Where the mind drifts in thinking about legendary jet fighter nicknames, the F-86 Sabre or MiG-15 are the first that come to mind. But quietly carving out its own niche in the annals of history is the Douglas F3D Skyknight—a jet that was neither fast nor showy but left a large footprint in night combat and electronic warfare.
The Skyknight began operating at the close of World War II. In 1945, the U.S. Navy required a night fighter that could be flown from aircraft carriers under any conditions. The requirements were strict: jet-propelled, two-person crew, internal radar, speeds up to 500 mph, and operating altitudes approaching 40,000 feet. Ed Heineman’s design at Douglas Aircraft created a design that stressed radar capability and crewman coordination at the expense of maneuverability or speed, producing a pragmatic and innovative jet, but one which was neither sleek nor flashy.
The result was a broad-bodied, straight-winged aircraft, well-suited to carrying advanced radar systems and side-by-side seating for the radar operator and the pilot. Its broad body earned it the uncomplimentary but lovable nickname “Willie the Whale.” It may not have won any beauty queens, but it flew well where it mattered.
The Skyknight’s most significant feature was its radar setup, including search, track, and tail-warning radars. This allowed it to identify and engage in combat with enemy aircraft in darkness or in bad weather without ground guidance.
The F3D had its first experience in combat during the Korean War. In 1951, USAF Marine Night Fighter Squadron 513, the “Flying Nightmares,” used the Skyknight to escort and protect USAF B-29 bomber night sorties over North Korea. These missions were dangerous, with MiG-15 interceptors overhead but being continually outmaneuvered by the Skyknight’s radar, which enabled it to react quickly and decisively.
A Skyknight pilot made the first-ever night jet-on-jet kill on the evening of November 2, 1952, by shooting down a Yak-15. By the end of the war, the plane had six confirmed kills and one combat loss, testifying to the robustness of its design and the competence of its pilots.
As more advanced, higher-speed jets became increasingly available, the Skyknight’s mission changed. It was less than ideally suited for high-speed aerial combat due to its slower speed, but its large, stable airframe lent itself well to electronic warfare. Thirty-five Skyknights were modified as EW aircraft, initially F3D-2Q and later EF-10B, and equipped with jammers and electronic countermeasures.
The Cold War saw another aspect of its worth. During the 1962 Cuban Missile Crisis, these fighters conducted electronic reconnaissance, screened radar sites. The real worth of the EF-10B was achieved in the Vietnam War. In American bombing missions against North Vietnam during 1965, the Skyknight jammed radar, fooled SAM controllers, and guided strike planes through thickly defended airspace.
Da Nang-based Marine Composite Reconnaissance Squadron VMCJ-1 carried out long, risky sorties, predominantly fuel and electronics-intensive, expertly maneuvering through the intricate ballet of electronic warfare. Even when new EW aircraft such as the EA-6A Electric Intruder became operational, the Skyknight continued in combat missions until May 1970.
Among the jet’s oddities was its egress system. It did not have ejection seats like most of its era’s fighters. The co-pilots and pilots simply swiveled their seats, swung open the hatch, and slid down an airlock tube under the cockpit, ejecting between the engines. The process was safe and was employed for clandestine special forces insertions to enable commandos to be inserted midway over hostile territory.
Aside from battle, the Skyknight made its mark in aviation technology. It experimented with prototype guided missiles such as the AIM-7 Sparrow, set records for the first automatic carrier landing in 1957, and assisted in the training of radar intercept officers for future generations of aircraft.
There remain today nine surviving Skyknights, horse-gunned in museums. Small compared to an airplane that fought in two wars and Cold War operations, its image lingers—though not through showy dogfights or showy aerobatics but through consistent reliability, inventive creativity, and quiet dedication to each mission, night after night.