It's not flashy. Necessary, but not flashy. Just like people who work in supply and maintenance. Not flashy; but good lucky keeping your flashy fighters in the air without fuel, parts, and people to keep the aircraft working.
The blocking Fullback never gets any credit, but his job is vital to the teams success. I salute the EW folks who make missions possible but get none of the glory.
Although, being British and listening to a British narrator, it can't help but jar a little hearing about Loo-tenants flying over DMZees. For us, it's a Leff-tenant and a DMZed. I mean, I KNOW there's a second U in 'aluminium' but I let my American friends pretend there isn't ;-)
I consider the Skyknight as one of the greats. It was built to a specification it met and, in the end, offered flexibility and utility not otherwise available. F3D crews were professionals and held the line with what they had. It was, after all, at the forefront of a combat system that was in its infancy in Korea and did leave a mark when defending the Superfortresses. The fact that it soldiered on in Vietnam broadcasts the need for such an airframe, if even for a stopgap. Thanks for another great, if not overdue, "Not A Pound For Air To Ground" instalment! Semper Fi.
If I could have chosen a snappy title for my Skyknight book, it would have been "Heinemann's Hot Dog," but Osprey wouldn't have gone for that. Solid video. The one minor correction I'd point out is that the concern about the ventral radome on the 'Super Whales' presenting an egress hazard was primarily expressed by an ECMO named J.T. O'Brien. In his book 'Top Secret,' he mentions that raising these concerns made him a bit of a pariah in VMCJ-1, as nobody else was worried about it until his concerns were (according to him) validated through egress testing at the El Centro parachute test range. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything official regarding those tests, so I relied solely on O'Brien's account there. Also, as far as books on the Whale go, it's a bit hard to find a copy, but Col Wayne Whitten's book 'Silent Heroes' covering the entire history of Marine Corps aerial electronic warfare is a phenomenal reference. J.T. O'Brien's 'Top Secret' is good as well, but more of a personal memoir than a general history. For Korean War stuff, G.G. O'Rourke's 'Night Fighters Over Korea' is not just a great resource for F3D-2 stuff, it's a really good read. Again, great work. Thanks for shouting out my book in the description.
Magnificent video once again. A few things I do wish were touched upon here: - The Skyknight's nickname "Willie the Whale" is a reference to a 1946 Disney cartoon about a whale that sings opera at The Met. - Douglas proposed an F3D-3 variant with swept surfaces and uprated engines, but perhaps thankfully for the carrier crews, this was not proceeded with. - Douglas also proposed a radically upgraded follow-on in the F6D Missileer of 1959 as a fleet defense machine, but considering its subsonic performance in contrast to the F-4 Phantom, it also never got off the drawing board.
Appreciate your covering the lesser-known types…and your quality of research, writing and delivery. You are approaching my favorite aviation history channel status.
Fabulous, just fabulous...... an aircraft that always takes me back to the long, hot, summer of 1983. Memories of a bus ride to Croydon on a day off from my first job to get the Rareplanes vacuform of the Skyknight and a Pucara. Had I but know it I could have taken the shorter ride to Redhill, walked up Redstone Hill and knocked on the door of Gordon Stevens and bought the kits from the great man himself. Returning home I went to sit out by the pond in our back garden, only to see a snake basking in the sunshine, seeing me sid the grass snake slid away, no doubt to the relief of the frogs and newts. Saw the snake a few times over the years, my dad having made the mistake of putting a compost heap not far from the pond! I made the kit, used some markings from the Airfix Banshee and solid Microscale yellow and white decal film (cut using a razor blade, health and safety mehhhh) for the lightning bolts, in the markings of a FAWTULANT Whale. Scratching the Impression of white stencils in the blue paintwork as suggested by Geoff Prentice of Icarus fame from the late lamented Scale Models, back when modelling magazines were useful and not full of pretty pictures of made up kits. Happy Days.
Another great video about another unsung aircraft of the early Cold War. Thank you so much for covering it's role in Vietnam as the EF-10. I had only read about it in Vietnam, and I doubt anybody could have given it justice like you just did. Thanks.
Nice job. The Skyknight is also a throwback to a time when DOD procurement was OK with a single aircraft type being part of the force even if it filled a single, very narrow (and niche by the 1960's) role. Rather than the 'one-size-fits-all' doctrine of today.
$1.8 million per plane ! The cost of this program was staggering compared to the top naval planes built just a few years before in WW2. The F4U Corsair was $75K, while the F6F Hellcat was only $50K.
Think about how much more your are getting. Radar is expensive, jets are expensive, radio altimeters and nav systems are expensive. And this is a relatively large twin engine aircraft, not a light single engine, the raw material alone is going to make it cost more. Duralumin isn't that cheap either. And of course the more you build the cheaper they are.
@@acomingextinction you seem to be the only one to get it that its less than 10 years between a 50k Hellcat and a 1.8 Mill Skynight. yes there are new technologies and Economies of Scale with the war and all but its still a vast jump.
@@skp788 No, it's his real voice. In early videos, there was a sort of nervousness to his pace of delivery - I'm glad he chose to slow it down and take his time. And, if you're reading this, please do note that it helps me to digest the facts & content much better at the steadier pace. Fast narration often leaves me wondering what I just heard. Certain channels are absolute villains for this, naming no names. Also, no way would a computer ever get that wonderful accent. As a Wessex denizen, I appreciate a Southern English accent, from whichever area.
@@AndrewGivens Thank you for the information. I am glad that he is really narrating the videos. I thought it was a real person but then I started thinking (my first mistake) that just maybe computer voice technology/A.I. had advanced to the point that this might not be a real live person doing the narrative. As an American from Ohio, I appreciate your ability to pick apart accents from different parts of England. These videos are outstanding. The subject matter covers a very interesting time in aviation history pointing out both the mistakes and the success along the way. I can't even image the amount of research that goes into a video. If you are reading; THANK YOU!
Your comments at the end fit the stealth aircraft perfectly. You don't have to be fast, if you can see them and they can't see you. You don't have to be super maneuverable, if you can see them and they can't see you. You don't need the most powerful weapons, if you can see them and they can't see you. What the stealth aircraft today do with billions of dollars of materials and engineering the whale did in the 1950s with a primitive radar and a coat of black paint.
'worked for awhile in an A-7 shop on CV-68 under an aviation fire control aircrewman who flew right seat in Willy the Whales during the 'Nam. He had high praise for them, and Super Connies that he flew too. 'saw a Willy Whale at an airshow in '65 once.
Thank you for making this video of a remarkable and generally forgotten aircraft. I was lucky enough to visit the 'MASDC' aircraft storage facility near Tucson, AZ, in 1987 - my first visit to the USA - and there were still three of these aircraft in store there. I think they had been kept as spares donors for a Skyknight that had been bailed to the Army (from memory) and they certainly stood out as Korean War anachronisms surrounded by much more modern hardware. Definitely got my attention!
Another awesome presentation. When I was a young devil dog, VMA-513, “the flying nightmares” supported us during a cax flying AV-8B’s. When I heard that, I thought “flying nightmares?, that sounds pretty cool”, so I found a book about their exploits in Korea, and have loved Willy the Whale and his stablemates the -5N Corsair and tiger cat ever since. Sadly, the Marines decommissioned the squadron some years ago. They had a great run. True flying leathernecks.
Like the Buccaneers in Iraq: an old warbird called back to help the newer ones. The lack of manuals & shonky cannon in Vietnam is shameful, but organisations are too often like that.
Thanks for this video. I have heard of the Skynight, but knew very little about it. From what you've said, the Skynight was a overlooked, yet equally important aircraft that did what it was supposed to do, despite all that was against it! It's a tribute to Douglas Aircraft that it designed an airplane that fulfilled it's role as good as it did.
I read somewhere that one Skyknight actually managed to shoot down a target in Korea under radar control alone. I should go back and check that reference. If any aircraft ever needed a better engine, this one did.
There is a beautifully restored Skyknight in fighter configuration on display in a park in Lakewood, Calif. It is in the gull gray/white paint scheme and has two air to air missiles underwing.
My father had a friend who lost his ring finger sliding out the escape slide. His wedding ring caught on some protrusion and took off his finger. My father never wore rings when flying.
My dad flew the a3d which had the same egress system as this aircraft. Funny enough the Navy crewman nicknamed it all three dead. Even funnier is that the US Air Force b66 dominator variation of that aircraft had ejection seats
Great video on an unsung plane and its crews. The fact that it was used by the Marines/Navy was key. Marines have an attitude of using whatever works to get the job done. I have met a few Marines and they have certain qualities.
The C-47 used in Korea saw service in Viet Nam as the AC-47 gunship. The F-9 Cougar was a Korea era fighter which saw service in Viet Nam with the TF-9J forward air controller.
I think it's worth noting that the Invader, Skyraider and Skyknight were all designed by Ed Heinemann at Douglas Aircraft Company. I'm pretty sure he was on the design team for the C-47 as well.
THANK YOU! I have been waiting for this, since I first came across your channel. I didn't know that the 'DRUT' (turd spelled backwards) carried cannon in Vietnam, nor that it served as long as it did. As an aside, I can see from the film clips where the A3D Skywarrior may well have been a development of the same basic design--there is a resemblance and the same 'escape' system. FWIW, I've seen 'Willie the Whale' applied to the Skywarrior.
Douglas did seem to use design concepts across various aircraft of an era. I was surprised to learn about the Skyknight's "escape chute" in the Naval Fighters #4 book, and perhaps less surprised to later learn that the Skywarrior did the same. They both also had an entry hatch in the top of the cockpit. It seems like this was the primary entrance for the F3D, but the A3D had a ladder built into the escape chute, so they could easily enter from ground level. The Kalamazoo air museum has an A3D cockpit section on display where the escape chute can be seen directly, which is certainly novel!
@@SkyhawkSteve That was part of Heineman's genius; blending new and old tech in innovative ways. ALSO, one nickname for the A3D was 'All 3 Dead'; referring to the escape chute. The B-66 Destroyer, a redesign of the Skywarrior for the USAF did get ejection seats.
If it had decent engines and replace the escape hatch with ejection seat then the skynight could have been a more decent aircraft than it already was..
The importance of being the first can't be denied. The Douglas F3D Skyknight was first. Pilots got to say what they liked and didn't like. That means the Skyknight helped develop jet fighters of the future.
When I attended USAF Fighter-Lead-In Training at Holloman AFB in late 1980, a couple of these Skyknights were parked on the ramp, I think to support some tests on the White Sands Test Range. I was surprised they were still flying!
I would argue that when you say the F-35 is the second worst aircraft in its disregard for flight performance versus electronics, you are forgetting about the “hopeless diamond” Have Blue and F-117. It was only possible to fly through fly-by-wire technology, and its still awful stability earned it the nickname “the wobblin goblin”.
Would the rounds even fuse on the PO2 if it hit the body and wings? lol.. I forgot those things where in Korea. I was a crew chief on C-141's so I'm also an expert in aircraft everything :) I've never heard of a plane so clapped that it has a 1G limit on it. Is this really because the air frame was so used up or other mitigating issues? Just seems crazy. I'll have to look into this. Heck the C-141 was so used up during my 8 years I sent many to the bone yard. I was also in the Reserve at WPAFB, the last C-141 wing. Right after I got out I drove down to watch 0177, Hanoi Taxi, land on the museum side. Took the family to see the plane I used to work on.. standing on the ramp of 0177 I hear a voice say my last name... It was the guy who taught me to do the flight desk ISO inspection when I got to my first base and his family!!! This was totally random.. We where stationed in NJ and randomly meet on the ramp of a C-141 in the Dayton museum... random.
Do they need to fuse is the question. Although I guess a 20mm isn't much different from a .30 unless it hits something solid, and there are less of them. I would question whether or was really when worth shooting down a Po-2 though. What damage can they really do?
There are some interesting pictures of US ARMY marked Skynights based at Holloman AFB NM back in the 1970's that were used for testing at White Sands Missile Range.
There isn't much content out there about early electronic Warfare and it's evolution I mean to learn more about this fascinating subject I also want to do the learning more about the early evolution of early airborne radar..
The first Douglas Skyknights F3D had a top speed of only 500 mph. But soon improved engines boosted top speed to 565 mph where it remained for the rest of the Skyknight's operational life. Reports on the combat-fueled and loaded F3D indicated its actual top speed was therefore lower at 540 mph. It was a risky interceptor role considering the Soviet-built MiG-15, powered by non-licensed, pirated British Nene jet engines could achieve a top speed of around 660 mph. But the F3D didn't foolishly challenge the MiG-15 in daylight. The F3D Skyknight specialized in nighttime ambush interception. One main trick was to hide among the B-29 Superfortress formation so that communist ground radar could not detect the Skyknight. When communist CGI radar vectored MiG-15s to intercept, the communist jets would close in typically between 400 and 500 mph. This was perfect for the Skyknight crew. The MiG-15 pilots were nearly blind in the nighttime inky darkness unless there was a full moon and a clear night sky. That kind of bright night was actually a disadvantage to the Skyknight as they could be seen. The Skyknight's three on-board radars gave it all the night vision it needed. The pilot and radar operator quickly crept up behind a MiG-15 and cut loose with four, Hispano 20mm cannons. Unlike the F-84 and F-86 Air Force jets' 0.50 caliber machine guns, the F3D's quartet of 20mm cannon was sufficient to blast the MiG-15 apart. But as in warfare, the enemy soon became cognizant of the threat and adapted accordingly. The F3D Skyknight crews had to in response adapt their own interception tactics. However the B-29 Superfortresses were far safer operating at night than in the daytime where MiG-15s freely bounced the lumbering, obsolescent WW2 heavy bombers. The Skyknight went on to sterling service over Vietnam, retiring from service just before the end of American involvement in IndoChina.
29:14 VMAQ-2 the Playboys. They flew EA-6B Prowlers in the 80s and 90s, but had to change their logo and nickname due to modern PC thinking. I recognize so many of the Marine squadrons in these videos. 542, the Tigers, became VMA-542 and flew the AV-8B Harrier and are now called VMFA-542 and fly the F-35.
Just think what this thing would've bean with a J79 engine or even a J57 engine. Lot of aircraft for those 2 small jet engines. Great informative video. Don't hear hardly anything about this craft. Thanks for posting. P.S. @T9:39/ very cool 1950 Olds 98 with wide Geraldines.
When I was in training at Pensacola, there were several of these doing different types of missions. They were ugly and slow but had a purpose. We all worried that we might get assigned to a Skynight squadron upon graduation so it made us study harder. We called it the DRUT which was TURD spelled backward. It was actually the forerunner of the A-6 Intruder. BTW, my studying paid off because I went to an F-4 squadron.
In series MASH episode had a plane an pilot called BedCheck Carley was a biplane was drop a bomb except at night po2 tactics was used 2WW agents German army
Would love to see a video on the Stingray. Seems to Have been totally forgotten by history because it never saw action, but it was a wonderful looking plane! Any chance? :)
I would like to see a video about electronic warfare in Korea. I thought that was a pretty cool topic you brought up in this video. Let me know if I could be of any help if you do decide to make a video about that subject.
31:12 Here's your plane kid. Hop in. _How old is this thing anyway?_ _Where is the instrument manual?_ Ain't none **slaps plane** but this baby will get you there. Probably. _Wait! Hang on a minute!_ _What do these switches here do?_ Nobody knows kid **pushes canopy down** but if you figure it out make sure to tell us about it if you make it back! 👋🏻 My respect for those men just doubled.😳
40:06 and all three of those are Ed Heinemann designs. Coincidence? Or did he just design solid & robust aircraft? FYI, I will advocate for Heinemann and his brilliance every chance I get. Like many of his designs, he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
Was in VMCJ-2 (Marines) in 64 when we still flew them. No ejection seats, there was a slide-chute between the pilot and the RIO. Not much use in SAM country.
I bet they were using the micro vacuum tubes. The last gasp of tube based electronics in the face of transistors. I have seen some absolutely tiny vacuum tubes. But at the end of the day, they just could no compete with the lighter weight and higher reliability of transistors. But pretty much all radar systems that i am aware of use devices that are basically vacuum tubes. Magnetrons and Klystrons are mainstays of radar design, and i bet they are still used to day. Hell, most people in the developed world have a magnetron in there dwelling. (Hint: It's in your microwave)
![I.N "HALLUCINATION" | [Stray Kids : SKZ-PLAYER]](http://i.ytimg.com/vi/n5B5q1Hwt_U/mqdefault.jpg)
Great video - As a retired EA-6B ECMO, we're used to EW being ignored so it's nice to see attention paid to our roots. .
It's not flashy. Necessary, but not flashy. Just like people who work in supply and maintenance. Not flashy; but good lucky keeping your flashy fighters in the air without fuel, parts, and people to keep the aircraft working.
Many of us are interested in EW, however there isn't a significant amount of readily available information even on older platforms and systems.
The blocking Fullback never gets any credit, but his job is vital to the teams success. I salute the EW folks who make missions possible but get none of the glory.
just so you know, I think the EA-6B is a far sexier aircraft than the F-14.. Sacrilege, I know, but that's me.
My dad flew it in Vietnam. Lost him on Monday.
How sad. Condolances. Prayers for you. Blue skies for him.
Condolences
Condolences and sorry for your loss
Rip.
I'm sorry for your loss
These videos are better narrated and the clips more relevant than most TV documentaries. Amazing work
I, 100% agree. Great work and video.
Although, being British and listening to a British narrator, it can't help but jar a little hearing about Loo-tenants flying over DMZees.
For us, it's a Leff-tenant and a DMZed.
I mean, I KNOW there's a second U in 'aluminium' but I let my American friends pretend there isn't ;-)
The research is top notch!
I consider the Skyknight as one of the greats. It was built to a specification it met and, in the end, offered flexibility and utility not otherwise available. F3D crews were professionals and held the line with what they had. It was, after all, at the forefront of a combat system that was in its infancy in Korea and did leave a mark when defending the Superfortresses. The fact that it soldiered on in Vietnam broadcasts the need for such an airframe, if even for a stopgap. Thanks for another great, if not overdue, "Not A Pound For Air To Ground" instalment! Semper Fi.
If I could have chosen a snappy title for my Skyknight book, it would have been "Heinemann's Hot Dog," but Osprey wouldn't have gone for that.
Solid video. The one minor correction I'd point out is that the concern about the ventral radome on the 'Super Whales' presenting an egress hazard was primarily expressed by an ECMO named J.T. O'Brien. In his book 'Top Secret,' he mentions that raising these concerns made him a bit of a pariah in VMCJ-1, as nobody else was worried about it until his concerns were (according to him) validated through egress testing at the El Centro parachute test range. Unfortunately I couldn't find anything official regarding those tests, so I relied solely on O'Brien's account there.
Also, as far as books on the Whale go, it's a bit hard to find a copy, but Col Wayne Whitten's book 'Silent Heroes' covering the entire history of Marine Corps aerial electronic warfare is a phenomenal reference. J.T. O'Brien's 'Top Secret' is good as well, but more of a personal memoir than a general history. For Korean War stuff, G.G. O'Rourke's 'Night Fighters Over Korea' is not just a great resource for F3D-2 stuff, it's a really good read.
Again, great work. Thanks for shouting out my book in the description.
Great comments, really useful extra info and how bloody nice to see an actual published historian in the comments.
The skyknight is truly an unsung hero, never knew Skyknights soldiered on in Vietnam, let alone for so long and in such an important capacity.
Magnificent video once again. A few things I do wish were touched upon here:
- The Skyknight's nickname "Willie the Whale" is a reference to a 1946 Disney cartoon about a whale that sings opera at The Met.
- Douglas proposed an F3D-3 variant with swept surfaces and uprated engines, but perhaps thankfully for the carrier crews, this was not proceeded with.
- Douglas also proposed a radically upgraded follow-on in the F6D Missileer of 1959 as a fleet defense machine, but considering its subsonic performance in contrast to the F-4 Phantom, it also never got off the drawing board.
In regards to the Missileer, much of its technology (mainly the engines, radar, and missiles) would eventually make its way into the F-14 Tomcat.
Appreciate your covering the lesser-known types…and your quality of research, writing and delivery. You are approaching my favorite aviation history channel status.
Fabulous, just fabulous...... an aircraft that always takes me back to the long, hot, summer of 1983. Memories of a bus ride to Croydon on a day off from my first job to get the Rareplanes vacuform of the Skyknight and a Pucara. Had I but know it I could have taken the shorter ride to Redhill, walked up Redstone Hill and knocked on the door of Gordon Stevens and bought the kits from the great man himself. Returning home I went to sit out by the pond in our back garden, only to see a snake basking in the sunshine, seeing me sid the grass snake slid away, no doubt to the relief of the frogs and newts. Saw the snake a few times over the years, my dad having made the mistake of putting a compost heap not far from the pond! I made the kit, used some markings from the Airfix Banshee and solid Microscale yellow and white decal film (cut using a razor blade, health and safety mehhhh) for the lightning bolts, in the markings of a FAWTULANT Whale. Scratching the Impression of white stencils in the blue paintwork as suggested by Geoff Prentice of Icarus fame from the late lamented Scale Models, back when modelling magazines were useful and not full of pretty pictures of made up kits. Happy Days.
Another great video about another unsung aircraft of the early Cold War. Thank you so much for covering it's role in Vietnam as the EF-10. I had only read about it in Vietnam, and I doubt anybody could have given it justice like you just did. Thanks.
Nice job. The Skyknight is also a throwback to a time when DOD procurement was OK with a single aircraft type being part of the force even if it filled a single, very narrow (and niche by the 1960's) role. Rather than the 'one-size-fits-all' doctrine of today.
$1.8 million per plane ! The cost of this program was staggering compared to the top naval planes built just a few years before in WW2. The F4U Corsair was $75K, while the F6F Hellcat was only $50K.
Inflation a thing so the cost of an aircraft in a certain date cannot be compared to the cost of a much more modern aircraft at a later date
Think about how much more your are getting. Radar is expensive, jets are expensive, radio altimeters and nav systems are expensive. And this is a relatively large twin engine aircraft, not a light single engine, the raw material alone is going to make it cost more. Duralumin isn't that cheap either.
And of course the more you build the cheaper they are.
@@gotanon9659it's the same time period.
@@acomingextinction you seem to be the only one to get it that its less than 10 years between a 50k Hellcat and a 1.8 Mill Skynight. yes there are new technologies and Economies of Scale with the war and all but its still a vast jump.
The tail and the wing shape resemble the A1 Douglas Skyraider.
True…family resemblance is there.
Both were designed by the same guy, Ed Heinemann.
Looking at the film clips, there is also a resemblance to the A3D Skywarrior.
Yes the narrator mentions the tail assembly design was based upon the Skyraiders
@@neilturner6749 Indeed, as they say, "if it ain't broke, don't fix it."
Thank you, another great mini documentary on a very unique aircraft, please keep it up.
I absolutely LOVE all the nit-picky bullshit detail you go thru in these vids.
Very, very well done mate.
Thank you!
😎👍
Agreed!
An excellent account of the Skyknight. Thank you.
Very informative.
Appreciate your research and your presentation
I love your voice, your line delivery, and your writing. You are such an incredible creator. ❤
Yeah
Question: Is that your voice, someone else, or a computer? Just curious.
@@skp788 No, it's his real voice. In early videos, there was a sort of nervousness to his pace of delivery - I'm glad he chose to slow it down and take his time.
And, if you're reading this, please do note that it helps me to digest the facts & content much better at the steadier pace. Fast narration often leaves me wondering what I just heard. Certain channels are absolute villains for this, naming no names.
Also, no way would a computer ever get that wonderful accent. As a Wessex denizen, I appreciate a Southern English accent, from whichever area.
@@AndrewGivens Thank you for the information. I am glad that he is really narrating the videos. I thought it was a real person but then I started thinking (my first mistake) that just maybe computer voice technology/A.I. had advanced to the point that this might not be a real live person doing the narrative. As an American from Ohio, I appreciate your ability to pick apart accents from different parts of England. These videos are outstanding. The subject matter covers a very interesting time in aviation history pointing out both the mistakes and the success along the way. I can't even image the amount of research that goes into a video. If you are reading; THANK YOU!
I have to play 'Not a Pound's...' content at x1.15 speed, or I would go insane.
Your comments at the end fit the stealth aircraft perfectly. You don't have to be fast, if you can see them and they can't see you. You don't have to be super maneuverable, if you can see them and they can't see you. You don't need the most powerful weapons, if you can see them and they can't see you. What the stealth aircraft today do with billions of dollars of materials and engineering the whale did in the 1950s with a primitive radar and a coat of black paint.
'worked for awhile in an A-7 shop on CV-68 under an aviation fire control aircrewman who flew right seat in Willy the Whales during the 'Nam. He had high praise for them, and Super Connies that he flew too. 'saw a Willy Whale at an airshow in '65 once.
Excellent. You do a great job telling interesting stories about aircraft I know little or nothing about.
Much awaited, much appreciated excellent insights as always from you
40:04 No it’s actually FOUR Methuselahs Skyknight, Skyrader,Skytrain and Invader…and ALL of them are Douglas Aircraft
Thank you for making this video of a remarkable and generally forgotten aircraft. I was lucky enough to visit the 'MASDC' aircraft storage facility near Tucson, AZ, in 1987 - my first visit to the USA - and there were still three of these aircraft in store there. I think they had been kept as spares donors for a Skyknight that had been bailed to the Army (from memory) and they certainly stood out as Korean War anachronisms surrounded by much more modern hardware. Definitely got my attention!
Another awesome presentation. When I was a young devil dog, VMA-513, “the flying nightmares” supported us during a cax flying AV-8B’s. When I heard that, I thought “flying nightmares?, that sounds pretty cool”, so I found a book about their exploits in Korea, and have loved Willy the Whale and his stablemates the -5N Corsair and tiger cat ever since. Sadly, the Marines decommissioned the squadron some years ago. They had a great run. True flying leathernecks.
Youve done some detailed research here..thank you
I've always liked this plane. Glad to see someone cover it.
Your videos are fucking amazing. Keep then coming! I'm waiting for you to do a video on the r-27 and su-15
Oh, the Su-15 will be one worth waiting for.
@@AndrewGivens indeed
Like the Buccaneers in Iraq: an old warbird called back to help the newer ones. The lack of manuals & shonky cannon in Vietnam is shameful, but organisations are too often like that.
The video you can come up with, if you didn't have the commentary, I'd still watch it. Love your work. Thank-you
Thanks for this video. I have heard of the Skynight, but knew very little about it. From what you've said, the Skynight was a overlooked, yet equally important aircraft that did what it was supposed to do, despite all that was against it! It's a tribute to Douglas Aircraft that it designed an airplane that fulfilled it's role as good as it did.
That photo at 9:46 is awesome. Perfectly captures that moment in history.
I read somewhere that one Skyknight actually managed to shoot down a target in Korea under radar control alone. I should go back and check that reference.
If any aircraft ever needed a better engine, this one did.
He mentions this just after the twenty-minute mark and again at the twenty two-minute mark
There is a beautifully restored Skyknight in fighter configuration on display in a park in Lakewood, Calif. It is in the gull gray/white paint scheme and has two air to air missiles underwing.
A most excellent done video!
Excellently written and presented
You think the guy who tested the escape hatch shouted "Weeeeeeee!" as he slid down that slide? I like to think so.
My father had a friend who lost his ring finger sliding out the escape slide. His wedding ring caught on some protrusion and took off his finger. My father never wore rings when flying.
I'm sure he shouted *something* as he let go.
@@Sanderford Shiiiii......
We now need a video on Soviet night fighters!
Outstanding! Always the first video I watch on Fridays.
My dad flew the a3d which had the same egress system as this aircraft. Funny enough the Navy crewman nicknamed it all three dead. Even funnier is that the US Air Force b66 dominator variation of that aircraft had ejection seats
Nice F3D box art (Czech Model). I still have a 1950s vintage, K&B Allyn, 1/48 scale, F3D Skyknight plastic model built up.
Brilliant videos, I've been buying books on each of the early us navy jets you've covered
Great video on an unsung plane and its crews. The fact that it was used by the Marines/Navy was key. Marines have an attitude of using whatever works to get the job done. I have met a few Marines and they have certain qualities.
This was informative. Thanks for sharing.
The C-47 used in Korea saw service in Viet Nam as the AC-47 gunship. The F-9 Cougar was a Korea era fighter which saw service in Viet Nam with the TF-9J forward air controller.
Good point! To be picky though, the Cougar didn't see combat in Korea; that was the straight-wing Panther--
You are correct, sir. The Cougars were being flown by Atlantic fleet squadrons in 1953.
I think it's worth noting that the Invader, Skyraider and Skyknight were all designed by Ed Heinemann at Douglas Aircraft Company.
I'm pretty sure he was on the design team for the C-47 as well.
@@andrewbuckley6571 Now that you mention it, there's a fair bit of resemblance between the Skyknight and Invader!
This channel is superb. Excellent work!
Everytime you said Whale all I could think of was the EA-3B. Got lucky enough to fly in them in the early 80’s.
THANK YOU! I have been waiting for this, since I first came across your channel. I didn't know that the 'DRUT' (turd spelled backwards) carried cannon in Vietnam, nor that it served as long as it did. As an aside, I can see from the film clips where the A3D Skywarrior may well have been a development of the same basic design--there is a resemblance and the same 'escape' system.
FWIW, I've seen 'Willie the Whale' applied to the Skywarrior.
Douglas did seem to use design concepts across various aircraft of an era. I was surprised to learn about the Skyknight's "escape chute" in the Naval Fighters #4 book, and perhaps less surprised to later learn that the Skywarrior did the same. They both also had an entry hatch in the top of the cockpit. It seems like this was the primary entrance for the F3D, but the A3D had a ladder built into the escape chute, so they could easily enter from ground level. The Kalamazoo air museum has an A3D cockpit section on display where the escape chute can be seen directly, which is certainly novel!
@@SkyhawkSteve That was part of Heineman's genius; blending new and old tech in innovative ways.
ALSO, one nickname for the A3D was 'All 3 Dead'; referring to the escape chute. The B-66 Destroyer, a redesign of the Skywarrior for the USAF did get ejection seats.
Marines fight with what they have. Saluting the US Marines! o7 Awesome video, great explanations of the dangers involved, thanks!
What a fascinating story and wonderfully told. Thumbs up and subbed!
Much learned , lives saved , successful aircraft indeed .
If it had decent engines and replace the escape hatch with ejection seat then the skynight could have been a more decent aircraft than it already was..
The importance of being the first can't be denied. The Douglas F3D Skyknight was first. Pilots got to say what they liked and didn't like. That means the Skyknight helped develop jet fighters of the future.
GREAT Details on a little known airplane. Built a model of one some 60 yrs ago (showing my age) Your aviation vids are SUPER!!👍🏽👍🏽
I agree with your statement about the dynamic performance deficiencies of the f35...it's basically designed around its extensive avionics...
"Willie the Whale" was an interesting transitional aircraft! I have always had an interest in early jet aircraft.
What a cool aircraft! I hope he told you all about it. All the best.
Simply amazing plane. Thanks for sharing
Very well presented, very appropriate images and video. Thank you.
Very informative-I was familiar with its Korean service, but the latter Vietnam ECM role was new to me.
When I attended USAF Fighter-Lead-In Training at Holloman AFB in late 1980, a couple of these Skyknights were parked on the ramp, I think to support some tests on the White Sands Test Range. I was surprised they were still flying!
I liked the A/C 12 7/8. My first SH-3 squadron we had one designated as 13.9
One of your best mate.❤❤❤
I would argue that when you say the F-35 is the second worst aircraft in its disregard for flight performance versus electronics, you are forgetting about the “hopeless diamond” Have Blue and F-117. It was only possible to fly through fly-by-wire technology, and its still awful stability earned it the nickname “the wobblin goblin”.
I don't think it's a coincidence that Ed Heinemann designed all three of the aircraft you mentioned as fighting in Korea and Vietnam.
When the Navy was looking for an aircraft to carry the AIM-6 Phoenix Douglas proposed another airframe very similar to their earlier one.
There is really is no end to the range of planes. Thanks again 📚🇬🇧👏
Would the rounds even fuse on the PO2 if it hit the body and wings? lol.. I forgot those things where in Korea.
I was a crew chief on C-141's so I'm also an expert in aircraft everything :) I've never heard of a plane so clapped that it has a 1G limit on it. Is this really because the air frame was so used up or other mitigating issues? Just seems crazy. I'll have to look into this.
Heck the C-141 was so used up during my 8 years I sent many to the bone yard. I was also in the Reserve at WPAFB, the last C-141 wing. Right after I got out I drove down to watch 0177, Hanoi Taxi, land on the museum side.
Took the family to see the plane I used to work on.. standing on the ramp of 0177 I hear a voice say my last name... It was the guy who taught me to do the flight desk ISO inspection when I got to my first base and his family!!! This was totally random.. We where stationed in NJ and randomly meet on the ramp of a C-141 in the Dayton museum... random.
Do they need to fuse is the question. Although I guess a 20mm isn't much different from a .30 unless it hits something solid, and there are less of them. I would question whether or was really when worth shooting down a Po-2 though. What damage can they really do?
There are some interesting pictures of US ARMY marked Skynights based at Holloman AFB NM back in the 1970's that were used for testing at White Sands Missile Range.
There isn't much content out there about early electronic Warfare and it's evolution I mean to learn more about this fascinating subject I also want to do the learning more about the early evolution of early airborne radar..
The first Douglas Skyknights F3D had a top speed of only 500 mph. But soon improved engines boosted top speed to 565 mph where it remained for the rest of the Skyknight's operational life. Reports on the combat-fueled and loaded F3D indicated its actual top speed was therefore lower at 540 mph.
It was a risky interceptor role considering the Soviet-built MiG-15, powered by non-licensed, pirated British Nene jet engines could achieve a top speed of around 660 mph. But the F3D didn't foolishly challenge the MiG-15 in daylight.
The F3D Skyknight specialized in nighttime ambush interception. One main trick was to hide among the B-29 Superfortress formation so that communist ground radar could not detect the Skyknight. When communist CGI radar vectored MiG-15s to intercept, the communist jets would close in typically between 400 and 500 mph. This was perfect for the Skyknight crew. The MiG-15 pilots were nearly blind in the nighttime inky darkness unless there was a full moon and a clear night sky. That kind of bright night was actually a disadvantage to the Skyknight as they could be seen.
The Skyknight's three on-board radars gave it all the night vision it needed. The pilot and radar operator quickly crept up behind a MiG-15 and cut loose with four, Hispano 20mm cannons. Unlike the F-84 and F-86 Air Force jets' 0.50 caliber machine guns, the F3D's quartet of 20mm cannon was sufficient to blast the MiG-15 apart.
But as in warfare, the enemy soon became cognizant of the threat and adapted accordingly. The F3D Skyknight crews had to in response adapt their own interception tactics. However the B-29 Superfortresses were far safer operating at night than in the daytime where MiG-15s freely bounced the lumbering, obsolescent WW2 heavy bombers.
The Skyknight went on to sterling service over Vietnam, retiring from service just before the end of American involvement in IndoChina.
Excellent video
I remember one flying around Eastern Georgia in the '80s. Probably one of Raytheon's.
wonderful. A fascinating look at a neglected role, and didn't feel technically dumbed-down either!
29:14 VMAQ-2 the Playboys. They flew EA-6B Prowlers in the 80s and 90s, but had to change their logo and nickname due to modern PC thinking. I recognize so many of the Marine squadrons in these videos. 542, the Tigers, became VMA-542 and flew the AV-8B Harrier and are now called VMFA-542 and fly the F-35.
Just think what this thing would've bean with a J79 engine or even a J57 engine. Lot of aircraft for those 2 small jet engines. Great informative video. Don't hear hardly anything about this craft. Thanks for posting. P.S. @T9:39/ very cool 1950 Olds 98 with wide Geraldines.
loving your work, thank you mate
Amazing channel and narration!
Interesting...I did not even know this plane existed until this video !
It would sure suck to have a cold cat. at night in jet without ejection seats. It's hard to believe they used the same system in the A-3.
The first plane with a great radar in WarThunder. I made a lot of kills, feeling like an AWACS, where none else had a radar. Good bombs also.
I was assigned to K-8 Kunsan AB as an aircraft maintainer during the '70s, '80s, and '90s.😉
When I was in training at Pensacola, there were several of these doing different types of missions. They were ugly and slow but had a purpose. We all worried that we might get assigned to a Skynight squadron upon graduation so it made us study harder. We called it the DRUT which was TURD spelled backward. It was actually the forerunner of the A-6 Intruder. BTW, my studying paid off because I went to an F-4 squadron.
What an absolutely important plane; that I had not noticed.
Cheers, from Copenhagen, Denmark.
Another great vid, Thanks! Why do you refer to the Grumman A-6 Intruder as the electric Intruder?
EA-6A's nickname, before the EA-6B entered service and became the Prowler
Wow, did not expect to hear Po-2's were used.
Very good video. Thank you.
Great video 👍👍
In series MASH episode had a plane an pilot called BedCheck Carley was a biplane was drop a bomb except at night po2 tactics was used 2WW agents German army
Excellent video, Thanks,
New subscriber excellent video
I think the Sky Night carrying the missiles was to be called the Missileer
An interesting aircraft. I'm gonna try to find a model of it.
Would love to see a video on the Stingray. Seems to Have been totally forgotten by history because it never saw action, but it was a wonderful looking plane! Any chance? :)
Do you mean the F4D-1 Skyray?
@@lancerevell5979 you’re absolutely correct.. I thought something sounded off with ‘stingray’
5:30 So basically crew where sitting 6 feet behind a 250 KW microwave oven. I suppose that consequent cancers were not service related?
Safe to say it was a pioneer in at least two domains
I would like to see a video about electronic warfare in Korea. I thought that was a pretty cool topic you brought up in this video. Let me know if I could be of any help if you do decide to make a video about that subject.
31:12 Here's your plane kid. Hop in.
_How old is this thing anyway?_
_Where is the instrument manual?_
Ain't none **slaps plane** but this baby will get you there.
Probably.
_Wait! Hang on a minute!_
_What do these switches here do?_
Nobody knows kid
**pushes canopy down**
but if you figure it out make sure to tell us about it if you make it back!
👋🏻
My respect for those men just doubled.😳
40:06 and all three of those are Ed Heinemann designs. Coincidence? Or did he just design solid & robust aircraft? FYI, I will advocate for Heinemann and his brilliance every chance I get. Like many of his designs, he doesn't get the recognition he deserves.
Was in VMCJ-2 (Marines) in 64 when we still flew them. No ejection seats, there was a slide-chute between the pilot and the RIO. Not much use in SAM country.
I bet they were using the micro vacuum tubes. The last gasp of tube based electronics in the face of transistors. I have seen some absolutely tiny vacuum tubes. But at the end of the day, they just could no compete with the lighter weight and higher reliability of transistors.
But pretty much all radar systems that i am aware of use devices that are basically vacuum tubes. Magnetrons and Klystrons are mainstays of radar design, and i bet they are still used to day. Hell, most people in the developed world have a magnetron in there dwelling. (Hint: It's in your microwave)