This photograph shows a McDonnell FD-1/FH-1 Phantom, bureau number 48236, named 'THE PHANTOM.' First flown in 1945, the Phantom was the U.S. Navy's first operational jet fighter and the first jet aircraft to operate from an aircraft carrier, in 1946. Though quickly surpassed by more capable designs, the Phantom marked the beginning of naval jet aviation and laid the groundwork for McDonnell's later, more famous fighter designs. Project: 218474