The discovery of the Me 262, Germany’s jet fighter, created a sense of urgency among the Allies. The P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first operational jet fighter, had a lot to live up to.
Shooting Star Prototype
The XP-80 prototype was a conventional, all-metal aircraft featuring a slim low wing and tricycle landing gear.
Reflecting the design practices of its time, it had straight wings. However, unlike other jet designs of the era, its engine was not placed under the wings or as external pods; instead, it was housed within the aircraft’s fuselage.
Jet vs Jet
During the height of WWII, as the Me 262 took to the skies, the Allies hoped that the Shooting Star might counter the German jet.
The P-80 was the only American jet fighter to see service during the war, and it was a formidable weapon.
Its nose housed six 0.50-cal AN-M3 Browning machine guns, while its wings were equipped with hardpoints and specialized rails, allowing the jet to carry 8 high-velocity aerial rockets and 2 hefty 1,000-pound bombs.
It was even reported that the P-80 made several flyovers over Germany during the final weeks of World War II!
Record-Breaking Speed
The end of the war did not spell the end of the P-80, however.
Although production slowed, Lockheed constructed 9,117 of the P-80A and B models. One aircraft was modified to break the world speed record. On June 19, 1947, it reached an astounding speed of 624 mph.
