The first protoype was trucked from El Segundo to Murdoc Dry Lake (Edwards AFB). Its design had been refined into a bulbous shape which gave rise to the nickname "Willy the Whale". While the Air Force held discussions on the A-3's and its possible use, the Naval Air Test Center, Paxtent River, MD and MCAS El Toro were conducting similated night interceptions in which the XF3D-1 repeatedly intercepted and destroyed single-seat jet fighters above 40,000 ft.

Douglas F3D/F-10 Skynight (Naval Fighters Series No 4)

History

Ginter, Steve

Military

Steve Ginter

Although the T-28 is not a fighter, it has cut the teeth of many a fighter pilot and seen its share of fighting in a ground support role.

North American T-28 Trojan

The Chance Vought F7U Cutlass was the most radical fighter design ever to achieve fleet service. At the aircraft's unveiling, the press was so stunned by its unusual appearance that the plane was given such nicknames as bat-like, dart-like, praying mantis, preying petrodactyl, giant arrowhead and flying wing. The bold design of the Cutlass gave the Navy a pioneer airframe which was to test and develop many systems that are still in use today.

Chance Vought F7U Cutlass

The photos in this edition are black and white. In 1943 the Lockheed Model 49 Constellation was the fastest and most modern airliner in the world. They were purchased by the USAAC as C-69s and in 1948 the larger more capable Model 749 was purchased as the C-121A. This early Naval Fighters Series volume first published in 1983 covers the USAAC/USAF C-121A, the Navy PO-1W/WV-1 AEW version of the Model 749 from 1949, the stretched Model 1049 Navy transport R7O-1/R7V-1 from 1952, the Air Force Model 1049 versions C-121C/EC-121S/C-121G/AC-121/EC-121R, Navy WV-2/EC-121K AEW and Air Force EC-121C/EC-121D AEW platforms, and the experimental WV-2E/EC-121L AEW aircraft and the turbo-prop R7V-2/YC-121F transport. Book includes brief Navy squadron histories, detail drawings, and essays on flying the Connie, Vietnam, College Eye/Big Eye, 552nd AEW, Bat Cat and AEWBARRONPAC.

Lockheed C-121 Constellation

Aviation Book Co

First published in 1984, the FJ-2 Fury, sometimes called the navalized F-86 was first proposed in January 1951. In fact the 3rd XFJ-2 was a F-86E with 4-20mm cannons instead of the Air Forces 6-.50 cal. machine guns. All other FJ-2s were completed with lengthened landing gear and a V-style tailhook. All production aircraft had folding wings and 4-20mm guns. The entire FJ-2 production was assigned to the Marines which equipped six front line fighter squadrons with it. These were VMF-122, VMF-232, VMF-235, VMF-312, VMF-334 and VMF-451. The book contains short histories of each of these squadrons as well as a first hand account of its flight testing. 85 b&amp;w photos as well as 22 illustrations are included.

North American FJ-2 Fury (Naval Fighters, No. 10)

The Grumman HU-16 Albatross started out as a company venture in the late 1940s and became such a success that it has been used by more than two dozen armed forces throughout the world. It has become one of those hand-me-down aircraft like the venerable DC-3/C-47 and is still in use today.

Grumman HU-16 Albatross (Naval Fighters Series No 11)

The McDonnell F3H Demon is probably the least remembered modern Naval fighter, even though it was our first true all-weather missile fighter. When the weather prevented the agile F8U, F4D and F11F from flying, the Demon could still be launched. A glamorous plane the Demon was not, primarily due to its lack of performance. The F3H remained underpowered throughout its career, so much so that it was tagged by fleet pilots as the "lead sled."

McDonnell F3H Demon (Naval Fighters Series Vol 12)

The photos in this edition are black and white. First published in 1986, the book covers the tailless bat-winged Douglas F4D Skyray, which had such an incredible rate of climb that it gained a secondary mission as part of the USAF Air Defense Command in California and Florida. Known as the Ford by Navy pilots it had a protracted development period due to the failure of its first engine the J-40. In spite of these teething problems before receiving the J-57 it would use in the fleet, the Skyray set two world speed records for the 3km and 100km courses as well as several time-to-climb records. The fighter served with distinction with 25 Navy units, 8 Marine units and NACA/NASA. The radar equipped and missile armed interceptor was retired from active service in 1964. 418 photo, 52 illustrations and extensive squadron histories.

Douglas F4d Skyray (Naval Fighters)

Williams, Nick

The T-29/C-131 series of aircraft was one of the military's many cost-saving examples of purchasing existing civil and commercial designs for their utility and transport needs. The first military Conviar-Liner was accepted on March 8, 1950. Military production eventually eclipsed civil production with the last Convair-Liner built being a military Canadair CL-66B, which was delivered on March 3, 1961. This aircraft was the last of 568 military Convair-Liners built.

Convair T-29/C-131 Samaritan (Naval Fighters Series No 14)

The photos in this edition are black and white. First published in 1987, the T-2 Buckeye book covers the development of this all-purpose jet trainer from the Navy's solicitation to industry in 1956 through its operations and squadron usage with the US Navy, Marines, Venezuela and Greece. It was originally built as a single engine jet, the T2J-1/T-2A, but had inadequate power. A second engine was added and it became the over-powered T-2B. It was a tremendously over-designed and robust aircraft, perfect for students and virtually impervious to excess Gs. Late in life it was used as a spin trainer for fleet Tomcat pilots. 137 photos and 33 illustrations.

North American Rockwell T-2 Buckeye (Naval Fighters, Volume 15)

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