The Digital Detail & Scale Series continues with the newest title, F2H Banshee in Detail & Scale, Part 1: Prototypes Through F2H-2 Variants, covering the development, history, color schemes, combat and operational use, and details of one of the most historically significant fighters to serve with the U. S. Navy and Marine Corps. Over the past 35 years, Detail & Scale has published six monographs, 69 full sized volumes, and now a total of four digital publication titles in the well-respected Detail & Scale Series and one in the Colors & Markings Series.
F2H Banshee in Detail & Scale, Part 1 continues the series focus on specific details of every aspect of this historic aircraft, but it includes so much more. It begins with a look at the developmental history of the Banshee, which started as an outgrowth of the McDonnell FH-1 Phantom, the first all-jet fighter to enter squadron use in the Navy. The Banshee advanced the design concept and would distinguish itself as only the second Navy jet aircraft to enter combat in Korea following the Grumman F9F Panther.
Each variant of the early Banshee is covered in its own section, including the XF2H-1 prototypes, the interim F2H-1 fighter, the definitive early variant in the F2H-2, and its derivatives, the nuclear-capable F2H-2B, the F2H-2N night fighter, and the F2H-2P photo-recon version. This detailed look at the aircraft is followed by a chapter covering the operational use of the Banshee in the Korean War. The aircraft details chapter, long the hallmark of the Detail & Scale Series, provides detailed coverage of the cockpit, windscreen & canopy, fuselage, internal armament, wings, pylons & external stores, engine, landing gear, and tail of the aircraft and contains more than 120 photos, mostly in color, that illustrate every aspect of the F2H.
Another chapter covers the three official paint schemes worn by the early Banshees, from the Gloss Sea Blue standard, to the Light Gull Gray over white, to the overall white scheme worn by some aircraft near the end of their service. The Banshee Squadrons chapter contains photographs or color profiles of Banshees in every Navy and Marine fighter, photo-recon, Reserve, and utility squadron that flew the aircraft, as well as test & evaluation facilities. Finally, as with all books in the Detail & Scale Series, a detailed look at all of the scale model kits that have been released of the early Banshee variants is presented.
F2H Banshee in Detail & Scale, Part 1: Prototypes Through F2H-2 Variants features 301 pages, 330 photos (more than 170 in color), color detail drawings, and 15 full color aircraft profiles which accurately depict the Banshee in a variety of schemes as it was flown by Navy and Marine squadrons early in the jet fighter era.
