The F2H-2 was first ordered in May of 1948, and the first example (BuNo 123204) flew on August 18, 1949. A total of 364 F2H-2 Banshees were built, the first being delivered in the winter of 1949 and the last in May of 1952.
The F2H-2 Banshee was delivered to the following Navy and Marine Corps squadrons: VF-11, VF-12, VF-22, VF-62, VF-171, VF-172, VMF-122, VMF-214, VMF-224, and VMJ-1
The high climb rate and the good altitude performance of the F2H-2 made it attractive as an escort fighter. VF-172 arrived in Korean waters aboard the USS Essex (CV-9) in August of 1951. Their first mission was to escort a flight of USAF B-29s in an attack on some North Korean railroad marshaling years on August 25, 1951.
This combat cruise ended in November 1951. Since Banshees were assigned with higher priority to the Sixth Fleet in the Atlantic and the Mediterranean, the Navy F2H-2s did not return to the Korean War zone until the autumn of 1952.
In September 1952, the Banshee returned to Korean waters, with VF-11 deploying aboard the USS Kearsarge(CV-33). They were followed by VF-22 and VF-62 in June of 1953, deploying aboard the USS Lake Champlain (CVA-39).
FS9/FSX version
6 high detailed models with 11 different textures.
High detailed virtual cockpit, fully functional and clickable
Custom gauges
Custom Sound package
CFS2 version
1 high detailed models with 6 different textures
Multi-res, will work in "Quick Combat" mode and also as AI
Custom DP files & weapons BGL´s
Custom sounds
Strike Figthers/Wings over Vietnam/Wings over Europe version
3 High detailed models with 11 different textures.
I didn’t buy this from SimMarket but I did buy it direct from Razbam on special. Since there’s only one review I thought a more up to date review could be helpful despite being purchased from the developer and not here. It’s exactly the same plane so here goes.
I’m a big fan of military aircraft and have a large collection. The Banshee was a short lived naval aircraft but a significant part of early jet development. I recommend reading up on the Banshee as it’s an interesting part of history.
This virtual version seems pretty accurate in its performance. Not particularly nimble by todays standards but it did climb very well and had good altitude capability which is well represented here.
It’s a fast plane but short of supersonic. It can exceed Mach 1 in a power dive but that is likely to destroy the aircraft if you fly in full realism type settings. But for its time it was indeed a fast plane.
Keep in mind this plane was released in 2007 and it really shows. There is NO eye candy to be found. Much of the VC is inoperable except for critical systems and controls. The radars and recon screens do not work. It reminds me of an old Virtavia quality but maybe slightly better concerning the external modeling. That said if I hadn’t gotten this on special that included the expansion pack at a considerably lower cost, I’d say forget it. If however you can spot or come upon a decent sale, then maybe consider it as it is a worthy piece to add to your collection.
Despite its visual shortcomings it’s fun to fly. Has no impact on frames at all.
Based on use with FSX Steam Win 10 i7 3.3ghz 16GB Ram Intel UHD630 integrated GPU.
For the most part Ian Pearson's review at http://www.screenshotartist.co.uk/razbam_banshee_review.htm is spot on.
The flight model makes this plane an easy flyer without that "gamey" feel that many otherwise nicely modelled planes suffer from.
Though subsonic, this is a fairly fast plane that keeps it's speed quite well. Engine's got plenty of power to put you overspeed in a hurry, which also means you get a pretty decent climb rate.
Some of the VC switches and dials are flat texture maps but these are largely the ones that have no function in FSX. True to form, many of the switches require a few contortions to get to. Definitely not a "heads-up" aircraft.
Roll control gets mushy at very low speeds and you drop pretty fast even with flaps so I get the impression that one is supposed to land at a relatively fast speed.
No manual is provided so there's a bit of "test piloting" to do in terms of flight characteristics and switches are somewhat tough to locate as a result.
Make sure you have the brakes firmly set when you start the engines as this thing definitely has a tendency to lurch forward.
Overall I'd give it a 4 of 5 star rating for VC users. 2D cockpit users may get a bit more frustrated though since access to switches is much more difficult and likely requires some keyboarding.