McDonnell FH-1 Phantom

The McDonnell FH-1 Phantom was the first carrier jet fighter to enter operational service with the U.S. Navy, and the first jet to operate from an American aircraft carrier. McDonnell, then a young company, won the contract in 1943, and the prototype XFD-1 first flew in January 1945. Powered by two small Westinghouse J30 turbojets buried in the wing roots, the straight-wing Phantom was modest in performance, with a top speed near 500 mph, but it proved that jets could operate safely from carrier decks.

In July 1946 an XFD-1 made the first carrier landings and takeoffs by an American jet aboard USS Franklin D. Roosevelt. Only 62 production FH-1s were built, serving with Navy and Marine Corps squadrons in the late 1940s before being quickly superseded by more capable designs. Despite its short career, the Phantom launched McDonnell's long line of naval fighters and the famous Phantom name.