Mc Donnel FH-1 Phantom

 

 Patuxent River 1946

The McDonnell FH Phantom was a twin-engined jet fighter aircraft designed and first flown during World War II for the United States Navy. The Phantom was the first purely jet-powered aircraft to land on an American aircraft carrier and the first jet deployed by the United States Marine Corps. Although its front-line service was relatively brief, it proved the viability of carrier-based jet fighters to the leadership of the US Navy. Most importantly, the Phantom was McDonnell's first successful fighter, leading to the development of the follow-on F2H Banshee, one of the two most important naval jet fighters of the Korean War. The FH Phantom was originally designated as the FD Phantom, but the designation was changed as the aircraft entered production.

Three prototypes were ordered on August 30, 1943 and the designation XFD-1 was assigned. McDonnell engineers evaluated a number of engine combinations, varying from eight 9.5 inch (241 mm) diameter engines down to two engines of 19 inch (483 mm) diameter. The final design used the two 19 inch (483 mm) engines after it was found to be the lightest and simplest configuration. The engines were buried in the wing root to keep intake and exhaust ducts short, offering greater aerodynamic efficiency than underwing nacelles, and the engines were angled slightly outwards to protect the fuselage from the hot exhaust blast. Placement of the engines in the middle of the airframe allowed the cockpit with its bubble-style canopy to be placed ahead of the wing, granting the pilot excellent visibility in all directions. This engine location also freed up space under the nose, allowing designers to use tricycle gear, thereby elevating the engine exhaust path and reducing the risk that the hot blast would damage the aircraft carrier deck. The plane had unswept wings, a conventional empennage, and an aluminum monocoque structure with flush riveted aluminum skin. Folding wings were used to reduce the width of the aircraft in storage configuration. Provisions for four .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns were made in the nose, while racks for eight 5 in (127 mm) high-explosive unguided air-to-ground rockets could be fitted under the wings. The Phantom used split flaps on both the folding and fixed wing sections to enhance low-speed landing performance, but no other high-lift devices were used. Provisions were also made for Rocket Assisted Take Off (RATO) bottles to improve takeoff performance. When the first XFD-1 was completed in January 1945, only one Westinghouse 19XB-2B engine was available for installation. Ground runs and taxi test were conducted with the single engine, and such was the confidence in the aircraft that the first flight on January 26, 1945 was made with only the one turbojet engine. With successful completion of tests, a production contract was awarded on March 7, 1945 for 100 FD-1 aircraft.

 However, during the Phantom's development, Douglas Aircraft had announced its intent to compete for several new Navy aircraft contracts. This prompted the Navy to grant the designation letter "D" back to Douglas and reassign the then-unused letter "H" to McDonnell, thereby changing the designation of the production Phantom to FH-1. (22 years later, long after the last FH had been delivered, McDonnell and Douglas would merge, forming McDonnell Douglas). With the end of the war, the Phantom production contract was reduced to 30 aircraft, but was soon increased to 60. The second and final Phantom prototype became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier, completing four successful takeoffs and landings on July 21, 1946, from the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt A the time, she was the largest carrier serving with the USN, allowing the plane to take off without assistance from a catapult. Production Phantoms incorporated a number of design improvements. These included provisions for a flush-fitting centerline drop tank, an improved gunsight, and the addition of speed brakes. Production models used Westinghouse J30-WE-20 engines with 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) of thrust per engine. The first Phantoms were delivered to USN fighter squadron VF-17A (later redesignated VF-171) in August 1947; the squadron received a full complement of 24 aircraft on May 29, 1948. Beginning in November 1947, Phantoms were delivered to US Marine squadron VMF-122, making it the first USMC combat squadron to deploy jets. VF-17A became the USN's first operational jet carrier squadron when it deployed aboard USS Saipan on May 5, 1948. The Phantom was one of the first jets used by the U.S. military for exhibition flying. The Phantom's service as a front-line fighter would be short-lived. Its limited range and light armament- notably its inability to carry bombs- made it best suited for duty as a point-defence interceptor. The USN's Phantoms were widely used for carrier qualifications, but little combat training was ever carried out by the planes. The planes would see training duty with the USNR until 1954. No Phantom would ever see combat.

General characteristics Crew: One Length: 37 ft 3 in (11.35 m) Wingspan: 40 ft 9 in; 16 ft 3 in with folded wings (12.42 m / 4.95 m) Height: 14 ft 2 in (4.32 m) Empty weight: 6,683 lb (3,031 kg) Loaded weight: 10,035 lb (4,552 kg) Max takeoff weight: 12,035 lb (5,459 kg) Powerplant: 2× Westinghouse J30-WE-20 turbojets, 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) each. Fuel capacity: 375 US gal (1,420 L) internal, 670 US gal (2,540 L) with external drop tank Performance Maximum speed: 479 mph (771 km/h) at sea level Cruise speed: 248 mph (399 km/h) Range: 695 mi (1,120 km) Ferry range: 980 mi (1,580 km) with external drop tank Service ceiling 41,100 ft (12,525 m) Rate of climb: 4,230 ft/min (1,289 m/min) Wing loading: 36.4 lb/ft² (178 kg/m²) Thrust/weight: 0.32 Armament 4 x .50-caliber (12.7 mm) machine guns 8 x 5-in (127 mm) unguided high-explosive rockets

USN 92 René Hieronymus Scale 1:72 Building time: approx. 29 hrs.