.

Specifications (F5D)

Data from The American Fighter

General characteristics

• Crew: 1

Performance

• Thrust/weight: 0.65

Armament

• Guns: 4 × 20 mm (0.79 in) cannon
• Rockets: 72 × 2 in (51 mm) rockets
• Missiles:
  
  • 4 × AIM-9 Sidewinder or
  • 2 × AIM-7B Sparrow

Avionics

• X-24A radar

See also

Related development

• Douglas F4D Skyray

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Vought F8U Crusader

Related lists

• List of fighter aircraft
• List of military aircraft of the United States (naval)

References

Notes

Bibliography

• Angelucci, Enzo. The American Fighter. Sparkford, Somerset, UK: Haynes Publishing Group, 1987. ISBN 0-85429-635-2.
• Ginter, Steve. Douglas F5D-1 Skylancer (Naval Fighters No. 35). Simi Valley, California: Ginter Books, 1996. ISBN 0-942612-35-3.
• Gunston, Bill. Fighters of the Fifties. Cambridge, UK: Patrick Stephens Limited, 1981. ISBN 0-85059-463-4.
• Winchester, Jim, ed. "Douglas F4D Skyray." Military Aircraft of the Cold War (The Aviation Factfile). London: Grange Books plc, 2006. ISBN 1-84013-929-3.

External links

• F5D-1 Skylancer
• NASA Dryden F5D-1 Skylancer Photo Collection
• F5D-1 Skylancer (section 4)