Tamiya 61055 Douglas F4D-1 Skyray

The Douglas F4D Skyray was an American in-flight jet fighter from the post-war period. The plane was built in a low wing configuration, it had a metal structure and a landing gear retracted in flight - three-support. The flight of the prototype took place in 1951, and serial production continued in 1956-1958. Approximately 420 examples of these planes were created in its course. The propulsion was provided - in the F4D-1 version - by a single Pratt and Whitney J-57-P-8 turbojet engine. The on-board armament consisted of four 20mm Colt Mk.12 cannons.

The F4D Skyray was originally developed as a grassroots initiative by Douglas, which made extensive use of the development and designs of the German aviation constructor Alexander Lippisch, which were captured by the Americans in 1945. The project in 1949 aroused considerable interest in the US Navy, which financed the rest of the work. Finally, a machine was created with an unusual aerodynamic layout, with a very large wing area, which could be called a specific version of the delta wings. At the same time, however - for its time - the F4D Skyray was characterized by great performance, especially the top speed and the rate of climb. It was also the first US Navy fighter to break the speed of sound barrier in level flight! At the same time, however, the machine had its drawbacks: it was rather difficult to pilot, unstable at speeds of about 1 Ma, and quite dangerous for the pilot when approaching to landing. It was also a highly specialized machine as an interceptor and had rather little upgrade potential. Due to these shortcomings, the Douglas F4D Skyray was decommissioned by 1964.