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Lore & Background

The XFD-1 prototype performed its maiden flight on 26 January 1945, using only a single Westinghouse 19XB-2B engine because only one was available. During subsequent flights, it became the first USN aircraft to exceed 500 mph (434 kn, 805 km/h). The first prototype was lost in a fatal crash attributed to aileron failure on 1 November 1945. The second prototype became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier, completing four successful takeoffs and landings on 21 July 1946, from Franklin D. Roosevelt near Norfolk, Virginia. That second prototype crashed on 26 August 1946. Production Phantoms used Westinghouse J30-WE-20 engines with 1,600 lbf (7.1 kN) of thrust per engine. The top of the vertical tail had a more square shape than the rounder tail used on the prototypes, and a smaller rudder was used to resolve problems with control surface clearance. The fuselage was stretched by 19 in (48 cm). Halfway through the production run, the navy reassigned the designation letter 'D' back to Douglas, with the Phantom being redesignated FH-1. Including the two prototypes, a total of 62 Phantoms were finally produced, with the last FH-1 rolling off the assembly line in May 1948.

Reader's Guide

The first Phantoms were delivered to USN fighter squadron VF-17A (later redesignated VF-171) in August 1947; the squadron received a full complement of 24 aircraft on 29 May 1948. Beginning in November 1947, Phantoms were delivered to United States Marine Corps squadron VMF-122, making it the first USMC combat squadron to deploy jets. VF-17A became the USN's first fully operational jet carrier squadron. The Phantom never saw live combat, as the arrival of the follow-on F2H Banshee in the late 1940s led to the Phantom being promptly relegated to secondary duties, such as training pilots in preparation for operating newer jet aircraft. All examples were transferred to the United States Naval Reserve by late 1949. The Banshee, while derived from the Phantom, shared little in terms of components due to various elements being redesigned. The Banshee became one of the two most important naval jet fighters of the Korean War. During the late 1950s, McDonnell chose to bring the name back with the third-generation, Mach 2-capable McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II.

Did You Know?

• The XFD-1 prototype made its first flight on 26 January 1945 with only one engine installed because only a single Westinghouse 19XB-2B engine was available.
• The Phantom became the first USN aircraft to exceed 500 mph (434 kn, 805 km/h) during its test flight programme.
• The second prototype became the first purely jet-powered aircraft to operate from an American aircraft carrier on 21 July 1946, from the USS Franklin D. Roosevelt.
• Only 62 Phantoms were ever produced, including the two prototypes.
• The Phantom never saw live combat; all examples were transferred to the United States Naval Reserve by late 1949.