The Blackburn Cubaroo was designed in response to a British Air Ministry request for a coastal defence torpedo bomber. The aircraft was to have a long range, (800 miles – 1,300km) and be capable of carrying a full-sized 21-inch torpedo. It was thought at the time that this size weapon would be capable of sinking even the most heavily armoured ship. Other torpedo bombers at the time only carried smaller less effective torpedoes.
The Cubaroo was designed to be powered by a single 1,000 hp (750 kW) Napier Cub X-16 engine. The resulting aircraft was the largest single engined biplane to have flown at this time.
First flying in 1924, it was written off after its undercarriage collapsed on 2 February 1925. A second prototype flew in 1925, but the Air Ministry had by then lost interest in single-engine heavy bombers, so the second prototype was used as an engine testbed, flying with the experimental 1,100 hp (820 kW) Beardmore Simoon diesel engine.
In 1948 a de Havilland Sea Hornet F.20 TT213 was delivered to Australia for tropical trials. Received by No. 1 Aircraft Depot on 8 June 1948 it was given the Royal Australian Air Force registration A83-1, although this was never applied to the airframe.
On 10 September 1948 it was delivered to ARDU (the Aircraft Research and Development Unit). The Sea Hornet was flown by RAAF pilots for 49 hours on Ministry Of Supply tests before it was returned to No 1AD on October 20 1950. It was returned to de Havilland on 6 March 1951.
Developed as an all-weather version of the Douglas F4D, the F5D Skylancer first flew on 21 April 1956. It used a more powerful engine (Pratt & Whitney J57 – the first 45kN thrust class turbojet engine). Compare to the F4d, the wing was thinner, but more reinforced, the fuselage was area-ruled, reducing transonic drag and was 2.4m longer.
Originally nine test aircraft were ordered, with a 51 production run to follow, although only four of the test aircraft were built. During testing, the US Navy decided that the Skylancer was too similar to the Vought F8U Crusader that was already in service and canceled the contract.
The F5Ds continued as test aircraft, being passed on to NASA in the early 1960s, two were grounded and used for spare parts. One was used as a testbed for the American supersonic transport program, fitted with an ogival wing platform (the type eventually used on Concorde). Data from the program was shared with the European designers.
Both of the aircraft used by NASA were used to support the Dyna-Soar project. One was retired in 1968 followed by the second in 1970.
Douglas XF5D Skylancer line drawingF5D-1 139208 being manufactured next to a F4D-1Douglas F5D-1 142349 under constructionDouglas F5D-1 139208 being prepared for its first flightDouglas F5D-1 139208Douglas F5D-1 139208 in 1956Douglas F5D-1 139208Douglas F5D-1 139208Douglas F5D Skylancer 319208Douglas F5D Skylancer 319208Douglas F5D Skylancer 319208 in flightDouglas F5D Skylancer 319208Douglas F5D Skylancer 319208 in flightDouglas F5D Skylancer 319208 in flightDouglas F5D Skylancer 319208Douglas F5D Skylancer 319208 in flightDouglas F5D-1 139209Douglas F5D Skylancer 319209All four Douglas F5D-1sAll four Douglas F5D SkylancersDouglas F5D Skylancer 319208 operated by NASADouglas F5D Skylancer NASA 212 (319208)Douglas F5D Skylancer NASA 213 (142350)Douglas F5D Skylancer NASA 213 (142350)Douglas F5D Skylancer NASA 213 (142350) in 1961Douglas F5D Skylancer 212 operated by NASADouglas F5D Skylancer NASA 212 modified as the X-20 Dyna-Soar vision field simulatorDouglas F5D Skylancer NASA 212 (319208) modified with the Ogee wingDouglas F5D-1 cockpit mockupDouglas F5D-1 cockpit mockupDouglas F5D-1 cockpit mockup
