F3D Skyknight
Encyclopedia
The Douglas F3D Skyknight, (later F-10 Skyknight) was a United States
twin-engine, midwing jet fighter
aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company
in El Segundo, California
. The F3D was designed as a carrier-based all-weather aircraft. It saw service with the United States Navy
and United States Marine Corps
. While it never achieved the notoriety of the North American F-86 Sabre it downed several MiG-15s as a night fighter over Korea with only one air-to-air loss of its own against a Chinese MiG-15 on the night of 29 May 1953. It also served as an electronic warfare platform in the Vietnam War
. The aircraft is sometimes unofficially called "Skynight", dropping the second "k".
packing a powerful radar system and second crew member. It originated in 1945 with a U.S. Navy requirement for a jet-powered radar-equipped carrier-based night fighter. The Douglas team led by Ed Heinemann
designed around the bulky air intercept radar systems of the time, with side-by-side seating for the pilot and radar operator. The result was an airplane with a wide, deep, and roomy fuselage. Instead of ejection seats, an escape tunnel was used, similar to the A-3 Skywarrior
.
Power was provided by two Westinghouse J34
turbojets mounted in the roots of then-standard straight wings of the early jet era. As a night fighter that was not expected to be as agile as smaller daylight fighters; the expectation was to be a stable platform for its radar system and the four 20 mm cannon mounted in the lower fuselage. The U.S. Navy awarded Douglas a contract for three XF3D-1 prototype aircraft on 3 April 1946. (The losing design from Grumman
evolved into the F9F Panther
.)
The radar system in the F3D-1 was the Westinghouse AN/APQ-35. The AN/APQ-35 was a combination of three different radars, each performing separate functions: an AN/APS-21 search radar, an AN/APG-26 fire control radar, both located in the nose, and an AN/APS-28 tail warning radar. The complexity of this radar system, which was produced before the advent of semi-conductor electronics, required intensive maintenance to keep it operating fully.
First flight of the XF3D-1 occurred on 23 March 1948. A production contract for 28 F3D-1 production aircraft soon followed in June 1948. The F3D-1 was followed by the F3D-2, which was first ordered in August 1949. The F3D-2 was intended to have Westinghouse J46
engines in enlarged nacelles to replace the J34—WE-32 engines of the F3D-1. Development problems with the J46 lead to F3D-2 aircraft being fitted with J34-WE-36 engines instead. The F3D-2 also incorporated an improved Westinghouse AN/APQ-36 radar system. A total of 237 F3D-2s were built before production ended on 23 March 1952. A higher performance F3D-3 version with swept wings and J46 engines was planned, but was cancelled when the trouble-plagued J46 engine program was terminated.
and destroyed more enemy aircraft in Korea than any other Navy or Marine fighter aircraft. Although initially designed to shoot down bombers, they were painted in black and served to escort B-29 Superfortress
bombers on night raids. They also flew nighttime intercept and interdiction missions. By the end of the war, while the F-86 Sabre
would become famous for victories over MiG Alley
, Skyknights had claimed six enemy aircraft shot down (one Polikarpov Po-2
, one Yakovlev Yak-15
and four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
). During that time there was the loss of one aircraft piloted by Lt. (jg) Bob Bick and crewman Chief Linton Smith on July 2, 1953. This aircraft was with a detachment from VC-4 of NAS Atlantic City, and was attached to Marine Squadron 513. The first air-to-air victory occurred on 3 November 1952 in a United States Marine Corps
F3D-2 piloted by Major
William T. Stratton, Jr. and radar operator Master Sergeant
Hans C. Hoglind of VMF(N)-513
. While the Skyknight lacked the swept wings and high subsonic performance of the MiG-15, its onboard radar enabled it to find and kill other fighters, while the MiG-15 could only be guided by ground-based radar to the general vicinity of large B-29 formations.
In the years after the Korean War, the F3D was gradually replaced by more powerful aircraft with better radar systems. The F3D's career was not over though; its stability and spacious fuselage made it easily adaptable to other roles. The F3D (under the designations F3D-1M and F3D-2M) was used to support development of a number of air-to-air missile systems during the 1950s, including the Sparrow
I, II, and III and Meteor missiles.
The F3D-2M was the first operational Navy jet aircraft to be fitted with an air-to-air missile, the Sparrow I, a missile that used beam riding guidance for the aircrew to control the flight of the missile. Only 38 aircraft (12 F3D-1Ms, and 16 F3D-2Ms) were made able to use the missiles.
In the late 1950s, a number of the Marine F3D-2 aircraft were re-configured as electronic warfare aircraft and were designated F3D-2Q (later EF-10B). Also, a few aircraft were converted for use as trainers and were designated F3D-2T.
Skyknights continued service through the 1960s in gull white color scheme, when their contemporaries had long since been retired. In 1962, when the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force unified their designation systems, the F3D-1 was redesignated F-10A and the F3D-2 was re-designated F-10B. The Skyknight was the only Korean war fighter that also flew in Vietnam (as also did the A-1 Skyraider
attack plane). EF-10Bs served in the electronic countermeasures role during the Vietnam War until 1969. The U.S. Marine Corps retired its last EF-10Bs in 1970. Some aircraft continued flying as testbeds for Raytheon
until the 1980s.
When the U.S. Navy issued a requirement for a fleet defense missile fighter in 1959, Douglas responded with the F6D Missileer
, essentially an updated and enlarged F3D that would carry the AAM-N-10 Eagle long-range missile with the most important characteristics being able to carry a large load of fuel, long time-on-station, crew of two, and sophisticated electronics rather than speed or maneuverability. This concept which kept the straight wings in an age of supersonic jets was soon cancelled because it would not be able to defend itself against more nimble fighters. Its weapon system would be adapted for the supersonic swing-wing General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B
which also specified side-by-side seating, but would also prove vulnerable to MiGs. The AWG-9/Phoenix and TF30 turbofan engine (with afterburner) would eventually reach service on the F-14 Tomcat which could swing its wing straight forward for loiter.
The unusual portly profile earned it the nickname "Willie the Whale". It is less clear how it also came to be known "drut." It should be noted, however, that "Drut" is "Turd" spelled backward.
F3D-1 Skyknight
F3D-1M Skyknight
F3D-2 Skyknight
F3D-2B Skyknight
F3D-2M Skyknight
F3D-2Q Skyknight
F3D-2T Skyknight
F3D-2T2
F3D-3 Skyknight
F-10A Skyknight
F-10B Skyknight
EF-10B Skyknight
MF-10A Skyknight
MF-10B Skyknight
TF-10B Skyknight
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
twin-engine, midwing jet fighter
Fighter aircraft
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 primarily to attack ground targets...
aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company
Douglas Aircraft Company
The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, based in Long Beach, California. It was founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas, Sr. and later merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell Douglas...
in El Segundo, California
El Segundo, California
El Segundo is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States. Located on the Santa Monica Bay, it was incorporated on January 18, 1917, and is one of the Beach Cities of Los Angeles County and part of the South Bay Cities Council of Governments...
. The F3D was designed as a carrier-based all-weather aircraft. It saw service with the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
and United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
. While it never achieved the notoriety of the North American F-86 Sabre it downed several MiG-15s as a night fighter over Korea with only one air-to-air loss of its own against a Chinese MiG-15 on the night of 29 May 1953. It also served as an electronic warfare platform in the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
. The aircraft is sometimes unofficially called "Skynight", dropping the second "k".
Design and development
The F3D was not intended to be a typical sleek and nimble dogfighter, but it was a night fighterNight fighter
A night fighter is a fighter aircraft adapted for use at night or in other times of bad visibility...
packing a powerful radar system and second crew member. It originated in 1945 with a U.S. Navy requirement for a jet-powered radar-equipped carrier-based night fighter. The Douglas team led by Ed Heinemann
Ed Heinemann
Edward Henry Heinemann, was a noted military aircraft designer for Douglas Aircraft Company.-Biography:...
designed around the bulky air intercept radar systems of the time, with side-by-side seating for the pilot and radar operator. The result was an airplane with a wide, deep, and roomy fuselage. Instead of ejection seats, an escape tunnel was used, similar to the A-3 Skywarrior
A-3 Skywarrior
The Douglas A-3 Skywarrior was originally designed as a strategic bomber for the United States Navy and was among the longest serving carrier-based jet aircraft in history. It entered service in the mid-1950s and was retired in 1991...
.
Power was provided by two Westinghouse J34
Westinghouse J34
-See also:-External links:* http://www.arkairmuseum.org/engines/engine-westinghouse.php* http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/systems/j34.htm...
turbojets mounted in the roots of then-standard straight wings of the early jet era. As a night fighter that was not expected to be as agile as smaller daylight fighters; the expectation was to be a stable platform for its radar system and the four 20 mm cannon mounted in the lower fuselage. The U.S. Navy awarded Douglas a contract for three XF3D-1 prototype aircraft on 3 April 1946. (The losing design from Grumman
Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation
The Grumman Aircraft Engineering Corporation, later Grumman Aerospace Corporation, was a leading 20th century U.S. producer of military and civilian aircraft...
evolved into the F9F Panther
F9F Panther
|-Popular culture:The Panther played a prominent role in the 1954 movie Men of the Fighting Lady . The F9F was featured in the flying sequences in the 1954 movie The Bridges at Toko-Ri, although in the 1953 James A...
.)
The radar system in the F3D-1 was the Westinghouse AN/APQ-35. The AN/APQ-35 was a combination of three different radars, each performing separate functions: an AN/APS-21 search radar, an AN/APG-26 fire control radar, both located in the nose, and an AN/APS-28 tail warning radar. The complexity of this radar system, which was produced before the advent of semi-conductor electronics, required intensive maintenance to keep it operating fully.
First flight of the XF3D-1 occurred on 23 March 1948. A production contract for 28 F3D-1 production aircraft soon followed in June 1948. The F3D-1 was followed by the F3D-2, which was first ordered in August 1949. The F3D-2 was intended to have Westinghouse J46
Westinghouse J46
|-References:...
engines in enlarged nacelles to replace the J34—WE-32 engines of the F3D-1. Development problems with the J46 lead to F3D-2 aircraft being fitted with J34-WE-36 engines instead. The F3D-2 also incorporated an improved Westinghouse AN/APQ-36 radar system. A total of 237 F3D-2s were built before production ended on 23 March 1952. A higher performance F3D-3 version with swept wings and J46 engines was planned, but was cancelled when the trouble-plagued J46 engine program was terminated.
Operational history
The few F3D-1 aircraft were used primarily to train F3D crews and did not see combat. F3D-2 aircraft, however, saw extensive service during the Korean WarKorean War
The Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
and destroyed more enemy aircraft in Korea than any other Navy or Marine fighter aircraft. Although initially designed to shoot down bombers, they were painted in black and served to escort B-29 Superfortress
B-29 Superfortress
The B-29 Superfortress is a four-engine propeller-driven heavy bomber designed by Boeing that was flown primarily by the United States Air Forces in late-World War II and through the Korean War. The B-29 was one of the largest aircraft to see service during World War II...
bombers on night raids. They also flew nighttime intercept and interdiction missions. By the end of the war, while the F-86 Sabre
F-86 Sabre
The North American F-86 Sabre was a transonic jet fighter aircraft. Produced by North American Aviation, the Sabre is best known as America's first swept wing fighter which could counter the similarly-winged Soviet MiG-15 in high speed dogfights over the skies of the Korean War...
would become famous for victories over MiG Alley
MiG Alley
"MIG Alley" is the name given by U.S. Air Force pilots to the northwestern portion of North Korea, where the Yalu River empties into the Yellow Sea. During the Korean War, it was the site of numerous dogfights between U.S. fighter jets and those of the Communist forces, particularly the Soviet...
, Skyknights had claimed six enemy aircraft shot down (one Polikarpov Po-2
Polikarpov Po-2
The Polikarpov Po-2 served as a general-purpose Soviet biplane, nicknamed Kukuruznik for maize; thus, 'maize duster' or 'crop duster'), NATO reporting name "Mule"...
, one Yakovlev Yak-15
Yakovlev Yak-15
The Yakovlev Yak-15, NATO reporting name: Feather, USAF/DOD designation Type 2) was a first-generation Soviet turbojet fighter developed by the Yakovlev design bureau immediately after World War II. It used a reverse-engineered German Junkers Jumo 004 engine...
and four Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15
The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 was a jet fighter developed for the USSR by Artem Mikoyan and Mikhail Gurevich. The MiG-15 was one of the first successful swept-wing jet fighters, and it achieved fame in the skies over Korea, where early in the war, it outclassed all straight-winged enemy fighters in...
). During that time there was the loss of one aircraft piloted by Lt. (jg) Bob Bick and crewman Chief Linton Smith on July 2, 1953. This aircraft was with a detachment from VC-4 of NAS Atlantic City, and was attached to Marine Squadron 513. The first air-to-air victory occurred on 3 November 1952 in a United States Marine Corps
United States Marine Corps
The United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
F3D-2 piloted by Major
Major (United States)
In the United States Army, Air Force, and Marine Corps, major is a field grade military officer rank just above the rank of captain and just below the rank of lieutenant colonel...
William T. Stratton, Jr. and radar operator Master Sergeant
Master Sergeant
A master sergeant is the military rank for a senior non-commissioned officer in some armed forces.-Israel Defense Forces:Rav samal rishoninsignia IDF...
Hans C. Hoglind of VMF(N)-513
VMA-513
Marine Attack Squadron 513 is a United States Marine Corps attack squadron consisting of AV-8B Harrier jets. Known as the "Flying Nightmares", the squadron is based at Marine Corps Air Station Yuma, Arizona and falls under the command of Marine Aircraft Group 13 and the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing...
. While the Skyknight lacked the swept wings and high subsonic performance of the MiG-15, its onboard radar enabled it to find and kill other fighters, while the MiG-15 could only be guided by ground-based radar to the general vicinity of large B-29 formations.
In the years after the Korean War, the F3D was gradually replaced by more powerful aircraft with better radar systems. The F3D's career was not over though; its stability and spacious fuselage made it easily adaptable to other roles. The F3D (under the designations F3D-1M and F3D-2M) was used to support development of a number of air-to-air missile systems during the 1950s, including the Sparrow
AIM-7 Sparrow
The AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
I, II, and III and Meteor missiles.
The F3D-2M was the first operational Navy jet aircraft to be fitted with an air-to-air missile, the Sparrow I, a missile that used beam riding guidance for the aircrew to control the flight of the missile. Only 38 aircraft (12 F3D-1Ms, and 16 F3D-2Ms) were made able to use the missiles.
In the late 1950s, a number of the Marine F3D-2 aircraft were re-configured as electronic warfare aircraft and were designated F3D-2Q (later EF-10B). Also, a few aircraft were converted for use as trainers and were designated F3D-2T.
Skyknights continued service through the 1960s in gull white color scheme, when their contemporaries had long since been retired. In 1962, when the U.S. Navy and U.S. Air Force unified their designation systems, the F3D-1 was redesignated F-10A and the F3D-2 was re-designated F-10B. The Skyknight was the only Korean war fighter that also flew in Vietnam (as also did the A-1 Skyraider
A-1 Skyraider
The Douglas A-1 Skyraider was an American single-seat attack aircraft that saw service between the late 1940s and early 1980s. It became a piston-powered, propeller-driven anachronism in the jet age, and was nicknamed "Spad", after a French World War I fighter...
attack plane). EF-10Bs served in the electronic countermeasures role during the Vietnam War until 1969. The U.S. Marine Corps retired its last EF-10Bs in 1970. Some aircraft continued flying as testbeds for Raytheon
Raytheon
Raytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
until the 1980s.
When the U.S. Navy issued a requirement for a fleet defense missile fighter in 1959, Douglas responded with the F6D Missileer
F6D Missileer
The Douglas F6D Missileer was a proposed carrier-based US Navy fleet defense fighter aircraft, designed by Douglas Aircraft Company in response to a 1959 US Navy requirement...
, essentially an updated and enlarged F3D that would carry the AAM-N-10 Eagle long-range missile with the most important characteristics being able to carry a large load of fuel, long time-on-station, crew of two, and sophisticated electronics rather than speed or maneuverability. This concept which kept the straight wings in an age of supersonic jets was soon cancelled because it would not be able to defend itself against more nimble fighters. Its weapon system would be adapted for the supersonic swing-wing General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B
General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B
The General Dynamics/Grumman F-111B was developed as a long-range carrier-based interceptor follow-on to the F-4 Phantom II. It was developed in the 1960s by General Dynamics in conjunction with Grumman for the United States Navy as part of the joint Tactical Fighter Experimental with the United...
which also specified side-by-side seating, but would also prove vulnerable to MiGs. The AWG-9/Phoenix and TF30 turbofan engine (with afterburner) would eventually reach service on the F-14 Tomcat which could swing its wing straight forward for loiter.
The unusual portly profile earned it the nickname "Willie the Whale". It is less clear how it also came to be known "drut." It should be noted, however, that "Drut" is "Turd" spelled backward.
Variants
XF3D-1- Prototype aircraft, three built.
F3D-1 Skyknight
- Two-seat all-weather day or night-fighter aircraft, powered by two 3,000 lbf (1,400 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-32 turbojet engines, 28 built.
F3D-1M Skyknight
- 12 F3D-1s were converted into missile-armed test aircraft. Used in the development of the AIM-7 SparrowAIM-7 SparrowThe AIM-7 Sparrow is an American, medium-range semi-active radar homing air-to-air missile operated by the United States Air Force, United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, as well as various allied air forces and navies. Sparrow and its derivatives were the West's principal beyond visual...
air-to-air missile.
F3D-2 Skyknight
- Improved version, powered by two 4,600 lbf (2,100 kgf) Westinghouse J34-WE-36 or J34-WE-36A turbojet engines, equipped with an autopilot and a Westinghouse AN/APQ-36 radar, 237 built.
F3D-2B Skyknight
- One F3D-1 Skynight was used for special armament test in 1952.
F3D-2M Skyknight
- 16 F3D-2s were converted into missile armed aircraft. The F3D-2Ms were armed with AIM-7 Sparrow air-to-air missiles.
F3D-2Q Skyknight
- 35 F3D-2s were converted into electronic warfare aircraft.
F3D-2T Skyknight
- Five F3D-2s were converted into night fighter training aircraft.
F3D-2T2
- 55 F3D-2s were used as radar-operator trainers and electronic warfare aircraft.
F3D-3 Skyknight
- Unbuilt project, intended to be an advanced version fitted with swept wings.
F-10A Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-1.
F-10B Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-2.
EF-10B Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-2Q.
MF-10A Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-1M.
MF-10B Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-2M.
TF-10B Skyknight
- 1962 re-designation of the F3D-2T2.
Aircraft on display
- F3D-2 Skyknight, BuNo 124598, is on display at the National Museum of Naval AviationNational Museum of Naval AviationThe National Museum of Naval Aviation is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. The museum opened in 1962....
in NAS Pensacola, FloridaFloridaFlorida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
.
- F3D-2Q Skyknight, BuNo 124618, is on display at the USMC Museum, in QuanticoQuanticoQuantico may refer to:* Quantico , a 2005 science fiction/thriller novel by Greg Bear* Quantico, Maryland, an unincorporated community in Wicomico County, Maryland, United States...
, VirginiaVirginiaThe Commonwealth of Virginia , is a U.S. state on the Atlantic Coast of the Southern United States. Virginia is nicknamed the "Old Dominion" and sometimes the "Mother of Presidents" after the eight U.S. presidents born there...
.
- F3D-2Q Skyknight, BuNo 124620, is under restoration for display at the Quonset Air MuseumQuonset Air MuseumFounded in September 1992, the Quonset Air Museum was dedicated as an educational facility whose current mission is to preserve and interpret Rhode Island's aviation Heritage....
in Quonset PointQuonset PointQuonset Point, also known simply as Quonset, is a small peninsula in Narragansett Bay in the U.S. state of Rhode Island. It is contained entirely within the town of North Kingstown. "Quonset" is a Native American word likely meaning "small long place".Quonset Point was the location of Naval Air...
, Rhode IslandRhode IslandThe state of Rhode Island and Providence Plantations, more commonly referred to as Rhode Island , is a state in the New England region of the United States. It is the smallest U.S. state by area...
.
- F3D-2 Skyknight, BuNo 124629, is on display at the Pima Air & Space MuseumPima Air & Space MuseumThe Pima Air & Space Museum features a display of nearly 300 aircraft spread out over 80 acres on a campus occupying 127 acres . Located in Tucson, Arizona, it is one of the world's largest, non-government funded aerospace museums...
in Tucson, ArizonaArizonaArizona ; is a state located in the southwestern region of the United States. It is also part of the western United States and the mountain west. The capital and largest city is Phoenix...
.
- F3D-2Q Skyknight, BuNo 124630, is on display at the Flying Leatherneck Historical Foundation in MiramarMiramarMiramar is a place name of Spanish origin. It means "sea-view" or "sea sight" from mira and mar .-Places:Asia*Miramar, Panaji, GoaEurope*Miramar, a hamlet in the commune of Théoule-sur-Mer, France...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
.
- F3D-2 Skyknight, BuNo 125807, is on display at the Combat Air MuseumCombat Air MuseumThe Combat Air Museum is located in Williamsport Township, Shawnee County, near Topeka, Kansas at Forbes Field airport. The Museum rents two hangars from the MTAA. It is one of a handful of major aviation museums in the United States located on an active air field...
in Topeka, KansasKansasKansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
.
- F3D-2Q (later EF-10B) Skyknight, BuNo 125850, is under restoration for display at the Air Force Flight Test Center Museum at Edwards AFB, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. When operational, this aircraft served until 1970 as part of VMCJ-3 (Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadron 3) based at Marine Corps Air Station El Toro, carrying tail code "TN."
- F3D-2 Skyknight, BuNo 125870, (marked as BuNo 127039), is mounted on a display pylon at the Vietnam War memorial in Del Valle Park in LakewoodLakewood- Places :In Australia* Lakewood, Western Australia, an abandoned town in Western AustraliaIn Canada:* Lakewood Suburban Centre, Saskatoon, a subdivision in the city of SaskatoonIn the Philippines:* Lakewood, Zamboanga del Sur...
, CaliforniaCaliforniaCalifornia is a state located on the West Coast of the United States. It is by far the most populous U.S. state, and the third-largest by land area...
. It is painted in the 1960s-era grey and white color scheme of Marine aircraft. The aircraft bears the tail code "7L," which was the 1960s-era tail code designated for Marine Air Reserve Training Detachment and Naval Air Reserve aircraft based at Naval Air Station Los Alamitos.
- F3D-2T Skyknight, BuNo 127074, is on display at the USS Intrepid MuseumIntrepid Sea-Air-Space MuseumThe Intrepid Sea-Air-Space Museum is a military and maritime history museum with a collection of museum ships in New York City. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street on the West Side of Manhattan. The museum showcases the World War II aircraft carrier USS Intrepid, the submarine , a Concorde...
in New York CityNew York CityNew York is the most populous city in the United States and the center of the New York Metropolitan Area, one of the most populous metropolitan areas in the world. New York exerts a significant impact upon global commerce, finance, media, art, fashion, research, technology, education, and...
, New YorkNew YorkNew York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
. (Operated by RaytheonRaytheonRaytheon Company is a major American defense contractor and industrial corporation with core manufacturing concentrations in weapons and military and commercial electronics. It was previously involved in corporate and special-mission aircraft until early 2007...
in Massachusetts as an electronics test plane until it was donated to the museum in 1987. It is painted in the colors of Marine night fighter squadron VMFN-513 as flown during the Korean WarKorean WarThe Korean War was a conventional war between South Korea, supported by the United Nations, and North Korea, supported by the People's Republic of China , with military material aid from the Soviet Union...
.)