Lockheed P-80 shooting star - fotod ja videod

2007 Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of the design process, production models were flying, and two pre-production models did see very limited service in Italy just before the end of World War II. Designed with straight wings, the type saw extensive combat in Korea with the United States Air Force (USAF) as the F-80.

Allikas: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star on Wikipedia

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). It was designed in 1943 as a response to the German Messerschmitt Me 262, and entered service in 1945. The P-80 had a straight wing design with a single turbojet engine and a tricycle landing gear. It was armed with six 0.50 in (12.7 mm) machine guns and could carry up to 2,000 lb (907 kg) of bombs or rockets.
The P-80 was faster than any propeller-driven fighter of the time, reaching a top speed of 600 mph (965 km/h). It saw combat in the final months of World War II and the Korean War, where it proved to be effective against enemy fighters and ground targets. The P-80 was also exported to several allied nations, including Argentina, Brazil, Chile, Italy and Turkey. The P-80 was later renamed the F-80 by the newly formed United States Air Force (USAF) in 1948. It was gradually replaced by more advanced jet fighters such as the F-86 Sabre and the F-84 Thunderjet in the 1950s. The P-80 was a milestone in the history of aviation, as it ushered in the era of jet propulsion and supersonic flight.