DOUGLAS F3D SKYKNIGHT

[Ron Handgraaf]

Pilot's Handbook.
The "Whale" was designed as a carrier based night fighter.

Hope you'll enjoy reading this manual!

Regards

Ron

Douglas F3D Skyknight

[FLYBOYJ]

GREAT!!!!!!

[Micdrow]

Yet another good one!!! Thanks Ron

[HoHun]

Hi Ron,

Thanks a lot for this manual (and all the other great manuals you are posting!)

>The "Whale" was designed as a carrier based night fighter.

Are you sure it was the F3D was the "Whale"? I thought it was the carrier-capable A3D nuclear bomber that was known by that nickname ... but I've never been confused by Navy designations before ...

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[Ron Handgraaf]

Hallo Hennng,

Guess you made a point. The A3D certainly looks more like a whale than the F3D!

Regards

Ron

[HoHun]

Hi again,

"... but I've never been confused by Navy designations before ..."

I seem to get confused just by thinking about confusion - of course, I meant to say "... but it's not like I've never been confused by Navy designations before ..."

The anecdote I heard about the A3D is that the arresting gear adjustment levers on board of a carrier are labelled with type designations, like A-4, A-6, F-4, etc. ... but the lever for the A3D is simply labelled "Whale" because it's so far out of the ordinary range that the force required to stop it would rip the hook off any lighter aircraft.

No idea if that's true, but it gives a nice sense of proportion

Regards,

Henning (HoHun)

[ppopsie]

Thanks. Will be a great reading about a reratively unpopular aircraft. The only thing I need now is time.

BTW when was "airplane" was replaced with "aircraft." At least on the F3D manual's cover page has Aircraft whereas the one for PBY-6A has Airplane.

A Whale tangling with the Migs in the darkness somewhere up north in early 1950s is just exciting!

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by ppopsie

BTW when was "airplane" was replaced with "aircraft." At least on the F3D manual's cover page has Aircraft whereas the one for PBY-6A has Airplane.

When jets came along....

[ppopsie]

When jets came along.... OK I got it.

BTW were there any thread about Airplane or Aircraft? I mean the difference between the American and the British ways during the prop age.

[P-STICKNEY]

Originally Posted by FLYBOYJ

When jets came along....

More likely, it was when Helicopters came along. - admittedly aboutthe same time.
A jet airplane, after all, is still an airplane.
A Helicopter is an Optical Illusiom with Sound Effects.

--
Pete Stickney

[FLYBOYJ]

Originally Posted by P-STICKNEY

A Helicopter is an Optical Illusiom with Sound Effects.