WIKIARCHIVES.SPACE

The Douglas F5D-1 Skylancer being pre-flighted by the pilot while the crew chief prepares to pull the wheel chocks on the "hot gun" ramp at Edwards Air Force Base, California. The aircraft was one of two prototype F5D-1s obtained by NASA Flight Research Center in 1961. The F5D-1 Skylancer (Bu. No. 142350) had a red and white paint pattern with a NASA identification number of 213 which later became NASA 708.

The Douglas F5D-1 Skylancer was built by the Navy as an all-weather fighter interceptor that never made the jump to production. Four test aircraft were developed with the same basic airframe as the Douglas F4D Skyray. With increasing modifications the four aircraft were re-designated F5D-1s before their first flights.