Friday 12 May 2017

McDonnell F3H-2N Demon Part Two

Up to 519 Demons were built until the production ceased in November 1959. It was equipped with an AN/APG-51A radar which was later upgraded to the B version that had a tunable magnetron and later to the C version that featured better counter-measures in the receiver.
The standard armament was four 20mm Colt Mk.12 cannons, however in later years, the upper two ones were removed to save weight. The later production models, called F3H-2M, were prepared to be equipped and to fire the AAM-N-2 Sparrow missile and, then, later the Sidewinder air-to-air missile. Most of the times both types of missiles were fitted, the Sparrow in the inboard trails and the Sidewinder in outboard ones. The cannons weren't used in the carrier air defence role, but they were fitted and prepared when the situation (such like the Cuban Missile Crisis) required and where the aircraft might be deployed against ground targets.









Sources:
1. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/McDonnell_F3H_Demon
2. Salamander Books - The Complete Book of Fighters

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