Standard armament consisted of 4 x Mk 12-0 series 20mm cannons. Two of these systems were fitted into the underside of each wing leading edge with 65 projectiles to a gun. As the Skyray design was mostly all-wing, it was expected that the wings mount a good amount of ordnance for the workload ahead. As such, the Skyray could field unguided rocket pods on up to six hardpoints depending on the pod size (and thus weight). 6 x 2.75" rocket pods of seven rockets each could be carried or 4 x 2.75" rocket pods of nineteen rockets each. The Skyray could sport 2 x 2,000lb bombs or equivalent as well. More importantly to a Cold War interceptor, the F4D could also be fitted with a pair of AIM-9 Sidewinder short-range, air-to-air missiles. Fire control was handled by the Aero 13F series fire-control radar system.
Make no mistake, however, that the F4D was a US Navy answer to an all-performance platform. The Skyray was an interceptor through-and-through, which explains the short-lived service life incurred by the type. The Skyray was not in the same category as follow-up designs that were more of a robust fighter-bomber, multi-role design philosophy. The F4D was specifically built for speed for the USN and in that way it did not disappoint, becoming a one-of-a-kind yet revolutionary step for the service branch. At any rate, it was a solid evolution in design for future USN fighter implementations.
On October 3rd, 1953, a Douglas Skyray set a new world airspeed record of 752.9 miles per hour, proving the design as a sound high-level performer. The combination of the delta wing and a powerful engine yielded tremendous results, particularly in the category of rate-of-climb. The Skyray set another aerial record by reaching 49,221 feet within 2 minutes and 36 seconds and the aircraft would hold no fewer than five such records during its operational life.
The first production F4D-1 set a new standard for the world (and essentially itself) on June 5th, 1954 as it became the first aircraft to sustain Mach 1 speed in level flight, proving the delta-wing design as sound with the potential to achieve great performance specifications. However, this next generation design was not without its faults. It was soon proven that the aircraft suffered from a potentially lethal high-speed stall occurring at altitude that could have disastrous results to pilot and airframe alike. As such, the program was stalled for several years before the problem was remedied and the design approved for USN service.
The Skyray would enter service as the F4D-1 with the United States Navy's VC-3 squadron (later becoming the VFAW-3) in April of 1956. At its height, seventeen USN and USMC squadrons, along with three reserve elements were fielding the aircraft. At least 419 F4D-1 models were produced in total, making it the most numerical and essentially the only major Skyray model in service. All F4D-1 models became F-6A designations after 1962. Likewise, the two XF4D-1 prototype designations were now updated to the YF-6A designation. Production of all Skyrays ran from 1950 through 1958.
The F4D-2 was a proposed Skyray variant fitted with the J57-F-14 series of engines. Though at least 100 were on order, the order was eventually cancelled in full. The F4D-2N became another proposed Skyray variant. These aircraft would have featured a longer nose section for the implementation of two radar scanners. Though this model went on to become the F5D Skylancer, the project was never fully developed with only four examples produced.
The Skyray was utilized by both the United States Navy and the United States Marine Corps, the latter, however, once the aircraft became the F-6. Despite its promising design and stellar performance, the interceptor-only mode of operation was steadily leaving the picture of modern aerial warfare. More capable platforms were on the horizon or arriving yearly that exhibited more in the way of true fighter-bombers than the Skyray could ever hope to achieve in its limited design philosophy. As such, the Skyray served just a few short years as a frontline operational fighter. All Skyrays were officially retired by 1964. The USN and the USMC were truly the only two operators of the aircraft as no global sales were sought or secured. Such was the speed of the changing technological front. The last operational squadron fielding the Skyray became the VMF-542 in 1964. Beyond that, the NACA (forerunner to NASA) utilized four examples for testing.
Despite its inherent limitations, Ed Heinemann earned himself the coveted Collier Trophy for his design work on the Skyray, a testament to the groundbreaking fighter design (the Collier Trophy is yearly award in the field of aviation recognizing achievements in both astronautics and aeronautics beginning in 1911. Winners have included Glenn Martin for his work on the Martin B-10 bomber, the Rutan Voyager team and the F-22 Raptor team ). The F4D/F-6 Skyray was never to see combat service during its tenure for it arrived too late for use in the Korean War (though development was underway during the conflict) and was wholly outclassed by the time of the Vietnam War. The F4D was still a beautiful aircraft to look at and a new memorable chapter in USN aircraft design, opening the doors for the next generation of jet-powered multi-role aircraft to take the lead.
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