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US ARMY F-10B Skyknight


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I am sorting through a deceased friend's aviation stuff, when I came across two very interesting photos of the same aircraft.  The bird in question is F-10B Skyknight 124598 in U.S.Army markings at Vance AFB, date unknown.  I would love to find out more info about this bird.

 

Photo #1, stbd side.

 

 

TF-10B_124598_Army_Vance_AFB_OK_unk_a.JPG

Edited by Dutch
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Found this at:

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f10_2.html

 

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China Lake personnel frequently grafted special nose sections to their F3D-2T2s and F2D-2Ms to test new radar installations and electronic equipment. One of these was F-10B 124610, upon which an F-4 Phantom nose was grafted. F3D-2 124619 had a modified nose radome used by Westinghouse to develop the APQ-72 radar for the F4H-1 Phantom. TF-10B 124630 was grafted with a A-4 Skyhawk nose. These tests continued into the early 1980s with three Skyknights (124598, 124630, and 125807) bailed to Raytheon and flown with US Army markings. These were the last flyable Skyknights.

 

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According to wikipedia this aircraft still exists and is in the National Museum of Naval aviation.

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f10_2.html

 

This site states: " These tests continued into the early 1980s with three Skyknights (124598, 124630, and 125807) bailed to Raytheon and flown with US Army markings. These were the last flyable Skyknights."

 

 

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Habu 2 & Alternative 4, Thanks to you both. I knew that several F3D Skyknights were used for testing various electronic systems, but never imagined that one would end up in Army markings.  Steve Harding 's book "U.S. Army Aircraft Since 1947" makes no mention of it, even though the copyright is 1990. Thanks. R/ Dutch

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These Skyknights were flown out of Holloman AFB in the early 80's for US Army missile tests at the White Sands range.  A friend of mine was with the 9TFS/49TFW flying F-15s and I went to Holloman to visit him around 1985.  He was showing me around the base and I remember him saying there was a plane that he had no idea what it was.  We drove over to where it was parked and there sat a dark blue F3D Skyknight.  First and last time I ever saw one.

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That would make an interesting pairing with the Fiat (91?) that the Army was looking at for close air support, back in the day when then air force wanted only to play with nukes and be all strategic.  Congress finally decided that the Navy could take care of it's own, including the Marines, and the Air Force would take care of tactical air missions and close air support for the Army, and the Army would end up flying only light observation aircraft and helicopters.  Of course, there has been a little mission creep since...

 

Ed

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  • 2 weeks later...
On 6/8/2019 at 7:41 PM, Alternative 4 said:

According to wikipedia this aircraft still exists and is in the National Museum of Naval aviation.

 

http://www.joebaugher.com/navy_fighters/f10_2.html

 

This site states: " These tests continued into the early 1980s with three Skyknights (124598, 124630, and 125807) bailed to Raytheon and flown with US Army markings. These were the last flyable Skyknights."

 

 

 

X number might be preserved at museums or what have you, but the question is are they currently in flyable or can they be restored into flyable condition. My dad (Marine Corps [naval] Aviator)told me this jet responded very poorly when throttle was applied-therefore it was not suitable for carrier ops. A very unique egress method, as well. No ejection seats & you had to slide down a “chute” on the bottom of the aircraft between the engines. Not exactly ideal in a dire emergency where time was of the essence. If that was the case you’re dead.

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