The Skyray was first proposed in 1947 as an attempt to make use of information on delta-wing designs captured from Germany at the end of World War II. Problems with engine development delayed the first flight until 1951, but the aircraft proved to be very successful once it was in service. In 1953, a F4D-1 broke the world absolute speed record with an average speed of 752.944 miles-per-hour. It was also the first Navy aircraft to be capable of flying at Mach 1 in level flight. The Skyray entered operational service in 1956 and served until 1964. A total of 420 were built.
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