The Legendary Phantom

Today in History, May 27: 1958 – The MacDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II makes it’s first flight. The Phantom had a payload of 18,000 lbs (the WWII B-17 had a payload of 2,000 lbs). The fighter bomber would serve well into the 90’s. Initially, no guns were included, as the .50 caliber was overshot by the Mach 2.2 speed of the Phantom. Once the fighter entered combat, it was soon discovered that the guns were still needed, so a 20mm cannon was added.