  the mcdonnell aircraft corporation was an american aerospace manufacturer based in st. louis, missouri. the company was founded on july 6, 1939 by james smith mcdonnell, and was best known for its military fighters, including the f-4 phantom ii, and manned spacecraft including the mercury capsule and gemini capsule. mcdonnell aircraft later merged with the douglas aircraft company to form mcdonnell douglas in 1967. ==history== jim mcdonnell founded j.s. mcdonnell & associates in milwaukee, wisconsin in 1928 to produce a personal aircraft for family use.j.s. mcdonnell & associates, early years: 1927-1938 (part 1), boeing.com. the economic depression from 1929 ruined his plans and the company collapsed. he went to work for glenn l. martin. he left in 1938 to try again with his own firm, mcdonnell aircraft corporation, based near st. louis, missouri, in 1939.j.s. mcdonnell & associates, early years: 1927-1938 (part 2), boeing.com. world war ii was a major boost to the new company. it grew from 15 employees in 1939 to 5,000 at the end the war and became a significant aircraft parts producer, and developed the xp-67 bat fighter prototype.mcdonnell aircraft corp, the war years: 1939-1945 (part 1), boeing.com. mcdonnell also developed the lbd-1 gargoyle guided missile.mcdonnell aircraft corp, the war years: 1939-1945 (part 2), boeing.com. 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 the korean war helped push mcdonnell into a major military fighter supply role. thumb|an fh-1 phantom, in 1948. in 1943, mcdonnell began developing jets when they were invited to bid on a us navy contest and eventually building the successful fh-1 phantom in the post-war era. the phantom introduced mcdonnell's telltale design with engines placed forward under the fuselage and exiting just behind the wing, a layout that would be used successfully on the f2h banshee, f3h demon, and the f-101 voodoo. dave lewis joined the company as chief of aerodynamics in 1946. he led the development 
1939_establishments_in_Missouri Companies_based_in_St._Louis,_Missouri Companies_disestablished_in_1967 Companies_established_in_1939 Defunct_aircraft_manufacturers_of_the_United_States Defunct_helicopter_manufacturers_of_the_United_States Manufacturing_companies_based_in_Missouri McDonnell_Douglas_mergers_and_acquisitions