Douglas F4D Skyray

what is it?

The Douglas F4D Skyray (later redesignated F-6 Skyray) is an American carrier-based supersonic fighter/interceptor designed and produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company. It was the last fighter produced by the Douglas Aircraft Company before the company merged with McDonnell Aircraft to become McDonnell Douglas. In the late 1940s, Douglas and the U.S. Navy launched the D-571-1 design study, which called for delta wing interceptor that could climb quickly enough to intercept approaching bombers.

🔎How to recognise it: 1 jet engine · delta wing · retractable tricycle gear · 10.2 m wingspan

base stats

• speed 1,161 km/htop speed
• range 1,130 kmwithout refuelling
• size 12.3 tmax take-off weight
• built 422made in total

Bars compare against all aircraft: 3,500 km/h, 20,000 km, 850 seats; size and number built on a log scale up to 640 t (An-225) and 45,000 built (Cessna 172).

fun facts

• 🎂First flew 75 years ago, in 1951.
• 🏎️Top speed is 8.9× a car on the Dutch motorway (130 km/h).
• 🚗Wingspan of 10.2 m: about 2 cars parked nose to tail.
• 🐘Fully loaded it can weigh as much as 2 African elephants (~6 t each).
• 🌍Range of 1,130 km: 6× Amsterdam to Brussels.
• 🏔️Can fly 1.9× higher than Mount Everest (8,849 m).

jet: Gas turbine pushing air out the back (turbofan or turbojet): fast and high-flying.

spec sheet

first flight

1951-01-23

introduced

1956

retired

1964

status

retired

number built

422

role

fighter aircraft

origin

🇺🇸 United States

makers

Douglas

engines

1× Pratt & Whitney J57-P-8, −8A or −8B

crew

1

length

13.8 m

wingspan

10.2 m

height

4 m

max take-off weight

12.3 t

top speed

1,161 km/h

range

1,130 km

ceiling

16,764 m

wings

delta wing

landing gear

retractable tricycle gear

Specs are for the version in the Wikipedia article's specification section. Blank means the sources don't say.