FH/F2H Banshee in action

In 1943, the US Navy looked to the future and requested a jet fighter designed for operating off aircraft carriers. The recently formed McDonnell Aircraft Company designed the XFD-1 to meet this requirement. This twin-engine, straight-wing aircraft became the first US jet aircraft to operate from a carrier in 1946. The aircraft entered production as the FH-1 Phantom in 1946 and served in the US Navy and Marines until 1950. The F2H Banshee was enlarged and improved FH-1. The Banshee prototype first flew in 1947 and it entered Navy service one year later. This fighter-bomber and it reconnaissance variant saw extensive service during the Korean War. The F2H also went to sea as the Royal Canadian Navy's shipboard fighter during the late 1950s and early 1960s. This book by noted author Jim Mesko looks as the development and service use of McDonnell's Phantom and Banshee fighters.Paperback - 11 x 8-1/2 - 50 pp - 13 color, 100 b/w