 Logo used until 1950s[1] | |
| Industry | Aerospace |
|---|---|
| Founded | July 6, 1939; 86 years ago (1939-07-06) |
| Founder | James Smith McDonnell |
| Defunct | April 28, 1967; 58 years ago (1967-04-28) |
| Fate | Merged withDouglas Aircraft Company |
| Successor | McDonnell Douglas |
| Headquarters | St. Louis, Missouri ,United States |
Key people | |
TheMcDonnell Aircraft Corporation was an Americanaerospace manufacturer that was based inSt. Louis, Missouri. The company was founded on July 6, 1939, byJames Smith McDonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including theF-4 Phantom II, and crewed spacecraft including theMercury capsule andGemini capsule. McDonnell Aircraft later merged with theDouglas Aircraft Company to formMcDonnell Douglas in 1967.
James McDonnell founded J.S. McDonnell & Associates inMilwaukee, Wisconsin, in 1928 to produce asmall aircraft for family use.[2] The economic depression from 1929 ruined his plans and the company collapsed. He went to work forGlenn L. Martin.[3]
He left in 1938 to try again with his own firm, McDonnell Aircraft Corporation, based atSt. Louis, Missouri, in 1939.[3]World War II was a major boost to the new company. It grew from 15 employees in 1939 to 5,000 at the end of the war and became a significant aircraft parts producer, and developed theXP-67 Bat fighter prototype.[4] McDonnell also developed theLBD-1 Gargoyleguided missile.[5] McDonnell Aircraft suffered after the war with an end of government orders and a surplus of aircraft, and heavily cut its workforce. The advent of theKorean War helped push McDonnell into a major military fighter supply role.
In 1943, McDonnell began developing jets when they were invited to bid in aUS Navy contest and eventually built the successfulFH-1 Phantom in the postwar era. The Phantom introduced McDonnell's telltale design with engines placed forward under the fuselage and exiting just behind the wing, a layout that was used successfully on theF2H Banshee,F3H Demon, and theF-101 Voodoo.David S. Lewis joined the company as Chief of Aerodynamics in 1946. He led the development of the legendaryF-4 Phantom II in 1954, which was introduced into service in 1960. Lewis became Executive Vice President in 1958, and finally became President and Chief Operating Officer in 1962.
McDonnell made a number of missiles, including the pioneering Gargoyle and unusualADM-20 Quail, as well as experimenting with hypersonic flight, research that enabled them to gain a substantial share of theNASA projectsMercury andGemini. The success of the Mercury capsule led the company adopted a new logo features the capsule circling a globe with the motto "First Free Man in Space".[1] The company was now a major employer, but was having problems. It had almost no civilian business, and was thus vulnerable to any peacetime downturn in procurement.
Meanwhile, Douglas Aircraft was reeling from cash flow problems and development costs. It was also having a hard time meeting demand. The two companies began sounding each other out about a merger in 1963. On paper, they were a good match. Douglas' civilian business would have been more than enough to allow McDonnell to withstand any downturns in military procurement, while the cash flow from McDonnell's military contracts would have given Douglas badly needed security. Douglas formally accepted McDonnell's offer in December 1966, and the two firms officially merged on April 28, 1967, as theMcDonnell Douglas Corporation (MDC). Soon after the merger was announced, McDonnell bought 1.5 million shares of Douglas stock to help Douglas meet "immediate financial requirements".[6] McDonnell management dominated the merged company. It was based at McDonnell's facility in St. Louis, with James McDonnell as chairman and CEO.[7] In 1967, with the merger of McDonnell and Douglas Aircraft, David Lewis, then president of McDonnell, was named chairman of what was called the Douglas Aircraft Division. After managing the turnaround of the division, he returned to St. Louis in 1969 as president of McDonnell Douglas.
McDonnell Douglas later merged withBoeing in August 1997.[8] Boeing'sdefense and space division includes the part purchased from Rockwell (ROK) in 1986 and is based at the former McDonnell facility in St. Louis, and is responsible fordefense andspace products and services. McDonnell Douglas' legacy product programs include theF-15 Eagle,AV-8B Harrier II,F/A-18 Hornet, andF/A-18E/F Super Hornet.
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| McDonnell XP-67 | 1944 | 1 | Prototype twin piston engine interceptor fighter |
| McDonnell FH Phantom | 1945 | 62 | Twin jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell XHJH-1 Whirlaway | 1946 | 1 | Twin piston engine helicopter |
| McDonnell F2H Banshee | 1947 | 895 | Twin jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell XH-20 Little Henry | 1947 | 2 | Prototype twin ramjet light helicopter |
| McDonnell XF-85 Goblin | 1948 | 2 | Prototype single jet engine parasite fighter |
| McDonnell XF-88 Voodoo | 1948 | 2 | Prototype twin jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell F3H Demon | 1951 | 519 | Single jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell XV-1 | 1954 | 2 | Experimental single piston engine compound gyroplane |
| McDonnell F-101 Voodoo | 1954 | 807 | Twin jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell 120 | 1957 | 2 | Experimental three ramjet light helicopter |
| McDonnell F-4 Phantom II | 1958 | 5,195[a] | Twin jet engine fighter |
| McDonnell 119[b] | 1959 | 1 | Prototype four engine business jet |
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