A silver streak flashes over the Air Force Base at Muroc, California. The slim, shark-bellied McDonnell XF-88 is unveiled as another advance in America's air mastery.

The twin-jet penetration fighter is capable of operating deep inside enemy territory--acting as an escort for heavy bombers or serving as a dual purpose fighter-bomber.

In a ship designed to fly at such high speeds, all equipment must be engineered to perform faultlessly -- must be designed to fit a minimum space envelope -- must be as light in weight as possible, consistent with strength