@ Orlando, FL
September 2025
The Phantom first flew in 1958 was produced for use by the U.S. Navy, Marine Corps and the U.S. Air Force. Powered by two General Electric J79 turbojet engines, these engines were iconic for their variable-geometry afterburner nozzles. To handle the increased volume of hot gas produced during afterburner use, the J79 uses a variable-area nozzle. The petals of this exhaust nozzle design open wide during afterburner operation to prevent backpressure from stalling the engine. Designed by McDonnell Aircraft, the F-4 was the only aircraft to be flown by the U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds and the Navy’s Blue Angels at the same time. December 21, 2016 would mark the phinal retirement of the Phantom from US service. F-4 production ran from 1958 to 1981, with a total of 5,195 built, making it the most produced American supersonic military aircraft. McDonnell Aircraft would later merge with Douglas Aircraft in 1967.