Evening star., 1946-07-22
BY WiIIiom m J. WheotIey
Stnr Stnff Cortesnondenf

y
day when, for the first time.
jet-propelled fighter plane took
off from and landed on the
flight deck of an aircraft car
rier. Five times the new Phan-
tom, technically known as the
FD1, took off and landed on
this carrier, and once took a
"Wave-off" to prove that the new
type was fully as capable OF
carrying out this maneuver with
out difficulty and as effectively
as the conventionally propelled
type planes do.
Then. further to prove that it has
all of the attributes of the conven-
tional types, it took off finally and
flew to the shore station at East
Field. Norfolk. later to be flown back
to Naval Air Station, PatuXent,
where it has been under tests for
about six weeks.
AS a matter of fact. it has been
undergoing carrier tests there for
six weeks, and the pilot, 1t. Comdl.
James Davidson, said that there
never was any doubt that the craft
could be successfully taken off and
landed on a carrier, but that the
tests yesterday primarily were made
to get an actual carrier landing on
the record.
Officers Watch Tests.
While the tests were witnessed by
a distinguished group of visiting Off
GERS from the Navy Department and
the Naval Air Test Station at Pa
tuXent River, Vice Admiral Arthur
w. Radford. deputy chief of Naval
Operations for Air; Vice Admiral
John Cassidy, commander of Car
rier Division !, and Vice Admiral
Gerald F. Began, commander OF
Fleet Air, Atlantic, who intended to
witness the tests. originally sched-
uled for Saturday. had to forego
the event. All of them flew aboard
this carried Saturday afternoon, but
when the Phantom was brought onto
the flight deck trouble developed
with the electrical gear which con-
trolls the hook, a necessary piece Gf
equipment for carrier landings. After
couple of hours of work on the
flight deck, it was decided the diff
Guilty required complete reWiring
operation and plane crews worked
throughout the night on the hangar
deck to remedy the difficulty. BY 6
O'Clock Sunday morning the ship
was ready for its takeoff and landing
trials.
The aircraft had a flying weight of
$500 pounds for the tests, and each
time that it came back aboard it
was refueled in order to maintain
this weight, as nearly as possible
throughout the five takeof1s and
landings.
Noise Resembles Siren.
The plane was spotted $50 feet
back from the forward edge of the
hangar deck for the takeoffs. When
the order was given to start engines
there was low whine. followed by a
howl, not unlike that of a siren. and
then seconds later settled down to
a whishing sound. like that OF a
vacuum cleaner. The handling of
the plane on deck by the flight deck
crews requires new safety technique
Instead of having to watch rapidly
revolving. th-dealing propellers.
crews were con tinuouSly admon-
ished over the bull horn to stand
clear of the eXhauStS. which send
out lethal blast of heat, and the
intakes to avoid being sucked in.
In handling the conventional type
planes. the crews approach them
from the rear. and now, in this.type.
they approach them from forward
When the signal was given to the
pilot to takeotf, the plane rushed
down the deck and was airborne
about quarter of the distance from
the bow. 1t takes bit longer, after
the starting signal is waved. for the
plane to get under way, than it does
for the propeller-drive type. Dur
ing the tests new type of barrier
was used, which, however. at this
stage. is still secret But these did
not get test. as the plane at no
time missed the arresting gear on
any of its flights and therefore did
not reach the barriers.
Jet Plane Held Best.
Following the tests. Comdr. Da-
wilson, the pilot, said that he would
much rather bring a jet aboard a
carrier than the conventional type
Of plane. which he also has flown
in combat carrier operation during
the war. In the jet plane, he said.
you get away from the torque &C
ton, the visibility for the pilot is
better, and you get rudder action
! almost Immediately as YOU start
down the deck.
Capt. c. E. Geese, head of flight
testing at PatuXent River, said that
the purpose of the tests was to see
II there are any unusual problems to
be overcome in actual operations.
These tests" he said, make 1t
appear that we can operate them
without any difficulty. We feel that
the jet has great future for car
rler operation. It's main advantages
are its tremendous top speed of
more than 500 miles an hour and
better performance in climb
The plane is single-seat, low
wing monoplane. with wing span
of 40 feet When the planes wings
are folded for stowage, it has a
width of 16 feet. While it had no
armament in its tests today, rocket
devices and belly tanks can be at
tached. The plexiglass canopy is set
ahead of the engines, and resembles
an elongated bubble. It's tricycle.
landing gear is completely inclosed
when retracted 1t is painted a
slick navy blue, with Phantom
painted on its fuselage.
The plane now has passed out of
the experimental stage and a pro-
duction order now is under way.