If we build it, the USN will buy it.

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (bager1968) — Fri, 02 May 2008 19:03:59 GMT

McDonnell, Douglas, Vought, Curtis, Consolidated/Convair, Republic, and North American are now ghost names.

Bell, Hughes, and Sikorsky no longer make fixed-wing aircraft... only helicopters.

I'm not really counting Brewster & Vultee, but they could be in the first list too.

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (Ed) — Fri, 02 May 2008 01:55:39 GMT

emc wrote:

Of course, the companies that designed and built some quite successful, long-serving military aircraft have vanished into the maw of mergers and acquisitions, with not even their name surviving.

Boeing is still Boeing, even though they aquired some others like MD and NA. Lockheed is now Lockheed/Martin, and both the Northrop and Grumman names survive, but together now.

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (emc) — Thu, 01 May 2008 21:28:06 GMT

Ed wrote:
emc wrote:

After all, McDonnel, Douglas, Vought, Grumman, and North American no longer exist as independent companies

Don't forget that two US Aerospace companies from the 1950s are still with us today, Boeing and Lockheed. In the 1950s they designed and built the longest lasting and still viable weapons platforms still in use, the B-52, C-130 and KC-135.

...so is...

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (Ed) — Tue, 29 Apr 2008 04:30:51 GMT

emc wrote:

After all, McDonnel, Douglas, Vought, Grumman, and North American no longer exist as independent companies

Don't forget that two US Aerospace companies from the 1950s are still with us today, Boeing and Lockheed. In the 1950s they designed and built the longest lasting and still viaable weapons platforms still in use, the B-52, C-130 and KC-135.

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (asavery) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 15:39:31 GMT

hmmm... while I don't disagree with the conclussions here, I think we must also recognise the rapid evolution of aviation technology and industrial methods that took place during this period, from prop aircraft to supersonic jet aircraft, and the associate issues with making them carrier capable. Basically, with much of the aircraft industry from WWII still in existance (minus the converted automotive plants) such varied types and production was possible. In the 60s & 70s, as...

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (emc) — Thu, 24 Apr 2008 02:31:14 GMT

SMS12 wrote:
That seems to be the story for USN carrier based fighters in the 1950s. Just off the top of my head the USN had 7 different types in squadron service during the decade. (F2H Banshee; F3H Demon, F3D Skynight; F7U Cutlass; F9F Cougar and F11F Tiger). I'm not sure if the Crusader made it to the fleet by the end of '59. I know that this was a period of great advancement but still...

I must so...

Re: If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (bager1968) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 21:08:54 GMT

The F8U-1 (F-8A) and the F8U-1E (F-8B) were in service by 1958.

The first production F8U-1s reached VX-3 in December of 1956. The first operational squadron to re-equip with the Crusader was VF-32 at NAS Cecil Field in March of 1957. The first squadron to operate the F8U-1 aboard an aircraft carrier was VF-32, which embarked aboard the USS Saratoga towards the end of 1957. A total of 218 F8U-1s were built before production switched in September of 1958 to the F8U-2.

A...

If we build it, the USN will buy it.

feeds@yuku.com (SMS12) — Wed, 23 Apr 2008 19:31:38 GMT

That seems to be the story for USN carrier based fighters in the 1950s. Just off the top of my head the USN had 7 different types in squadron service during the decade. (F2H Banshee; F3H Demon, F3D Skynight; F7U Cutlass; F9F Cougar and F11F Tiger). I'm not sure if the Crusader made it to the fleet by the end of '59. I know that this was a period of great advancement but still...

I must so though, they were a good looking lot of planes, especially the Cutlass. Too bad...