F-4 Phantom

Designed originally as a carrier-borne interceptor armed only with missiles, its beginnings were so promising that the USAF adopted it as a tactical fighter ands was quickly followed by an impressive number of other air forces around the world which explains why certain examples are still in service today.

The evolution of the Phantom goes back to the summer of 1953 when McDonnel gave one of his engineer teams the task of modernizing one of its earlier creations: the F3H Demon. In July 1959, the F4H-1 was officially christened Phantom II as a tribute to the McDonnelL FH-1, the first American jet plane designed in 1953 and intended for carrier-borne from the outset.