During covert operations in Italy, the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star the only American jet fighter to see combat in World War II saw service.

The first operational fighter aircraft of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) was the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, eventually designated the F-80. Although German aircraft are frequently highlighted in conversations about aviation technology during World War II, the P-80 had a major impact and shaped aviation technology going forward.

Development of jet technology during World War II

German variants, such as the Heinkel He 162 Volksjäger, the Messerschmitt Me 262 and the Heinkel He 163 Komet, frequently take center stage when discussing the sophisticated aircraft of World War II. Still, the Allies were not far behind in the race to develop jet technology.

The British achieved a major breakthrough in 1930 when Frank Whittle, an officer in the Royal Air Force (RAF), invented the first turbojet engine. The first Allied jet-engine aircraft, the Gloster E.28/39, took to the skies in 1941 thanks to Whittle’s invention. In October 1942, the Bell P-59 Eracomet became the United States’ first jet fighter.

The P-59 was never put into service, although 66 units were produced action, due to its deficiencies in combat effectiveness, falling behind the latest piston-powered fighters. Its performance also fell short of expectations, with the RAF deeming it inferior to the Gloster Meteor. Consequently, the American jet fighter found its niche in pilot training, rather than frontline deployment.

Closing the gap

The United States began developing the P-80 Shooting Star because it realized it would have to keep up with the technological advances made by the British and Germans. It was the only Allied jet built by Lockheed to have its engine housed in the fuselage during World War II.

Development of the P-80 was spurred by the discovery of the Messerschmitt Me 262 by the Allies in the spring of 1943. Using pre-existing British jet technology, the US chose to build an aircraft with a Halford H-1B Goblin engine to match the Me 262’s performance.

Work on the P-80 began in May 1943, although engines were not yet available from the United Kingdom. Lockheed Chief Engineer Kelly Johnson assembled a group of engineers with the goal of creating a prototype of the new aircraft in complete secrecy. The team worked tirelessly, putting in six 10-hour days a week, with the goal of completing the new jet fighter within 150 days.

Producing a successful prototype

After 141 days of tireless effort, the Skunk Works team successfully built the first prototype, the XP-80 Lulu-Belle, in early 1944. Powered by British H-1B engines, Lulu-Belle made her maiden flight on 8 January. Year and later tests exceeded 500 mph at altitudes of more than 20,000 feet. With this achievement, it became the first turbojet aircraft in the USAAF to achieve this speed in level flight.

After the first flight, Johnson said, “It was a grand demonstration, our plane a success—so complete a success that it overcame the temporary advantage the Germans had gained over the years of preliminary development of jet aircraft.” The success of this prototype led to further production.

Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star specs

Development of the P-80 Shooting Star focused on balancing the fuselage to provide a uniform center of gravity. The cockpit’s bubble canopy allows pilots a wide, unobstructed view. An Allison J33-A-35 engine fitted inside replaced the original British engine as production increased and added 4,600 pounds of dry thrust. With this increase, a range of 825 miles was maintained and a speed of Mach 0.76 was possible.

Fully equipped, the P-80 was a single-seat aircraft carrying a powerful armament. Six .50 AN-M3 Browning machine guns in the nose, eight HVARs, and two 1,000-pound bombs were mounted on the winglets using rails specially made for the purpose. Due to the small size of the jet,mounting additional weapons or munitions originally posed challenges.

Flying secret missions over Italy

The USAAF P-80 Shooting Star was waiting to be used in the war, perhaps the German Me 262 would also participate in the war. A small unit of only four pre-production YP-80As was rolled out for Europe; Two of these aircraft were sent to the UK for familiarization and demonstration flights, while the other two were sent to Lesina Airfield in Italy to join the 1st Fighter Group.

The YP-80As were stationed in Italy in an intriguing situation. On the Italian front, the Luftwaffe had already begun using its own jet aircraft, with Arado AR 234B blitz reconnaissance planes flying over the Allies on missions. As conventional Allied aircraft could not intercept Luftwaffe aircraft, the YP-80A had the potential to turn the tide.

formally,Two operational missions were conducted by the YP-80A belonging to the 94th Fighter Squadron in Italy. These operations are still unknown, however they were recorded as non-combat engagements. Although the original intention was for the aircraft to play a major role in the war, production bottlenecks prevented this from happening.

Death of Richard Bong

After serving in the Pacific Theater of World War II, Major Richard Bong was a leading flying ace in the United States. His first victory was in December 1942. He won four more the following summer, earning him promotion to captain. With 40 confirmed kills, Bong’s total surpassed that of legendary World War II legend Eddie Rickenbacker.

Bong began his career as a test pilot after serving in the USAAF. But on August 6, 1945, while piloting a P-80 Shooting Star, disaster struck. The main petrol pump failed and he tried to start a backup fuel pump but ended up so close to the ground that he died trying to get out.

READ | America’s P-51 Mustang: Its Biggest Advantages and Disadvantages

READ | Lockheed Martin Has Ever Manufactured 8 of the Best Jets

---