The fall 2009 mystery airplane was a little tricky unless you had Steve Ginter’s Naval Fighters, No. 4 on your bookshelf with the image on page 23. Many great comments came from the Marine observers who had firsthand contact with the mystery aircraft — which was the Douglas YF3D-2M Skyknight (BuNo 127028) at NAF Litchfield Park in 1961.
The Douglas F3D Skyknight, the world’s first carrier-based jet night fighter first flew in March 1948. The aircraft went on to serve the Navy and especially the Marines as a successful night fighter in Korea. Additionally, it performed missions as a radar and missile test vehicle, Naval Flight Officer trainer and electronic countermeasure aircraft in Vietnam. The Marines retired the F3D (then known as the EF-10B) from active service in 1970.
BuNo 127028 was one of 16 F3D-2 Skyknights modified as a missile-carrying fighter under the designation of F3D-2M. Their four 20mm cannons were removed, and an APQ-36 radar was installed in an extended nose cone. Four hardpoints were mounted underneath the wings for Sparrow missiles — two inboard of the wing fold and two outboard. The unusual “Y” status designation of BuNo 127028 stands for a prototype aircraft although it was not the first F3D-2 modified as a -2M.
BuNo 127028 was delivered to VX-4 at NAS Point Mugu in September 1953. It served in VMFN-542 at MCAS El Toro from 1954–’55 when it was transferred to BAR Research and Development in Dallas in 1956 and later to the U.S. Naval Missile Center research, development, test and development at Point Mugu in 1960. The aircraft was sent to NAF Litchfield Park, Ariz., and struck in March 1961 after flying 844 hours.
Gary Verver of Denver, Colo., was the winner of the Fall 2009 contest and will receive a one-year subscription to The Hook magazine and Tailhook coffee mug. Please keep your cards, letters and e-mails coming (The Tailhook Association, 9696 Businesspark Ave., San Diego, CA 92131; thookassn@aol.com). Be sure to include the manufacturer and correct designation of the aircraft at the time of the photograph. Please, no phone calls.
Oh, yeah. Only one entry per contestant, please.
Either e-mail your
guess to thookassn@aol.com
or send it to:
"What is it?"
The Hook Magazine
9696 Businesspark Ave.
San Diego, CA 92131-1643