McDonnell Douglas aircraft: books - history and technology

Voodoo Warriors : The Story of the McDonnell Voodoo Fast-Jets

During the mid-1950s the United States Air Force was given its most powerful single-seat, two-engine fighter to date. The Voodoo would be deployed before the end of that decade in the tactical nuclear bomber and tactical reconnaissance roles world-wide, and in homeland defence with the two-seat, all-weather variant.
In December 1957 it took the World Air Speed Record to Mach 1.6 - over one and a half times faster than the sound barrier.

This book looks at the evolution of the original design and its introduction into service. Chapters cover operations in Korea, Vietnam, the Cuban Crisis and in Europe during the Cold War years. Many first-hand accounts from pilots are included and the author's own experiences with the aircraft are relayed with fascinating insight.
The Voodoo was an elegant, mean-looking fighting machine that epitomised fast flying in the fifties and sixties. It continues to be a revered aeroplane.

F3H Demon - Pilot's Flight Operation Instructions

Designed as a replacement for the U.S. Navy's F2H Banshee, the McDonnell F3H Demon fighter served with the fleet for nearly a decade, including during the Cuban Missile Crisis.
Although it could not fly at supersonic speeds, the Demon served admirably as an all-weather interceptor and flew alongside the F8U Crusader and F11F Tiger. Armed with up to four 20mm cannons, the aircraft could also fire Sidewinder and Sparrow missiles.

Over 500 Demons were built. The planes were dubbed "The Chair" by pilots due to its high-visibility cockpit, but it was also called the "lead sled" due to its poor power to weight ratio. The Demon was replaced by the F-4 Phantom in 1964.

Originally printed by McDonnell and the U.S. Navy, this F3H Demon Pilot's Flight Operating Instruction manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Originally classified "Restricted", the manual was declassified long ago and is here reprinted in book form.

The F-101 Voodoo - An Illustrated History of McDonnell's Heavyweight Fighter

Conceived in the waning days of World War II as an escort for the mammoth Convair B-36 bomber, the McDonnell Model 36 "Voodoo" first took to the air in 1948.
With advances in turbojet technology, aerial refueling, and miniaturized nuclear weapons, the Model 36 was recast as a fighter-bomber of unimaginable firepower: the F-101A Strategic Fighter.

Overcoming tremendous developmental challenges, the Voodoo served into the late-1980s, nearly forty years after its maiden flight. As a nuclear strike aircraft, reconnaissance platform, and reliable high-performance interceptor, the McDonnell F-101 Voodoo carries the sole distinction among the famed "Century Series" fighters of serving in the most trouble spots, from the era of Eisenhower and Khrushchev through that of Reagan and Gorbachev, in the waning days of the Cold War.

Based on hundreds of pages of recently declassified documents, this work brings the Voodoo into its long-denied place in the limelight.

RF-101 Voodoo Units in Combat

McDonnell's F-101 Voodoo series was in many ways the most interesting of the 'Century Series' fighter programmes of the 1950s, partly because the type's design and intended mission changed radically during a 40-year career.
Originally designed as a fighter-bomber, it was converted to be a reconnaissance aircraft, serving alongside the U-2 and RF-8 Crusaders during the Cuban Missile Crisis and the Vietnam War. Although it gained a reputation as a difficult aircraft to handle, the jet's supersonic speed and newly-developed camera suite enabled it to conduct vital low-altitude photo-reconnaissance missions over heavily-defended target areas.

In combat, the RF 101 was usually 'first in-last out' for strike missions. This made it a ready target, with a solo aircraft flying straight and level to gather target photo evidence at low-altitude offering enemy gunners plenty of opportunity to shoot the Voodoo down.
This study tells the combat stories of this extraordinary aircraft, highlighting the difficulty of the missions on which it was sent and the courage of its pilots.

C-17 Globemaster III: McDonnell Douglas & Boeing's Military Transport (Legends of Warfare)

With over 280 aircraft built, the Globemaster III is one of the workhorses for the US Air Force as well as a number of foreign countries such as Britain, Australia, Canada, India, Qatar, and Kuwait.
It was designed primarily as both a strategic and tactical airlift aircraft but has also been widely used in added roles such as medical evacuation and airborne troop drops.
It saw combat during operations Enduring Freedom and Iraqi Freedom and has also been deployed on humanitarian missions throughout the world since its introduction in 1995.

The McDonnell Douglas / Boeing C-17 Globemaster III design, construction, and operational history are presented in this book.