McDonnell FH Phantom is the first (purely) jet-powered carrier-based aircraft of the United States Navy. Ordered in 1943, it was a commemorative craft that was the foundation stone of the McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, which at the time was a newly-emergent company. However, its period of use was extremely short, and because it was superceded quickly by its successor aircraft, the F2H Banshee, it is not widely known at all, and the name "Phantom" is usually used to indicate "F-4 (Phantom II)." (Because of that, unless explained as "FH Phantom," "First Phantom," "Phantom I","Unmarked Phantom," etc., it is not generally understood, and furthermore, there are even people who mistakenly think that the "F-4 Phantom II" is the remodelled version of the "F-4 Phantom (1).") The original aim was for it to be mainly used on aircraft carriers, and its actual performance could not be said to be satisfactory, even in flattery. Rather, this craft should be evaluated on the fact that it created the foundations for its successor aircraft, the Banshee, which played an active role in various missions.
