1959 McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II

The McDonnell Douglas F-4 Phantom II is a two-seat, twin-engined, all-weather, long-range supersonic jet interceptor and fighter-bomber originally developed for the U.S. Navy by McDonnell Aircraft. It later entered service with the U.S. Air Force, the Royal Air Force, and many other countries. The Phantom is a large fighter with a top speed of over Mach 2.2. It can carry more than 18,000 pounds (8,400 kg) of weapons on nine external hardpoints, including air-to-air missiles, air-to-ground missiles, and various bombs. The F-4, like other interceptors of its time, was designed without an internal cannon, but later models incorporated an M61 Vulcan rotary cannon. Beginning in 1959, the Phantom was used extensively by the U.S. military in the Vietnam War. It served as the principal air superiority fighter for the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps, and Air Force, as well as being important in the ground-attack and reconnaissance roles. During the Vietnam War, the USAF had one pilot and two weapon systems officers (WSOs) in its F-4s.