The Douglas F3D Skyknight was designed specially as a radar equipped night fighter for the US Navy. Though not as exciting as faster contemporary day fighters, it served usefully for many years because of its size and stability.

The Douglas F3D was a purpose designed night fighter. It’s key features were its radar, a crew of two and four 20mm cannon.

The contract to build the F3D was awarded in April 1946, the prototype first flew 23 March 1948 and a total of 237 F3D-2s were produced before production ended in March 1952.

F3Ds flew as night fighters during the Korean War, where they shot down a number of aircraft including MiG-15s, and as Electronic Warfare aircraft during the Vietnam war. Their size and stability made them useful as testbeds and the last ones flew until the 1980s.

This model represents F3D-2, US Navy BuAer no 125871 of VF-11 flying from the USS F D Roosevelt (CVA-42) in 1953.

Sword 1/72 kit. Completed in May 2018.