The McDonnell F2H Banshee was a carrier-based, all-weather, jet fighter in service with the US Navy and Marine Corps during the Cold War. It saw combat action during the Korean War, taking off from aircraft carriers assigned to Task Force 77. Since it had a good performance flying at high altitude, it flew sorties as escort fighter for US Air Force bombers. However, it was no match for the highly maneuverable swept-wing Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 in dog-fight combat. Thus, it was used in the ground-attack role. The F2H-2P version was equipped with photographic cameras and flew reconnaissance missions over Korea.
The F2H Banshee was a derivative from the FH-1 Phantom, which was McDonnell's first naval jet aircraft. The Banshee design was the result of the US Navy requirements for a carrier-borne aircraft, whose speed, range, and armament was equal to the Air Force's contemporaries. Thus, the F2H's prototype, the XF2D-1, first flew on the Saturday morning of January 11, 1947. It was flown by test pilot Robert M. Edholm. On the first flight, he discovered the Banshee's phenomenal rate of climb; 6,500 fpm (35 m/s), which was twice that of the F8F Bearcat. The Banshee entered service with the US Navy on August 20, 1949, as the F2H-1 version. This was followed by the F2H-2, 2N, 2P (photo-reconnaissance variant), and the F2H-3. A total of 895 Banshees were produced. It first saw combat action in the ground attack role on September 1, 1951, when a squadron of Banshees struck an enemy oil refinery in Aoji, North Korea.
Technical Description
The McDonnell F2H was a single-seat, twin-engine monoplane of all-metal construction. It had cantilever, low wing, with the trailing edge tapering towards the tip. Wing outer panel could be folded hydraulically for storage in carrier hangar. The aircraft had a tailplane dihedral and a large tail fin. On the F2H-3 version, the fuselage was lengthened to house the new Hughes AN/APG-41 radar and the new power plant: two Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet engines, each rated at 3250 pounds of thrust, and to store more fuel. The engines and the air intake were located in the root of wing. The new radar allowed the aircraft to operate in all weather conditions. The Banshee was fitted with a nose, retractable landing gear.
Specifications (F2H-3)
Type: carrier-borne fighter
Length: 14.70 m (48 feet, 2 inches)
Wing Span: 13.67 m (41 feet, 5 inches)
Height: 4.4 m (14 feet, 6 inches)
Power Plant: two 3,250-lb thrust, Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet engines.
Maximum Speed: 933.4 km/h (580 mph)
Range: 2,761 km (1,716 miles)
Service Ceiling: 14.204 m (46,600 feet)
Crew: one
Armament: four 20-mm Mk-12 cannons mounted under the nose; two 227-kg (500-lb) bombs.
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| Above, the F2H-2 version of the Banshee. |
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| Four Banshees from VF-12 flying over USS Coral Sea in 1955. |
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| The F2H-2P variant used in photo-reconnaissance missions. |
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| Four Banshees flying in the skies over North Korea. |
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| The prototype XF2D-1 during a test flight, from Lambert Field to St. Louis. Notice the wingtip fuel tanks are missing. |
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| An F2H-2 variant, with wing folded, assigned to VF-22 parked on the flight deck of USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39). |