Killer Rays: Story of the Douglas F4D Skyray & F5D Skylancer

'Killer Rays' is an above-average treatment of an important aircraft in naval aviation history. It is not, however, a 'modeler's reference', as it lacks cockpit and other structural detail photos - you should buy Steve Ginter's Naval Fighters volume on the Skyray if that's what you're looking for. This book does provide more context and more in-depth background on the Skyray than does any other volume to date.As noted in a previous lengthy review by 'Inteltek', this book is not without its faults, of which there are several. But in my view, the faults are not serious enough to prevent me from recommending it to others. At first, I was a little dismayed at the space devoted to the parallel Air Force programs of the F-102 and F-106. But after reading them, I'm glad they were included, as they provided insight on how the Air Force and Navy took different approaches to the same problem of a developing a high-performance interceptor. I found especially intersting the final chapter in which critics and supporters of the 'Ford' addressed wheather or not the aircraft was sultimately a success or a failure.I'm an avid builder of 1/48 scale models of US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft, and have ammassed a personal library of well over 300 aircraft references over the years, and this one I'd give a letter grade between C+ and B-. Admittedly, I'm a huge fan of the Skyray, so I'm probably predisposed to like ANY book on this plane. But having read it cover to cover, I recommend it as a pretty good developmental and operational history of the F4D.

I brought this along with the Schiffer book on the F7U Cutlass, and the contrast is striking. The Cutlass title was disappointing, but this one is excellentThis book provides excellent context of the whole F4D-1/F5D-1 program, i.e. why the US Navy needed an interceptor rather than another fighter, and the comparisons with the Convair F-102/106 program are insightful. The Westinghouse engine saga is also covered, looking at problems in the engineering culture and the wide separation of design and production facilities.The lengthy business of getting from initial design to operational acceptance is covered, in summary, rather than in detail, but readily understandable.The operational history is covered in terms of incidents since the F4D never actually entered combat or served with any other than the US Navy or Marines.There is good coverage of all the F4D-1 units both front and secondline, with both descriptions and colour profiles.Photos are of good quality and well reproduced.The little known F5D-1 Skylancer is well covered too with detailed descriptions of how it was evolved from the F4D-1, trying to correct the problems. Some measure of the success is the F5D being 63% faster on the same power. The NACA / NASA use is covered esp the Dynasoar abort profile and the vortex research.Good book, worth the price.

A very specialized volume. But for those interested in the development of military aircraft, this is a nice work. First, there are many slick color photos, so one gets a really good sense of what the F4D Skyray and F5D Skylancer looked like. The latter was never really deployed, but the former put in service. Mark Frankel, the author, begins by laying things out for the reader (Page 7): "My purpose in writing this book was to provide the reader with an explanation of how and why the Skyray came to be, to examine the technological problems that it overcame, to analyze its service history, to recreate how it was flown, to study its stillborn successor, the Skylancer, and to explore its place in Naval Aviation history with the advantage of 50 years of hindsight."The book explores the development of this plane, the extraordinary demands placed on the engineers, how Douglas Aircraft attempted to answer the challenges, its service, and its legacy. A nice work for those interested in this aircraft. . . .

This book is a very complete look at the Douglas F4D Skyray and the F5D Skylancer with chapters on its Air Force competitor the F-102 and F-106, the original delta wing production fighters for the Navy and Air Force.There are chapters about the origin of the Skyray including earlier concepts leading to the aircraft, flight test programs, the engine story, production, flight characteristics and systems, , development, training and reserve units,test and research centers and a chapter on the F5d Lancer. The entire operational history is presented. There are also chapters on the XF-92,F-102 and F-106 series. There are 110 side profiles, 26 dorsal views and literally hundreds of photos, many in color varying in size but frequently two to a page. The photographs are excellent. Interesting drawings and documents are also presented.If you have an interest in the Skyray, this book is definitive and additionally presents sections about the Convair series delta-wing competitors..

Not really much to say. Numerous rare and outstanding photos illustrate both the development of the Skyray and Skylancer, and the operational use, including numerous profiles of operational F4D schemes. Goes into great detail of the development process, including the trials and tribulations around the ultimately miserable Westinghouse J40 engine, and the redemption through use of the J57. The book also contrasts and compares the F4D with other period type aircraft and major systems.Recommended if you're dying for some F4D reference or are a delta wing fanatic.

Having ordered this book together with the volume on the F9F (but receiving it much later) I was expecting a similar mildly disappointing experience. However, this is truely a very nice book. Many excellent quality pictures I hadn't seen somewhere before. The text covers development, operational careers with active, second line and test squadrons and is very readible.I am very much looking forward to more titles covering 40's to 60's aircraft in such details!

A solid read with a wealth of good pictures.Had hoped for more flying stories;about man and aircraft.Good overall not up to other specialty press titles.

A fabulous high-quality book on an amazing aircraft rarely covered in this depth before. This publication is less comprehensive from a technical aspect than the Ginter/Naval Fighters series, but a far, far more interesting read with much better quality production. Aimed at the reader, not the modeller. Highly recommended.

Even it says on the cover that its printed in U.S. this is actually a poor reprint somewhere in someone's garage. The print has the same feel as the famous Haynes repair manuals so naturally the quality of the pictures suffer a lot. Hope the author knows about this rather dubious development of his book. Obviously the rarity and the price that follows it has made the reprint lucrative. Look for the original.