The Douglas F4D Skyray (later redesignated F-6 Skyray) is an American

carrier-based A carrier-based aircraft (also known as carrier-capable aircraft, carrier-borne aircraft, carrier aircraft or aeronaval aircraft) is a naval aircraft designed for operations from aircraft carriers. Carrier-based aircraft must be able to launch ...

supersonic fighter/

interceptor Interceptor may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Interceptor'', a British drama series on BBC One * Interceptor (game show), ''Interceptor'' (game show), a British television game show that ran during 1989 * Interc ...

designed and produced by the

Douglas Aircraft Company The Douglas Aircraft Company was an American aerospace manufacturer, aerospace and military, defense company based in Southern California. Founded in 1921 by Donald Wills Douglas Sr., it merged with McDonnell Aircraft in 1967 to form McDonnell D ...

. It was the first naval fighter to exceed the speed of sound in level flight and the last fighter produced by the

prior to its merger with

McDonnell Aircraft The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an American aerospace manufacturer based in St. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, by James Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the F-4 Phantom II ...

to become

McDonnell Douglas McDonnell Douglas Corporation was a major American Aerospace manufacturer, aerospace manufacturing corporation and defense contractor, formed by the merger of McDonnell Aircraft and the Douglas Aircraft Company in 1967. Between then and its own ...

. Development of the Skyray was started by Douglas during the late 1940s as the ''D-571-1'' design study. It was a

delta wing A delta wing is a wing shaped in the form of a triangle. It is named for its similarity in shape to the Greek uppercase letter delta (letter), delta (Δ). Although long studied, the delta wing did not find significant practical applications unti ...

interceptor capable of a high rate of climb as to permit the rapid interception of approaching hostile bombers. Douglas' proposal was selected by Navy officials to fulfil a formal requirement issued in 1948. The decision to adopt the

Westinghouse J40 The Westinghouse J40 was an early high-performance afterburning turbojet engine designed by Westinghouse Aviation Gas Turbine Division starting in 1946 to a US Navy Bureau of Aeronautics (BuAer) request. BuAer intended to use the design in sever ...

turbojet The turbojet is an airbreathing jet engine which is typically used in aircraft. It consists of a gas turbine with a propelling nozzle. The gas turbine has an air inlet which includes inlet guide vanes, a compressor, a combustion chamber, and ...

engine to power it would lead to considerable difficulties later on as this engine would be cancelled prior to entering production. Aerodynamic issues would also lead to a protracted development cycle, considerable design changes being made even after the

maiden flight The maiden flight, also known as first flight, of an aircraft is the first occasion on which it leaves the ground under its own power. The same term is also used for the first launch of rockets. In the early days of aviation it could be dange ...

of a production standard Skyray having taken place in June 1954. The Skyray was declared ready for fleet introduction in April 1956, permitting its entry to service with both the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

(USN) and

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

(USMC) shortly thereafter. The Skyray had a relatively brief service life, during which it never participated in actual combat. Despite this, it was the first carrier-launched aircraft to hold the world's absolute speed record, having attained a top speed of 752.943 mph,Angelluci 1987, p. 92.Caygill 2006, p. 175. (1,211.744 km/h).Francillon 1979, p. 480. It also set a new time-to-altitude record, flying from a standing start to in two minutes and 36 seconds, all while flying at a 70° pitch angle. The last Skyrays were withdrawn from service in February 1964, although a handful continued to be flown for experimental purposes by

National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its ...

(NACA) up to the end of the decade. The F5D Skylancer was an advanced development of the F4D Skyray that ultimately did not enter service.

Design and development

The Skyray originated within a design study, the ''D-571-1'', performed by Douglas and funded by the

(USN). It was a fast-climbing pure interceptor that used a

configuration and powered by a pair of

Westinghouse J34 The Westinghouse J34, company designation Westinghouse 24C, was a turbojet engine developed by Westinghouse Aviation Gas Turbine Division in the late 1940s. Essentially an enlarged version of the earlier Westinghouse J30, the J34 produced 3,000 ...

engines, which were equipped with

afterburner An afterburner (or reheat in British English) is an additional combustion component used on some jet engines, mostly those on military supersonic aircraft. Its purpose is to increase thrust, usually for supersonic flight, takeoff, and combat ...

s for bursts of additional acceleration.Thomason 2008, pp. 129, 143. The D-571-1 had a relatively thick wing with no conventional fuselage save for a pod-like cockpit in a forward position. A total of four 20mm cannons extended forward of the

leading edge The leading edge is the part of the wing that first contacts the air;Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 305. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. alternatively it is the foremost edge of an airfoil sectio ...

of the wing; alternative armaments consisted of spin-stabilized rockets. The design study had harnessed the designs and research of the German

aerodynamicist Aerodynamics () is the study of the motion of air, particularly when affected by a solid object, such as an airplane wing. It involves topics covered in the field of fluid dynamics and its subfield of gas dynamics, and is an important domain of ...

Alexander Lippisch Alexander Martin Lippisch (2 November 1894 – 11 February 1976) was a German aeronautical engineer, a pioneer of aerodynamics who made important contributions to the understanding of tailless aircraft, delta wings and the ground effect in aircra ...

, who moved to the United States following the end of

World War II World War II or the Second World War (1 September 1939 – 2 September 1945) was a World war, global conflict between two coalitions: the Allies of World War II, Allies and the Axis powers. World War II by country, Nearly all of the wo ...

, and whose work had been examined by several of Douglas's design team.Caygill 2006, p. 157. In June 1947, the Navy issued a contract to Douglas to proceed with preliminary investigation and engineering works on the concept up to the mockup stage.Thomason 2008, p. 143. As the design was refined, it was decided to reduce the wing's thickness substantially to increase its high speed capabilities.Thomason 2008, pp. 143-144. The twin J34 engine arrangement was also swapped out for a single

engine. Only a single

hydraulic Hydraulics () is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...

system was incorporated, thus measures to permit manual reversion in the event of hydraulic failure were also included. Rockets also became the primary armament, which were housed in pylon-mounted pods underneath the wing. A formal operational requirement was issued by the Navy in 1948, however, according to aviation author Tommy H. Thomason, that the contract would be awarded to Douglas from the onset was an apparently foregone conclusion. Specifics of this requirement included the ability to intercept and destroy an enemy aircraft at an altitude of 50,000 ft (15,240 m) within five minutes of the alarm being sounded.Angelluci 1987, p. 91. At the time, Navy planners were particularly concerned by the threat posed to its carrier battle groups by high altitude

Soviet The Union of Soviet Socialist Republics. (USSR), commonly known as the Soviet Union, was a List of former transcontinental countries#Since 1700, transcontinental country that spanned much of Eurasia from 1922 until Dissolution of the Soviet ...

bomber aircraft; furthermore, as early jet aircraft were fuel hungry and had limited endurance, to maximise an interceptor aircraft time on station the Navy desired for such an aircraft to possess a relatively high rate of climb so that it could be launched and rapidly reach its operational altitude.Thomason 2008, pp. 128-129, 143. On account of the numerous design changes, the mockup review was delayed by almost one year, taking place in March 1949.Thomason 2008, p. 146. One criticism produced at this stage was that the nose-up attitude was greater than had been anticipated, necessitating changes to the aircraft's nose and

radome A radome (a portmanteau of "radar" and "dome") is a structural, weatherproof enclosure that protects a radar antenna (radio), antenna. The radome is constructed of material transparent to radio waves. Radomes protect the antenna from weathe ...

to improve the pilot's external visibility. A more pressing issue would be the J40 engine intended to power the aircraft. Douglas' design team had decided to make accommodations to facilitate the use of other engines as a contingency measure;Thomason 2008, p. 152. this approach proved to be quite fortunate as the J40 had a particularly troubled development, being eventually cancelled with no production units ever being delivered.Thomason 2008, p. 129. As a temporary measure, the prototype had to be outfitted with an

Allison J35 The General Electric/Allison J35 was the United States Air Force's first axial-flow (straight-through airflow) compressor jet engine. Originally developed by GE Aviation, General Electric (GE company designation TG-180) in parallel with the Fran ...

engine instead. The long-term replacement for the J40 on production aircraft was the

Pratt & Whitney J57 The Pratt & Whitney J57 (company designation: JT3C) is an axial-flow turbojet engine developed by Pratt & Whitney in the early 1950s. The J57 (first run January 1950) was the first 10,000 lbf (45 kN) thrust class engine in the United State ...

, a more powerful but considerably larger engine. As the original inlet design was not a good match for the J57, it had to be redesigned.Thomason 2008, pp. 151-152. The ensuing delays to the programme led to several other aircraft, such as the

North American F-100 Super Sabre The North American F-100 Super Sabre is an American supersonic jet fighter aircraft designed and produced by the aircraft manufacturer North American Aviation. The first of the Century Series of American jet fighters, it was the first United ...

and the

Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 The Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-19 (; NATO reporting name: Farmer) is a Soviet second generation, single-seat, twinjet fighter aircraft. It was the first Soviet production aircraft capable of supersonic speeds in level flight. A comparable U.S. " Cen ...

, beating it into operational service. During June 1954, the first flight of a production standard Skyray occurred, after which an intense period of flight testing and remedial design work followed. The aft section needed to be reprofiled to eliminate undesirable buffeting as well as to reduce

drag Drag or The Drag may refer to: Places * Drag, Norway, a village in Tysfjord municipality, Nordland, Norway * ''Drág'', the Hungarian name for Dragu Commune in Sălaj County, Romania * Drag (Austin, Texas), the portion of Guadalupe Street a ...

. In September 1955, initial carrier suitability trials were performed onboard USS ''Ticonderoga''. No production aircraft were delivered until early 1956, it was declared ready for fleet introduction in April of that year. A total of 419 ''F4D-1'' (later designated ''F-6'' under the unified designation system) aircraft would be produced prior to the end of production in 1958. The Skyray was a wide delta wing design with long, sharply swept, rounded wings. It was named for its resemblance to the

manta ray Manta rays are large Batoidea, rays belonging to the genus ''Mobula'' (formerly its own genus ''Manta''). The larger species, ''Giant oceanic manta ray, M. birostris'', reaches in width, while the smaller, ''Reef manta ray, M. alfredi'', reac ...

.Gunston 1981, p. 67. The thick wing roots contained the air intakes that fed its single

engine. Fuel was contained both in the wings and the deep fuselage.

Leading edge slats A slat is an aerodynamic surface on the leading edge of the wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. When retracted, the slat lies flush with the rest of the wing. A slat is deployed by sliding forward, opening a slot between the wing and the slat. Air from ...

were fitted for increased lift during takeoff and landing while the

trailing edge The trailing edge of an aerodynamic surface such as a wing is its rear edge, where the airflow separated by the leading edge meets.Crane, Dale: ''Dictionary of Aeronautical Terms, third edition'', page 521. Aviation Supplies & Academics, 1997. ...

s comprised mostly

elevon Elevons or tailerons are aircraft control surfaces that combine the functions of the elevator (used for pitch control) and the aileron (used for roll control), hence the name. They are frequently used on tailless aircraft such as flying wings. ...

control surfaces.Thomason 2008, p. 144. Additional pitch trimmers were fitted inboard near the jet exhaust, and were locked upwards on takeoff and landing. It had a relatively unique design for the era, which was a key factor in the Skyray becoming one of the best-known early jet fighters. It was affectionately known as the "Ford" (after the "Four" and "D" of its designation).Gunston 1981, p. 70. During 1953, Edward H. Heinemann was awarded the

Collier Trophy The Robert J. Collier Trophy is awarded annually "for the greatest achievement in aeronautics or astronautics in America, with respect to improving the performance, efficiency, and safety of air or space vehicles, the value of which has been t ...

in recognition of his design work on the F4D.

Operational history

During April 1956, VC-3 became the first squadron to attain operational status with the F4D-1. This unit was later redesignated

VFAW-3 All Weather Fighter Squadron 3 (VF(AW)-3) was a designation which was used by two separate U.S. Navy aviation squadrons. The first squadron to use the designation was established as Composite Squadron THREE (VC-3) on 20 May 1943, was redesignate ...

and assigned to

NORAD North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD ; , CDAAN), known until March 1981 as the North American Air Defense Command, is a combined organization of the United States and Canada that provides aerospace warning, air sovereignty, and pr ...

, becoming the only

fighter squadron in what was predominantly a

United States Air Force The United States Air Force (USAF) is the Air force, air service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is one of the six United States Armed Forces and one of the eight uniformed services of the United States. Tracing its ori ...

(USAF) and

Royal Canadian Air Force The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF; ) is the air and space force of Canada. Its role is to "provide the Canadian Forces with relevant, responsive and effective airpower". The RCAF is one of three environmental commands within the unified Can ...

(RCAF) organization. VFAW-3 was permanently based at

NAS North Island Naval Air Station North Island or NAS North Island , at the north end of the Coronado peninsula on San Diego Bay in San Diego, California, is part of the largest aerospace-industrial complex in the United States Navy – Naval Base Coronado ...

in San Diego. The

(USMC) also operated the Skyray. When the

Department of Defense The United States Department of Defense (DoD, USDOD, or DOD) is an executive department of the U.S. federal government charged with coordinating and supervising the six U.S. armed services: the Army, Navy, Marines, Air Force, Space Force, ...

adopted a uniform aircraft designation system patterned on the USAF's aircraft designation system during September 1962, the F4D was redesignated as the ''F-6A Skyray''. The ''F4D'' (old designation) should not be confused with the ''F-4D'' (new designation) – the latter being the "D" variant of the

McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is an American tandem two-seat, twin-engine, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber that was developed by McDonnell Aircraft for the United States Navy.Swanborough and Bower ...

operated by the USAF.Thomason 2008, p. 266. The Skyray was designed exclusively for the high-altitude interception role, with a high rate and angle of climb. It set a new time-to-altitude record, flying from a standing start to in two minutes and 36 seconds, all while flying at a 70° pitch angle. As a dedicated interceptor, the F4D was unsuited to the multi-mission capabilities that became increasingly in demand, thus the type had a relatively short career in both USN and USMC service. In addition to multiple Navy and Marine Corps squadrons, Naval Air Reserve and Marine Air Reserve squadrons VF-881, VF-882 and

VMF-215 Marine Fighting Squadron 215 (VMF-215) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was commissioned and fought during World War II. Known as "The Fighting Corsairs", the squadron fought in many areas of the Pacific War, includin ...

also flew the Skyray. The last operational squadron was VMF(AW)-115, which flew the Skyray until February 1964. A total of four aircraft were used for experimental purposes by the

(NACA) (which was later renamed

NASA The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA ) is an independent agencies of the United States government, independent agency of the federal government of the United States, US federal government responsible for the United States ...

) until 1969.Gunston 1981, p. 73.

F5D Skylancer

The F5D Skylancer was derived from the F4D and intended to be a Mach 2 capable successor to the Skyray. Although four prototypes were built and flown, the project was cancelled as being too similar in mission parameters to the

F8U Crusader The Vought F-8 Crusader (originally F8U) is a single-engine, supersonic, carrier-based air superiority jet aircraft designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Vought. It was the last American fighter that had guns as the primar ...

and also to reduce dependence upon Douglas Aircraft, which was also producing several other aircraft for the U.S. Navy.Gunston 1981, p. 73.Thomason 2008, pp. 230-231. This decision effectively removed Douglas from active fighter development.Thomason 2008, p. 262.

Variants

;XF4D-1 :Prototypes; redesignated YF-6A in 1962, two built. ;F4D-1 :Single-seat fighter aircraft, production model; redesignated F-6A in 1962, 420 built. ;F4D-2 :Re-engined F4D-1 with the J57-F-14, 100 on order cancelled. ;F4D-2N :F4D-2 version with extended nose housing twin radar scanners, project only evolved into the F5D Skylancer.

Operators

; *

** VF-13 ** VF-21 **

VF-23 Strike Fighter Squadron One Five One (VFA-151) nicknamed the ''Vigilantes'' are a United States Navy F/A-18E Super Hornet fighter squadron stationed at Naval Air Station Lemoore, California. The squadron is a part of Carrier Air Wing 9 (CVW-9). ...

VF-51 VF-51, Fighter Squadron 51 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy known as the "Screaming Eagles". It was originally established as VF-1 on 1 February 1943, redesignated as VF-5 on 15 July 1943, redesignated as VF-5A on 15 November 1946, ...

VF-74 VF-74, Fighter Squadron 74, ''Be-Devilers'' was an aviation unit of the United States Navy in service from 1944 to 1994. Originally established as VBF-20 on 16 April 1945, it was redesignated as VF-10A on 15 November 1946, redesignated as VF-92 on ...

VF-101 Strike Fighter Squadron 101 (VFA-101), also known as the "Grim Reapers", was a United States Navy Fleet Replacement Squadron (FRS) based at Eglin AFB, Florida. After the West Coast FRS for the F-14 Tomcat, VF-124, was disestablished in the mid-1 ...

** VF-102 ** VF-141 **

VF-162 Fighter Squadron 162 or VF-162 was an aviation unit of the United States Navy established on 1 September 1960 and disestablished on 29 January 1971. Operational history Vietnam VF-162 served 6 Vietnam deployments: *1 August 1963 – 10 March ...

VF-213 Strike Fighter Squadron 213 (VFA-213), also known as the Blacklions, is a renowned United States Navy fighter squadron. Established in 1955, the squadron operated a variety of aircraft over its history, beginning with the McDonnell F2H Banshee. ...

** VF-881 ** VF-882 *

VMF-113 Marine Fighter Squadron 113 (VMF-113) was a fighter squadron of the United States Marine Corps during World War II and in the Marine Forces Reserve until 1965. Known as the "Whistling Devils", the squadron participated in aerial combat over th ...

VMF-114 Marine All-Weather Fighter Squadron 114 (VMF(AW)-114) was a squadron of the United States Marine Corps that was originally commissioned during World War II. Nicknamed the "Death Dealers", the squadron saw the most action during the war providin ...

VMF-115 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 115 (VMFA-115) was a United States Marine Corps F/A-18 Hornet squadron. Officially nicknamed the "Silver Eagles" and on occasion ''Joe's Jokers'' after their first commanding officer Major Joe Foss, the squadron w ...

VMF-314 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 314 (VMFA-314) is a United States Marine Corps F-35C Lightning II squadron. The squadron, known as the "Black Knights", is based at Marine Corps Air Station Miramar, California and falls under the command of Mari ...

VMF-513 Marine Fighter Attack Training Squadron 502 (VMFAT-502) is a United States Marine Corps fighter attack training squadron flying the Lockheed Martin F-35 Lightning II. Known as the "Flying Nightmares", the squadron maintains the history of ''Mar ...

VMFA-531 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 531 (VMFA-531) was a United States Marine Corps fighter squadron consisting of various types aircraft from its inception culminating with the F/A-18 Hornet. Known as the "Grey Ghosts", the squadron participated in ...

VMF(AW)-542 Marine Fighter Attack Squadron 542 (VMFA-542) is a United States Marine Corps Aviation fighter attack squadron flying the F-35B Lightning II. VMFA-542 is based at Marine Corps Air Station Cherry Point, North Carolina and falls under the comman ...

**VX-3 *

NACA The National Advisory Committee for Aeronautics (NACA) was a United States federal agency that was founded on March 3, 1915, to undertake, promote, and institutionalize aeronautical research. On October 1, 1958, the agency was dissolved and its ...

Aircraft on display

;XF4D-1 *124587 – In front of the main gate of

Naval Air Weapons Station China Lake Naval Air Weapons Station (NAWS) China Lake is a large military installation in California that supports the research, testing and evaluation programs of the United States Navy. It is part of Navy Region Southwest under Commander, Navy Instal ...

California California () is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States that lies on the West Coast of the United States, Pacific Coast. It borders Oregon to the north, Nevada and Arizona to the east, and shares Mexico–United States border, an ...

. It is on loan from the

National Naval Aviation Museum The National Naval Aviation Museum, formerly known as the National Museum of Naval Aviation and the Naval Aviation Museum, is a military and aerospace museum located at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Founded in 1962 and moved to its cur ...

Naval Air Station Pensacola Naval Air Station Pensacola or NAS Pensacola (formerly NAS/KNAS until changed circa 1970 to allow Nassau International Airport, now Lynden Pindling International Airport, to have IATA code NAS), "The Cradle of Naval Aviation", is a United Sta ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

. ;F4D-1 (F-6A) * 134748 –

Pima Air and Space Museum The Pima Air & Space Museum is an aerospace museum in Tucson, Arizona, US. It features a display of nearly 400 aircraft spread out over on a campus occupying . It has also been the home to the Arizona Aviation Hall of Fame since 1991. Overvi ...

adjacent to

Davis–Monthan Air Force Base Davis–Monthan Air Force Base (DM AFB) is a United States Air Force base southeast of downtown Tucson, Arizona. It was established in 1925 as Davis–Monthan Landing Field. The host unit for Davis–Monthan AFB is the 355th Wing (355 WG) ass ...

Tucson, Arizona Tucson (; ; ) is a city in Pima County, Arizona, United States, and its county seat. It is the second-most populous city in Arizona, behind Phoenix, Arizona, Phoenix, with a population of 542,630 in the 2020 United States census. The Tucson ...

. It is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum. * 134764 –

Naval Air Station Patuxent River Naval Air Station Patuxent River , also known as NAS Pax River, is a United States naval air station in St. Mary’s County, Maryland on the Chesapeake Bay near the mouth of the Patuxent River. It is home to Headquarters, Naval Air Systems Comm ...

St. Mary's County, Maryland St. Mary's County, established in 1637, is a county located in the U.S. state of Maryland. As of the 2020 census, the population was 113,777. Its county seat is Leonardtown. The name is in honor of Mary, the mother of Jesus. St. Mary's Count ...

. It is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum. * 134806 –

. * 134836 –

Intrepid Sea, Air & Space Museum The ''Intrepid'' Museum (originally the ''Intrepid'' Sea, Air & Space Museum) is a military and maritime history museum in New York City, United States. It is located at Pier 86 at 46th Street (Manhattan), 46th Street, along the Hudson River, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

. Originally on display at the

New England Air Museum The New England Air Museum (NEAM) is an American aerospace museum located adjacent to Bradley International Airport in Windsor Locks, Connecticut. The museum consists of three display hangars with additional storage and restoration hangars. Its ...

before relocating to Intrepid in 2021. * 134936 –

Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum The Pueblo Weisbrod Aircraft Museum is a non-profit aviation museum located in Southern Colorado. It was founded in the mid-1970s by former Pueblo City Manager Fred Weisbrod. The museum is made up of two hangars that were built in 2005 and 2011. ...

Pueblo Memorial Airport Pueblo Memorial Airport is a public airport located six miles east of Pueblo, in Pueblo County, Colorado, United States. It is primarily used for general aviation. Federal Aviation Administration records say the airport had 4,345 passenger boar ...

Colorado Colorado is a U.S. state, state in the Western United States. It is one of the Mountain states, sharing the Four Corners region with Arizona, New Mexico, and Utah. It is also bordered by Wyoming to the north, Nebraska to the northeast, Kansas ...

. * 134950 – Aviation Heritage Park at

Naval Air Station Oceana Naval Air Station (NAS) Oceana or NAS Oceana is a United States Navy Naval Air Station located in Virginia Beach, Virginia. The station is located on 23.9 square kilometers. It has total of 250 aircraft deployed and buildings valued at $800 mi ...

Virginia Beach, Virginia Virginia Beach (colloquially VB) is the most populous city in the U.S. commonwealth of Virginia. The city is located on the Atlantic Ocean at the mouth of the Chesapeake Bay in southeastern Virginia. It is the sixth-most populous city in the ...

. It is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum. * 139177 –

Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum The Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum is a United States Marine Corps aviation museum currently located at the Orange County Great Park in Irvine, California. The museum contains exhibits and artifacts relating to the history and legacy of Unit ...

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar Marine Corps Air Station Miramar (MCAS Miramar) is a United States Marine Corps installation that is home to the 3rd Marine Aircraft Wing, which is the aviation element of the I Marine Expeditionary Force. It is located in Miramar, a commu ...

San Diego, California San Diego ( , ) is a city on the Pacific coast of Southern California, adjacent to the Mexico–United States border. With a population of over 1.4 million, it is the List of United States cities by population, eighth-most populous city in t ...

. It is on loan from the National Naval Aviation Museum."F4D Skyray/139177."
''Flying Leatherneck Aviation Museum.'' Retrieved: 27 January 2015.

Specifications (F4D-1)

References

Citations

Bibliography

* * * * * * * * * * * * * Encyclopédie illustrée de l'aviation n°196 - Editions Atlas

External links

*

{{Authority control

F4D Skyray The Douglas F4D Skyray (later redesignated F-6 Skyray) is an American Carrier-based aircraft, carrier-based supersonic Fighter aircraft, fighter/Interceptor aircraft, interceptor designed and produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was th ...

Douglas FD4 Skyray Single-engined jet aircraft Tailless delta-wing aircraft Carrier-based aircraft Mid-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1951 Second-generation jet fighters Aircraft with retractable tricycle landing gear