- Yes
- No
Hello everyone, I’d like to suggest the North American FJ-3M Fury for the US aviation tech tree in War Thunder. The FJ-3M was a new design of the Fury variant that addressed the shortcomings of the FJ-2 aircraft and became more suitable for carrier operations than its predecessor. It was the last and most successful iteration of the Fury series before the FJ-4 fighter-bomber (which we already have as the attacker in the game). It entered service in 1954 and retired from an uneventful service in 1962.
Key Characteristics
- 7,650 lbf General Electric J65 turbojet engine
- 4 x 20-mm Colt Mk.12 cannons
- “6-3” wing configuration
- A-2-G payload and AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
History
In 1950, Curtiss and Wright obtained a license to build the British Armstrong Siddeley Sapphire turbojet engine. This weighed slightly more than the J47 fitted in the FJ-2, yet it offered 28% more thrust than the J47. The US Navy decided the next variant of the FJ-3 would be powered by this license-built engine.
In 1952, the Navy ordered 389 FJ-3s fitted with the new Wright J65 engine, a license-built version of the British Sapphire turbojet engine. This required changes to the air inlet to make it bigger, and the fuselage would have to be redesigned, resulting in increased ammunition for the four 20-mm cannons and additional cockpit armor.
One FJ-2 (131931) was modified to be fitted with a J65-W-2 engine for testing, and this modified FJ-2 flew for the first time on July 3, 1953. Deliveries of the FJ-3 began in December 1953, and the Navy seemed to have been content with the new FJ-3 Fury.
The FJ-3 initially retained the same wing configuration as the FJ-2, but starting in 1955, it featured the 6-3 wing. It had extended leading edges by 6 inches at the root and 3 inches at the tip, which could be seen on the F-86F. This wing design improved maneuverability, although it resulted in a slightly higher landing speed due to the removal of leading edge slats. As a result, the wing area increased from 287.9 to 302.3 square feet. The FJ-3 visually differed from the F-86F by incorporating a camber on the underside of the leading edge to enhance low-speed handling, and it increased fuel capacity within the new wing edges.
By July of 1954, 24 FJ-3s had been delivered out of the factory, and the aircraft went through the test program at the Naval Air Testing Center at Patuxent, Maryland. In September 1954, the VF-173, based at Jacksonville, Florida, was the first Navy Squadron to receive the FJ-3. On May 8, 1955, the FJ-3 made its first successful carrier landings, boarding the fleet carrier USS Bennington. Another FJ-3 landed on the new supercarrier, USS Forrestal, on January 4, 1956, marking the first aircraft to board the supercarrier. The FJ-3 would see modifications in service as production continued, such as improved wings for better agility, provisions for inflight refueling, and the capability to carry bombs, rockets, and the new AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles.
On July 1, 1955, the Navy abandoned the deep blue scheme as a standard used throughout the Korean War and adopted a grey-white scheme. This change was seen on the FJ-3 along with other naval aircraft.
However, there were problems with the J65 engine during the service. The issues were lubrication system failures during the launch or high-speed maneuvers, engine flameouts, and turbine blade failures. The turbine blade failures caused the engine to shed its blades and bounced out the sides of the fuselage. New types of blades were fitted inside the FJ-3 to rectify this problem.
Despite these problems, the Navy found the FJ-3 more successful than the FJ-2. 538 FJ-3s were built for the Navy. The FJ-3s were popular with their pilots, and they were superior to most models of the F-86, except the late F-86F and F-86H, due to the powerful engine. Starting from the 345th FJ-3 and onward, the 6-3 wings were equipped. It could hold external loads up to 1,000 lb on inboard stations and 500 lb on the outboard stations. The wings had a new leading edge that fitted extra fuel. 194 FJ-3s were modified to carry AIM-9 SIdewinder missiles and redesignated FJ-3M. The last FJ-3 was built in August 1956. Starting that year, the Navy retrofitted all its FJ-3s with probe-and-drogue air refueling systems, adding a long probe under the left wing, where they would be refueled from North American AJ-2 Savage tankers. The midair-refueling modification extended the FJ-3’s combat radius from 645 to 1237 miles.
The FJ-3 had seen action only as close air support during the American intervention in Lebanon in 1958. Other than that, the FJ-3 served a relatively short and quiet frontline career into the 1960s. In the end, the FJ-3Ms had served with the VA-172, VF-12, VF-62, VF-73, VF-84, VF-173, and VMF-334 of the Atlantic Fleet and with VF-21, VF-51, VF-121, VF-142, VF-143, VF-221, and VMF-235 of the Pacific Fleet. The FJ-3M retired from fighter duty by September 1962, with the iterated FJ-4 fighter bomber retiring two years later.
Specifications
North American FJ-3M Fury (Late Production)General Characteristics
- Crew: 1 (Pilot)
- Length: 37 ft 7 in (14.45 m)
- Height: 13 ft 8 in (4.16 m)
- Span: 37 ft 1 in (11.3 m)
- Wing area: 302.3 sq ft (28.08 sq m)
- Powerplant: General Electric J65-W-4B turbojet engine
- → 7,650 lbf (34.03 kN) thrust
- Empty Weight: 12,205 lb (5,536 kg)
- Design Gross Weight: 16,482 lb (7,476 kg)
- Combat Gross Weight: 16,669 lb (7,561 kg)
- Maximum Takeoff Weight: 23,919 lb (10,849 kg)
- Internal Fuel: 558 US gal. (2,112 L)
- Oil Tankage: 4.2 US gal. (15.9 L)
Performance
- Thrust-to-Weight Ratio: 0.46
- Sea level Speed: 681 mph (1,096 km/h)
- Critical Altitude Speeds: 622 mph @ 35,000 ft (1,065 km/h @ 10,668 m)
- Stall Speed: 132 mph (212 km/h)
- Wing Loading: 55.1 lb/sq ft (269 kg/sq m)
- Takeoff Distance - Calm: 1,760 ft (536 m)
- Rate of Climb: 8,450 fpm (96 m/s)
- Time to Altitude: 5.2 minutes to 30,000 ft (9,144 m)
- Service Ceiling: 49,000 ft (14,935 m)
- Combat Radius: 230 miles (370 km)
- Combat Range: 990 miles (1,593 km)
Powerplant Ratings
Normal:
→ 6,700 lbf (29.8 kN) thrust @ 8,030 rpm @ sea level
Military:
→ 7,650 lbf (34.03 kN) thrust @ 8,300 RPM @ sea level
Armament
- Guns:
- 4 x 20-mm Colt Mk.12 cannons (~162 rpg; 646 rounds)
- Missiles:
- 2 x AIM-9B Sidewinder missiles
- Bombs:
- 2 x 1,000-lb bombs
- 4 x 500-lb bombs
- Rockets:
- 4 x 5-inch HVARs
- Aero (-6,-7,-9 Series) rocket packs
- Drop Tanks:
- 2 x 200-gal drop tanks
Conclusion | Why it should be in the game
The North American FJ-3M was another iteration of an American carrier-based fighter developed from the F-86E Sabre for the US Navy. The US Navy line currently lacks subsonic dedicated fighter aircraft at 8.7-9.0, and I think the FJ-3M Fury may be a suitable candidate to fill the gap. It would finally give us a different playstyle, unlike the one we are accustomed to when flying F9F as the support fighter. The FJ-3M Fury would play a better role as the aggressive energy fighter than flying as the support fighter. It should fly similarly to the Sabres with their aerodynamic characteristics rather than the FJ-4. It has more thrust than the F-86F, but it would be slightly less maneuverable due to added weight and more fuel in the wings. IMO, the FJ-3M is the best-looking Sea Sabre, and it is a shame it is not in War Thunder as one of the navalized Sabres for the US tech tree aviation. It deserves a place in War Thunder as a counterpart to the USAF F-86F Sabre.
See Also
Sources
- Standard Aircraft Characteristics FJ-3/3M Fury (30 April 1958)
- North American FJ-3 Fury
- Sea Sabres; The North American FJ Furys - Forgotten Aircraft - Military Matters
- FJ-2 the US Navy's F-86 Sabre's Brother - PlaneHistoria
- North American FJ-2 / FJ-3 Fury Carrierborne Fighter / Fighter-Bomber Aircraft
- North American FJ-2/-3 Fury - Wikipedia
Thank you for taking the time to read my suggestion! 😃