McDonnell F3H Demon (1951-1959): The F3H Demon was the first swept-wing jet fighter designed by McDonnell Aircraft and the only single-engine carrier based fighter built by the company. Design began in 1949, and the Demon made its first flight on August 7, 1951. However, development of the plane’s original engine was delayed and in 1953 the Demon was redesigned around a more powerful engine. The new engine greatly improved the plane’s performance and in 1956 the Demon was fully qualified as a first line fighter for the U.S. Navy. The F3H-2M Demon, first flown in 1955, was the first aircraft designed to be armed only with missiles rather than guns. In 1958, flying day and night, the Demon provided all-weather fleet defense during critical operations over Lebanon in the Mediterranean, and off Quemoy Island near China in the Far East. McDonnell Aircraft delivered the last of 522 F3H Demons in 1959.