Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star – Valokuvat & Videot

Nniiden Lockheed P-80 tähdenlento oli ensimmäinen Yhdysvaltain armeijan ilmavoimien (USAAF) operatiivisesti käyttämä suihkuhävittäjä. Lockheedin vuonna 1943 suunnittelemat ja rakentamat tuotantomallit, jotka toimitettiin vain 143 päivää suunnitteluprosessin alkamisesta, lentelivät, ja kaksi tuotantoa edeltävää mallia näki hyvin rajoitetun palvelun Italiassa juuri ennen toisen maailmansodan päättymistä. Suorilla siivillä suunniteltu tyyppi näki laajan taistelun Koreassa Yhdysvaltain ilmavoimien (USAF) kanssa F-80: na.

Lähde: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star Wikipediassa

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.