McDonnell XF2H-1 Banshee BuNo 99860

Ron Downey is a retired McAir engineer who has an excellent blog, Aviation Archives, here: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/

He frequently posts high-resolution pictures, drawings, and illustrations, most but not all of McAir aircraft. I look at it about once a week and frequently see something that is new to me. In this case, it was a repost of an XF2H-1 drawing that I hadn't taken a close look at the first time: http://aviationarchives.blogspot.com/2015/07/xf2h-1-aerodynamic-three-view.html

There were three XF2H-1 (né XF2D-1) prototypes. This is the first one, BuNo 99858:

 Note the "thick" engine nacelle and the significant dihedral on the horizontal tail.

Several changes were required to solve aerodynamic problems. (see http://tailspintopics.blogspot.com/2009/12/f2h-banshee-modeling-notes.html). This is the second prototype after wing, nacelle, and empennage changes and the addition of the tip tanks similar to the ones that would be incorporated on the production F2H-2:

The production F2H-1 design was also lengthened a foot forward of the engine intakes to increase the amount of internal fuel. As it turns out the XF2H-1 drawing shows that the third prototype, BuNo 99860, incorporated this change. I hadn't noticed that until now because it retained the distinctive short XF2H canopy.

Note that it still has the handholds and steps on the right side of the forward fuselage and does not have an ejection seat.