The Douglas F3D Skyknight, (later F-10 Skyknight) was a United States twin-engine, midwing jet fighter aircraft manufactured by the Douglas Aircraft Company in El Segundo, California. The plane''s portly profile earned it the nickname "Willie the Whale". The F3D was initially intended as a carrier-based, all-weather aircraft. It saw service with the United States Navy and United States Marine Corps, downing several MiG-15s over Korea, and serving as an electronic warfare platform in the Vietnam conflict. The F3D was not a typical sleek and nimble fighter, but as a night fighter packing a powerful radar system and second crew member, it was not intended to be. It originated in 1945 with a U.S. Navy requirement for a jet-powered radar-equipped carrier-based night fighter. The Douglas team led by Ed Heinemann designed around the bulky air intercept radar systems of the time, with side-by-side seating for the pilot and radar operator The result was an airplane with a broad, deep, and roomy fuselage.
April 11, 1959: Skyknight Arrives
Lakewood's Skyknight was delivered to Del Valle Park on April 11, 1959 by the Navajo Freight Lines company. For new generations of Lakewood residents, Del Valle Park would always be known as "Airplane Park."
Jets aren’t jungle gyms, and the plane soon began to deteriorate and become a source of concern because of playtime injuries. In December, the plane was fenced off to prevent further accidents, and city officials considered scrapping it.
Lakewood knows the terrible cost that some paid in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and in all the nation’s conflicts. At Del Valle Park, where annual Memorial Day programs are held and Patriot Day is observed on the anniversary of 9/11, Lakewood remembers its heroes at the Lakewood Veterans Memorial. The meaning of Lakewood’s memorial at Del Valle Park has changed over the years – from recollection of those who fought and died in the Korean War to listing the names of the young men of Lakewood who died during the Vietnam War, to a memorial to all of Lakewood's veterans. The centerpiece of the memorial is a decommissioned Douglas Aircraft F3D-2 Skyknight fighter. In the mid-1960s, the city began a tradition of recognizing the young men of Lakewood who had fallen in Vietnam at Memorial Day observances that are jointly sponsored by the city and Lakewood’s veterans' organizations. Each year, members of the city council solemnly read the names of these young men and Dennis Lander's "The Boys of Del Valle Park" is recited. In 2015, to complete the celebration of the city's 60th year of incorporation, the Skyknight jet was restored and the new Lakewood Veterans Memorial around it was dedicated.
Skyknight on the Road to Restoration
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration.
Designation: Douglas Aircraft F3D-2 Crew: Two (pilot, radar operator) Length: 45 ft 5 in (13.85 m) Wingspan: 50 ft 0 in (15.24 m) Height: 16 ft 1 in (4.90 m) Wing area: 400 sq ft (37.2 sq/m) Empty weight: 14,989 lb (6,813 kg) Loaded weight: 21,374 lb (9,715 kg) Maximum takeoff weight: 26,731 lb (12,151 kg) Engines: Two Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojets, each 3,400 lb (1,542 kg) Guns: Four 20mm (0.787 in) Hispano-Suiza M2 cannons (200 rounds/gun) Cruise speed: 395 knots (454 mph, 731 km/h) Range: 1,195 nm (1,374 mi, 2,212 km) with the addition of two 150-gallon tanks Service ceiling: 36,700 ft (11,200 m) Rate of climb: 2,970 ft/min (15.1 m/s)
April 11, 1959: Skyknight Arrives
Lakewood's Skyknight was delivered to the park on April 11, 1959 by the Navajo Freight Lines company. Standing nearest the plane (on the left) is Recreation Superintendent Kenneth Pitsenberger.
Instead of scrapping the Lakewood's jet, it became the city's memorial to the Korean War. The plane was lifted on a concrete pylon, painted in the Marine Corps colors of the 1960s, and rededicated on Memorial Day in 1964.
Lakewood knows the terrible cost that some paid in World War II, the Korean War, the Vietnam War, and in all the nation’s conflicts. At Del Valle Park, where annual Memorial Day programs are held and Patriot Day is observed on the anniversary of 9/11, Lakewood remembers its heroes at the Lakewood Veterans Memorial. The meaning of Lakewood’s memorial at Del Valle Park has changed over the years – from recollection of those who fought and died in the Korean War to listing the names of the young men of Lakewood who died during the Vietnam War, to a memorial to all of Lakewood's veterans. The centerpiece of the memorial is a decommissioned Douglas Aircraft F3D-2 Skyknight fighter. In the mid-1960s, the city began a tradition of recognizing the young men of Lakewood who had fallen in Vietnam at Memorial Day observances that are jointly sponsored by the city and Lakewood’s veterans' organizations. Each year, members of the city council solemnly read the names of these young men and Dennis Lander's "The Boys of Del Valle Park" is recited. In 2015, to complete the celebration of the city's 60th year of incorporation, the Skyknight jet was restored and the new Lakewood Veterans Memorial around it was dedicated.
Cockpit of Lakewood's Skyknight
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration. When the plane was given to Lakewood in 1959, all of the cockpit components had already been removed. (Photo courtesy of Fighting Classics)
The F3D was not a sleek and nimble fighter, but it was not intended to be. The Skyknight was designed in 1946 around the bulky radar systems of the time. The result was an airplane with a broad and deep fuselage that made a stable platform for the radar dish and the four, 20mm cannons mounted under the plane's nose. Because of the risk of injury, the Skyknight did not have ejection seats. The pilot and radar operator used an escape tunnel that opened under the fuselage. The first flight of the prototype F3D-1 occurred on in March 1948. It was followed by the F3D-2, which was first ordered in August 1949. A total of 237 were built before production ended. In the years after the Korean War, the Skyknight was gradually replaced by more powerful aircraft with better radar systems. The plane’s career was not over; its stability and spacious fuselage made it adaptable to other roles. Skyknight jets continued in service through the 1960s with a gull gray (above) and white (below) color scheme, flying electronic countermeasures missions during the Vietnam conflict until 1969. The U.S. Marine Corps retired its last Skyknight in 1970.
May 16, 1959: Kids and Skyknight
Lakewood's jet plane was repainted dark blue, thanks to its night fighter role during the Korean War, and stripped of its operating gear. The plane was originally intended to be a climbing structure for adventurous Lakewood youth. Dedicated on Armed Forces Day in May 1959, the jet was immediately swarmed by dozens of youngsters eager to make believe. Marine Master Sergeant Hans Hoglind, who had flown Skyknights and who attended the dedication, wondered if the plane would survive this new test of its combat durability. But jets aren’t jungle gyms, and the plane soon began to deteriorate and become a source of concern because of playtime injuries. In December, the plane was fenced off to prevent further accidents, and city officials considered scrapping it.
Instead of scrapping the Lakewood's jet, it became the city's memorial to the Korean War. The plane was lifted on a concrete pylon, painted in the Marine Corps colors of the 1960s, and rededicated on Memorial Day in 1964.
Restoration of Skyknight Begins
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration.
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration. The plane was disassembled and stripped to the bare metal. (Photo courtesy of Fighting Classics)
In 1959 and after 14 months of negotiations between Navy officials and Kenneth Pitsenberger, the city’s superintendent of parks and recreation, Del Valle Park received a very unusual piece of playground equipment – a decommissioned F3D-2 Skyknight like those that had flown during the Korean War. Recreation Superintendent Kenneth Pitsenberger and Recreation Commission Chair Norman Kreitzer worked more than a year to secure the plane and its transportation from Arizona to Lakewood.
Dedicated on Armed Forces Day in May 1959, the jet was immediately swarmed by dozens of youngsters eager to make believe. Marine Master Sergeant Hans Hoglind, who had flown Skyknights and who attended the dedication, wondered if the plane would survive this new test of its combat durability. The Navajo Freight Lines had brought the plane to Lakewood from Litchfield Arizona. Marine Corps enlisted men repainted the plane in its Korean War-era colors. Technicians from Douglas Aircraft assembled the plane at the park.
In the mid-1960s, Memorial Day observances jointly sponsored by the city and Lakewood’s veterans' organizations began the tradition of recognizing the young men of Lakewood who had fallen in Vietnam. Today, members of the city council still solemnly read the names of these young men. In 2014, the city began restoration of the Skyknight jet and expansion of the Del Valle Park memorial.
Lost Dino Found in Skyknight Jet
During the removal of the jet from Del Valle Park, this plastic dinosaur was found in the cockpit, lost decades before when the plane was still a playground.
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration. The plane was disassembled and stripped to the bare metal. (Photo courtesy of Fighting Classics)
April 11, 1959: Skyknight Arrives
Lakewood's Skyknight was delivered to Del Valle Park on April 11, 1959 by the Navajo Freight Lines company. For new generations of Lakewood residents, Del Valle Park would always be known as "Airplane Park."
Lakewood's jet plane was repainted dark blue, thanks to its night fighter role during the Korean War, and stripped of its operating gear. The plane was originally intended to be a climbing structure for adventurous Lakewood youth. Dedicated on Armed Forces Day in May 1959, the jet was immediately swarmed by dozens of youngsters eager to make believe. Marine Master Sergeant Hans Hoglind, who had flown Skyknights and who attended the dedication, wondered if the plane would survive this new test of its combat durability. But jets aren’t jungle gyms, and the plane soon began to deteriorate and become a source of concern because of playtime injuries. In December, the plane was fenced off to prevent further accidents, and city officials considered scrapping it.
In the mid-1960s, Memorial Day observances jointly sponsored by the city and Lakewood’s veterans' organizations began the tradition of recognizing the young men of Lakewood who had fallen in Vietnam. Today, members of the city council still solemnly read the names of these young men. In 2014, the city began restoration of the Skyknight jet and expansion of the Del Valle Park memorial.
Skyknight Leaves Del Valle Park for Restoration
The city’s F3D-2 Skynight jet fighter was disassembled for shipment to Fighting Classics Aircraft Restoration in Marana, Arizona in 2014. At the facility, the jet received a complete restoration.