McDonnell F3H Demon
Country of origin
United States
United States
ManufacturerMcDonnell Aircraft Corporation
The McDonnell F3H Demon is a subsonic swept-wing carrier-based jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the American manufacturer McDonnell Aircraft Corporation. It was the first swept wing jet fighter and the only single-engined carrier-based fighter the company produced.
The Demon was developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s to fulfill a United States Navy requirement for a high-performance swept wing naval fighter to succeed the F2H Banshee. On 7 August 1951, the XF3H-1 performed its maiden flight, flown by test pilot Robert Edholm. The original design for a short-range interceptor was reworked into a heavier medium-range all-weather fighter to counter the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighter being encountered during the Korean War; however, the addition of about 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) of weight hampered the Demon's performance. The Demon was originally to be powered by the Westinghouse J40 turbojet engine, but the J40 proved unreliable and lacking in thrust, and the program was ultimately abandoned after it became politically controversial in 1955. This necessitated another major redesign of the aircraft to accept the alternative Allison J71 powerplant.
On 7 March 1956,...
The Demon was developed during the late 1940s and early 1950s to fulfill a United States Navy requirement for a high-performance swept wing naval fighter to succeed the F2H Banshee. On 7 August 1951, the XF3H-1 performed its maiden flight, flown by test pilot Robert Edholm. The original design for a short-range interceptor was reworked into a heavier medium-range all-weather fighter to counter the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 jet fighter being encountered during the Korean War; however, the addition of about 7,000 lb (3,200 kg) of weight hampered the Demon's performance. The Demon was originally to be powered by the Westinghouse J40 turbojet engine, but the J40 proved unreliable and lacking in thrust, and the program was ultimately abandoned after it became politically controversial in 1955. This necessitated another major redesign of the aircraft to accept the alternative Allison J71 powerplant.
On 7 March 1956,...
