McDonnell F3H "Demon"
Model Airplane News Cover Art for August, 1954 and January, 1957
by Jo Kotula
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The McDonnell F3H Demon was a subsonic swept-wing United States Navy carrier-based jet fighter aircraft.

  

McDonnell F3H "Demon"
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The F3H was the successor to the F2H Banshee Though it lacked sufficient power for supersonic performance, it complemented daylight dogfighters such as the F8U Crusader and F11F Tiger as an all-weather, missile-armed interceptor until 1964. It was withdrawn before it could serve in the Vietnam when it, and ultimately also the Crusader, was replaced by the extremely successful F4 Phantom. McDonnell's Phantom, which was equally capable against ground, fighter and bomber targets, bears a strong family resemblance as it was itself conceived as an advanced development of the Demon. The supersonic USAF F-101 Voodoo also retained much of the Demon's layout.

Due to excellent visibility from the cockpit, the Demon earned the nickname "The Chair." Demon pilots were known colloquially as "Demon Drivers" and those who worked on the aircraft were known as "Demon Doctors." The unfavorable power to weight ratio gave rise to the less flattering nickname "lead sled" sometimes shortened to "sled"

Here is a video of the McDonnell F3H "Demon":

In addition to the cover of Model Airplane News, this airplane was also featured in the WINGS "Friend or Foe" trading card series of the early 1950s

Trading card representation of the McDonnell F3H "Demon"
Click Here to see all 200 cards in the series
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Click Here for more information about the McDonnell F3H "Demon".

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