On February 15, 1960, an F4H-1F Phantom arrived aboard USS Independence with a fundamental question to answer: Could the Navy’s powerful new fighter truly operate at sea?
Every legendary aircraft has a beginning.
Long before the McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II became one of the world's most recognizable military aircraft, it was simply an ambitious new design with something to prove. The U.S. Navy envisioned a supersonic, twin-engine fighter capable of defending carrier battle groups in the rapidly changing Cold War environment. On paper, it was impressive. The question was whether it could successfully operate from an aircraft carrier. One aircraft would help answer that question.
BuNo 143391, built as F4H-1F and later redesignated the F-4A Phantom II, became the sixth production Phantom ever built. While later Phantoms would earn their reputation in combat around the world, BuNo 143391 helped establish that reputation before the aircraft ever entered fleet service.
Share:
タイタン II: 抑止による平和
727で新年を祝う