A M E R IC A N A E RO SPAC E A RC H I V E 4

MCDONNELL NAVAL JET FIGHTERS

Selected Proposals and Mock-up Reports, 1945-1957

Jared A. Zichek
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M
cDonnell Aircraft Corpora-
tion is primarily known for
producing one the most fa-
mous aircraft of the twentieth century—
the F-4 Phantom II. It was the culmina-
tion of a line of aircraft which began with
the XFD-1 Phantom, the first jet fighter
to operate from an aircraft carrier. Sixty
examples of the production version, des-
ignated FH-1, would ultimately be pro-
duced. This model was followed by the
larger and more capable F2H Banshee,
which became the first McDonnell mili-
tary aircraft to see combat with the onset
of the Korean War in June of 1950.
Next came the F3H Demon, the
first swept wing aircraft produced by
McDonnell and one of the first aircraft
to be armed with missiles. The final
F3H-2 variant was underpowered but
fairly popular with its crews because of
its superior handling at high altitudes
and during carrier landings. In 1953,
McDonnell began studying improved
versions of the F3H, including variants
powered by a single Wright J67, two
Wright J65s, or two GE J79 engines. Mc-
Donnell submitted its Model 98B (F3H-
G/H) supersonic fighter to BuAer on
September 19, 1953. Unfortunately, the
requirement for this type of aircraft had
already been satisfied by the Grumman
XF9F-9 and the Vought XF8U-1, and the
proposal was rejected.
However, the Navy encouraged
McDonnell to continue refining the de-
sign, which would evolve into a single
seat all-weather attack aircraft in Au-
Cover: Artist's impression of the Mc-
Donnell Model 60, a striking but unsuc-
cessful submission to the Navy's 1948
interceptor competition, which was won
by Douglas D-571, later designated as
the F4D Skyray. Fortunately for McDon-
nell, the other design it submitted to
the competition, the more conventional
Model 58, was selected as a back-up and
produced as the F3H Demon. (Artwork
©2009 Jared A. Zichek)
1) Three-view drawing of the Model 40,
one of McDonnell's unsuccessful submis-
sions to the June 1945 fighter competi-
tion which produced the Vought F7U
Cutlass. (This and all other Model 40/40A
drawings from the John S. Brooks collec-
tion via Tony Buttler)
2) McDonnell also submitted an alter-
nate Model 40 with a V-tail. While this
unconventional empennage reduces
drag and structural weight, it requires a
more complex control system and puts
greater stress on the rear fuselage when
pitching and yawing.
3) Three-view drawing of the Model 40A,
in which the Westinghouse 24C-6 turbo-
jets were relocated to the mid-fuselage
and received air via a nose inlet. A wider
and deeper fuselage was required to ac-
commodate the engines.

The American Aerospace Archive is published periodically by Jared A. Zichek (6021 La Jolla Hermosa Ave, La Jolla, California 92037) and is printed and distributed by MagCloud
(www.jaredzichek.magcloud.com). American Aerospace Archive Number 4 (ISSN 1943-9636) is copyright 2009 by Jared A. Zichek. All rights reserved. All featured text and im-
ages are copyright 2009 their respective copyright holders. Reproduction of any material in part or in whole without its creator's permission is strictly forbidden. The American
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swept wing and tail surfaces, along with
a cockpit set further forward to improve
carrier take offs and landings. The wing
was swept at 350, while the tail surfaces
were swept at 400. Leading and trailing
edge flaps were fitted to wing to improve
low-speed handling. Armament con-
sisted of four 20mm cannon mounted in
the lower nose with 250 rounds of am-
munition each.
A third variant, labeled the Model
40A, was also submitted; the pair of
Westinghouse 24C-6 engines were re-
located to the lower mid-fuselage and
received air via a nose inlet, the overall
configuration reminiscent of a MiG-9
with swept flying surfaces. The inlet lo-
cation necessitated relocation of the four
20mm cannon to the upper nose, closer
to the pilot. Otherwise, the Model 40A
was very similar to the previous Model
6
40, sharing a similar wing and empen-
nage..
Unfortunately for McDonnell,
these studies were passed over in favor
of the unconventional Vought V-346A,
which became the F7U Cutlass. Given
the checkered developmental and op-
erational history of this aircraft, BuAer
likely would have done better by select-
ing a more conventional design, such as
one of these McDonnell proposals. For
more on these and other proposals in the
competition, please seek out Tony But-
tler's excellent American Secret Projects:
Fighters and Interceptors 1945-1978.1
XF2H-2/-3/-4 Swept-Wing Banshee
In a report dated October 3, 1947,
McDonnell proposed a swept-wing ver-
sion of its F2H-1 Banshee fighter.2 Three
6) Artist's impression of McDonnell's
swept-wing Banshee proposal from Oc-
tober of 1947, which mated a wing swept
at 350 and a swept empennage to a
F2H-1 fuselage. (This and all other images
herein are scanned from documents found
in RG 72 and 255 of National Archives II,
unless otherwise indicated).
7) General arrangement drawing and
basic characteristics of the swept-wing
"XF2H-2/-3/-4" Banshee.
variants, designated by McDonnell as
the XF2H-2, XF2H-3, and XF2H-4,
were proposed; note that these are not
the same as the F2H-2, -3, and -4 air-
craft actually built, all of which featured
the straight wing of the original F2H-1,
along with other improvements to the
basic design.
 32) Blueprint of the arresting and
catapult equipment installed on
the Model 58.

33) Beautifully detailed inboard

profile of the McDonnell Model 58
showing the type's major internal
components.

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▲ 48 ▼ 49 ▼ 50

48) Side view of the F3H-1 mock-up with canopy

open.

49) Front view of the mock-up emphasizing the

inlets and new radome, which was enlarged to
accommodate an AN/APG-30 airborne intercep-
tion radar.

50) Carrier approach view from the cockpit; note

the crude silhouette of a landing signal officer on
the wall.

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51) Left side view with access
doors open.

52) Three-quarter front view of

mock-up with the radar nose as-
sembly removed.

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Above: Artist's impression of the elegant McDonnell Model 60 on the ground. This CG model is based on plans presented herein and will hope-
fully inspire other modelers and illustrators, both digital and analog, to portray the aircraft covered in The American Aerospace Archive.
(Artwork ©2009 Jared A. Zichek)
Notes and Citations: tional Archives at College Park, MD, RG 255. October 31 to November 1, 1951, in the files of the
6. "NACA Research Memorandum for the Bureau of Aero- National Archives at College Park, MD, RG 72.
1. Tony Buttler, American Secret Projects: Fighters & Intercep- nautics, Department of the Navy: Free-Spinning-Tunnel 10. "Mock-up Board Report for Model F3H-1P Aircraft,"
tors 1945-1978, (Hersham: Midland, 2007), pp. 38-39. Investigation to Determine the Effect of Two Nose De- October 13, 1953, in the files of the National Ar-
2. "Banshee XF2H-2 and XF2H-3 Interceptor Fighters with signs on Spin and Recovery Characteristics of a 1/20-Scale chives at College Park, MD, RG 72.
Afterburning, Banshee XF2H-4 Fighter without After- Model of the McDonnell XF3H-1 Airplane, TED No. 11. http://home.att.net/~jbaugher1/f3_3.html
burning," October 3, 1947, in the files of the National Ar- NACA DE 343," 1951, http://ntrs.nasa.gov/. (Type in 12. "F3H-2 Fighter 30 Inch Diameter Radar Antenna
chives at College Park, MD, RG 72. "XF3H-1" in the search box to find other test reports con- Study," April 29, 1957, in the files of the National
3. "A Summary Report of Model 58 (Interceptor Fighter)," cerning this aircraft). Archives at College Park, MD, RG 72.
September 15, 1948, in the files of the National Archives at 7. "Mock-up Board Report for Model XF3H-1 Aircraft," Sep-
College Park, MD, RG 72. tember 13, 1949, in the files of the National Archives at
4. "Detail Specification for Model 60 (Interceptor Fighter)," College Park, MD, RG 72.
September 15, 1948, in the files of the National Archives at 8. "Mock-up Board Report for Model F3H-1 Aircraft,"
College Park, MD, RG 72. September 27, 1951, in the files of the National Archives
5. Memo, Marion O. McKinney, Jr. to the Chief of Research at College Park, MD, RG 72.
at NACA Langley, October 14, 1948, in the files of the Na- 9. "Addendum No. 1 to F3H-1 Mock-up Board Report,"