Wonderful story about a U.S. Navy aircraft that doesn't seem to get the attention as other naval aircraft from the same mid 1950s period such as the Vought F7U-3 Cutlass and Douglas F4D Skyray. In fact, even plastic model kit manufacturers from back in the day pretty much passed on producing a model of the McDonnell, F3H Demon with the exception of Hobbytime which made a vacuum formed, flyable F3H model kit and Topping Models which produced a plastic, factory assembled, desk model of the Demon (of which I have one in the blue color scheme). You are correct in that there are only three preserved F3H Demons (out of 519 built) and you listed where they are now located on static display. Thanks for sharing!
The design family would be better if it was the FH Phantom, F2H Banshee, F9F-3/5 Panther, F9F-6/8 Cougar, F3H Demon, F-101 Voodoo, and F-4 Phantom II. Both F9Fs mainly due to the design like the tail and afterburner.
Wonderful story about a U.S. Navy aircraft that doesn't seem to get the attention as other naval aircraft from the same mid 1950s period such as the Vought F7U-3 Cutlass and Douglas F4D Skyray. In fact, even plastic model kit manufacturers from back in the day pretty much passed on producing a model of the McDonnell, F3H Demon with the exception of Hobbytime which made a vacuum formed, flyable F3H model kit and Topping Models which produced a plastic, factory assembled, desk model of the Demon (of which I have one in the blue color scheme). You are correct in that there are only three preserved F3H Demons (out of 519 built) and you listed where they are now located on static display. Thanks for sharing!
The design family would be better if it was the FH Phantom, F2H Banshee, F9F-3/5 Panther, F9F-6/8 Cougar, F3H Demon, F-101 Voodoo, and F-4 Phantom II. Both F9Fs mainly due to the design like the tail and afterburner.
Dismal performance was typical of early jet planes.