In this video, we talk about the McDonnell F2H Banshee, a late-World War 2/Post-War/Korean War jet fighter that represented an effective end of an era for fighters and carrier-based fighters. We first talk about its predecessor, the McDonnell FH Phantom, a design that was basically the same plane, just smaller. We talk about why the small company McDonnell was tasked with the project in the middle of WW2, how the Phantom performed, and how it evolved into the Banshee.

We then look at several of the Banshee variants and how it succeeded early in the Korean War as an escort and reconnaissance aircraft. We also talk about why it succeeded in these areas, in part due to reasons outside of its control, and why it would never really be used outside of these roles, even though it was designed as a fighter. We talk about how it compared to swept-wing aircraft like the MiG-15 and F-86 Sabre and straight-wing aircraft like the P-80 Shooting Star and F9F Panther, why the Navy wanted straight-wing fighters, and why the Navy had to make the shift. We end by talking about the short and pointless career or the Banshee in the Royal Canadian Navy.