it is strange to think that not so long ago, all jet fighters built was day fighters, lacking radar for night or bad weather intercepts, the first night fighter jets where basically radar equiped versions of current types,
the day fighter today is extinct, all i can think of have radar.
so heres a few questions.. what was the first radar equiped jet fighter, am i right in thinking it was the Meteor or Skynight, also what sort of perfomance did the early radars have as in detection ranges and tracking capability.
why did the Javelin change radars early in its production, my last question is what is your favorite of these pioneer interceptors…. my fave has to be the Meteor NF-14, in my veiw the best looking Meteor of all. 🙂
By: XN923 - 25th May 2006 at 09:38
The Vampire night fighter (originally a private venture for the export market) was in service before the Meteor as it was a relatively simple modification, and therefore the first British radar equipped jet fighter (as far as I know) but I imagine there were others earlier than that – the American ASH radar was so light and easily fitted to a range of aircraft I can’t imagine some early US jets didn’t have that specced.
By: RadarArchive - 25th May 2006 at 06:27
The answer all depends on your definition – are you referring to aircraft that were designed to have radar from the outset, or not? If not, the first Western jet fighter with radar was probably the Messerschmitt Me 262B-1a/U1. Ten of these were defending Berlin in early 1945.
By: J Boyle - 25th May 2006 at 05:57
I think you’ll find the (almost forgotten) F-94 was the first Western radar equipped fighter. With the emergence of the Tu-4 (B-29) and atomic bombs in the USSR inventory, the need for an night interceptor was obvious. Just as the Meteor N.F. 11 was the natural follow-on to Mosquito night fighters, the F-94 was a follow-on to the P-61 Black Widow.
Some first flight history:
F-94 — April 16, 1949
N.F. 11 — May 31, 1950
Douglas F3D (later F-10) Skynight — Feb. 13, 1950
By: TobyV - 24th May 2006 at 23:15
I think originally it was only night fighters that had a full proper radar. The appearance both in terms of externally and in terms of what you had internally to interpret what it was “seeing” were very different. However, lots of 1950s fighters like the F-86 and Hunter had a radar ranging gunsight. I think that only detected things within about 1000yards or so. I’m not any kind of electronics expert, but the evolution of radars and associated technology is quite fascinating and I think it came on a pace during the 1960s and 70s, but prior to that, some of the technology wasnt that much more advanced than some of the equipment used back in WWII (for example the radar in the Vulcan bomber was derived from the WWII era H2S set – I know its not a fighter but still, there must have been a reason for that apparent lack of progress?)
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May 24, 2006 at 10:23 pm