Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star
Paese	Usa
Ruolo	Caccia
Primo volo	8 gennaio 1944
Costruito	1715

Le Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star è stato il primo caccia a reazione utilizzato operativamente dalla United States Army Air Forces (USAAF). Progettati e costruiti dalla Lockheed nel 1943 e consegnati a soli 143 giorni dall'inizio del processo di progettazione, i modelli di produzione volavano e due modelli di pre-produzione videro un servizio molto limitato in Italia poco prima della fine della seconda guerra mondiale. Progettato con ali dritte, il tipo vide un ampio combattimento in Corea con la United States Air Force (USAF) come F-80.

fonte: Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star su Wikipedia

Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star Walk Around
Fotografo	Cees Hendriks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
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Lockheed P-80-F-80 Shooting Star 01

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Lockheed F-80C Walk Around
Fotografo	Wright Patterson
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	18

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star Walk Around
Fotografo	Dennis Sparks
Localizzazione	Inconsapevole
Foto	24

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The Dawn of the Jet Age

Le Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star (re-designated F-80 in 1948) was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces. Designed by Clarence “Kelly” Johnson and his Skunk Works team in just 143 days, it was a response to the German Me 262. While it arrived too late to see combat in WWII, it became the cornerstone of the early Cold War USAF and participated in the first-ever jet-versus-jet dogfight during the Korean War.

Attribute	Technical Specification (F-80C)
Ruolo	Fighter-Interceptor / Fighter-Bomber
Equipaggio	1 (Pilot)
First Flight	January 8, 1944
Motopropulsore	1 × Allison J33-A-35 centrifugal-flow turbojet
Thrust	5,400 lbf (24 kN)
Velocità massima	956 km/h (594 mph) at sea level
Armamento	6 × .50 cal (12.7 mm) M3 Browning machine guns (Nose)
Payload	2 × 1,000 lb bombs or 8 × 5-inch rockets

Design and Engineering Milestones

Centrifugal-Flow Turbojet: The P-80 utilized the Allison J33, based on the British Whittle design. Unlike modern axial-flow engines, the J33 used a large impeller to compress air, which gave the F-80 its characteristic “fat” mid-section.
Nose-Concentrated Armament: By placing the six machine guns in the nose rather than the wings, the F-80 eliminated “convergence” issues, allowing for a concentrated stream of fire at any range.
The “Misery” Fuel Tanks: Early jets had poor range. The F-80 was iconic for its large, teardrop-shaped wingtip fuel tanks. These not only extended range but were found to improve the wing’s aerodynamic efficiency at high speeds.
Skunk Works Beginning: The P-80 was the project that essentially birthed Lockheed’s “Skunk Works” division, establishing the culture of rapid prototyping and extreme secrecy.

The Korean War & Transition

The First Jet Dogfight: On November 8, 1950, Lieutenant Russell J. Brown, flying an F-80C, was credited with shooting down a Soviet-built MiG-15—the first victory in jet-versus-jet history.
Straight vs. Swept Wings: The Korean War quickly proved that the straight-winged F-80 was outmatched in speed by the swept-wing MiG-15. The F-80 was soon shifted to the ground-attack role, where it excelled due to its stability as a gun platform.
Training Legacy: The F-80 airframe was lengthened to create the T-33 “T-Bird”, which became the most successful jet trainer in history, used by over 40 countries for over half a century.