Meet the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first production jet fighter! The plane was designed and built in 143 days in 1943 and entered regular service in February 1945. Powered by a single British built Halford power plant, the plane could reach 503mph in level flight.
The US Army Air Forces chose to keep the fighter under wraps. It never combat in the second World War It saw limited service patrolling in Italy after that country surrendered. The aircraft was used extensively in Korea, where it was overmatched by the Soviet Mig-15. Later in the conflict it was supplanted by North American F-86 Sabre, a design with swept wings that offered superior performance.
This film was shot by the USAAF in 1944, depicting the pre-production YP-80A model. The reel is not available digitally at the National Archives (NARA) and was only minimally described in NARA’S On-line Catalog. Footage like this is discoverable only by on-site researchers with enough experience to plumb the legacy finding aids. Add impact to your next production! Hire a professional archival media researcher!
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