Douglas F3D Skyknight

The Douglas F3D Skyknight was a twin‑engine, all‑weather night fighter built by the Douglas Aircraft Company in the late 1940s. Its first flight took place on 3 January 1948 and the type entered United States Navy service in 1949 as the FX‑1, later redesignated F3D‑1. Unlike many contemporary jets, the Skyknight featured a straight, mid‑wing layout, a broad fuselage housing a crew of two, and a powerful AN/APQ‑35 radar system that allowed it to detect, track and engage enemy aircraft in darkness or adverse weather. Powered by two Allison J33‑19 turbojets, it could reach 580 mph and carried a mixed armament of four 20 mm cannons and optional rockets or bombs. The Skyknight achieved fame during the Korean War, where on the night of 18 November 1952 it downed a MiG‑15, marking the first jet‑on‑jet kill by a radar‑directed night fighter. Its success demonstrated the tactical value of integrated radar and jet propulsion, influencing the design of later carriers such as the Grumman F7U Cutlass and the advent of dedicated night‑fighter platforms. Today the Skyknight is remembered as a pioneering step toward modern all‑weather combat aircraft.

Douglas

Douglas F3D Skyknight

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Production & History

Design & Classification