THE U. S. NAVY'S TRANSITION TO JETS.

The article discusses the transition to jet-powered aircraft and the jet engine by the U.S. Navy. The author begins by talking about the advances of jet engine designs in the late 1930s in Great Britain and Germany. The Navy's first operational jet, the McDonnell F1H Phantom, introduced in 1947, is addressed. The author explains that historians regard the transition to jets to be marked by several different innovations, including the introduction of the F-8 Crusader plane. The author argues that tactical jet aircraft design and technology presented Navy aircrews, maintenance personnel, and leaders with several major challenges that were not substantially overcome until the introduction of the F/A-18 Hornet in 1983.