F3H Demon Illustrated

The McDonnell F3H Demon is a rarely remarked-upon or remembered fighter, since it never fired a shot in anger. But the Demon was the prime fleet defender at a time when the United States was being challenged on all the frontiers of freedom. The Soviet Union had not paused their military buildup at the end of World War II and were embarked upon the building of a world class navy. World War II had demonstrated the ability of the carrier to project power at long distances, and after the Korean War, the United States was dedicated to effective projection by building bigger and better carriers. The demonstrated performance of the MiG-15 was what prompted the US Navy to order a direct counter. The Demon was designed as that counter, and despite its short career, it was the predecessor to a new generation of fleet defenders. The Demon also debuted the first effective air-to-air missiles, the Sidewinder and Sparrow. The Demon was also the operational trransition from the straight-wing Banshee to the most successful fighter of the mid twentieth century, the F-4 Phantom. The Demon also debuted the era of colorful US Navy aircraft markings. Gone was the dark blue paint of the previous era. Now Navy airplanes would be light gull grey on top and anti-nuclear flash white under. (Presumably that white would provide some protection as the nuke bomber banked away.) Navy squadrons were now allowed to apply colorful markings that distinguished themselves, and Demon squadrons were quick to design and apply color. Read more