Douglas F4D-1/F-6A Skyray Book Review
By David L. Veres
| Date of Review | April 2022 | Title | Douglas F4D-1/F-6A Skyray |
|---|---|---|---|
| Author | Nick Williams | Publisher | Ginter Books |
| Published | 2022 | ISBN | 978-1-7349727-7-1 |
| Format | 256 pages, softbound | MSRP (USD) | $59.95 |
Review
“Ford” fans! Grab your drool cups!
Douglas F4D-1/F-6A Skyray by Nicholas M. Williams – Number 113 in Ginter Books’ vast “Naval Fighters” range – certainly supplants the publisher’s similarly titled, 1984 study by Williams and Steve Ginter himself.
Over 250 pages. More than 600 B&W photos and archival illustrations. Nearly 90 period color shots.
Williams surveys the spellbinding saga across 73 picture-packed sections.
Design. Development. Airframe. Powerplants. Armament. Cockpit. Landing gear. Operational units. Training formations. Test and evaluation squadrons. Even an air-launched satellite program.
You name it.
Metaphorically mountainous measures of minutiae dominate contents.
Seeking specifics on Skyray nose wheel yaw during catapult tests? Seek here – and really super-detail that flight-deck diorama.
How about those nose gear details themselves? Photos and tech-manual excerpts ride to rescue.
Humor, too.
Check out that sidesplitting missive – wholly redolent of the King’s English – VMF(AW)-115 Ford jocks dispatched to USAF Brig. Gen. [Avelin Paul?] Tacon of the “13th” [sic: 12th?] Air Force after Tacon flew “two hops” in an F4D-1.
Anecdotes, unit service notes, and a typical “Ginter” modeling section round-out coverage.
If your library sports just one book on Douglas’ distinctive delta, grab this lavishly illustrated effort.
Robustly recommended!
With thanks to Ginter Books!