For the United States, that transition began with the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star, America’s first operational jet fighter.

Designed during the closing years of WWII and introduced in 1945, the P-80 bridged the gap between propeller-driven aircraft ...

The aircraft continued the ascent for ... it eliminated the P (for “pursuit”) prefix in favor of F (“fighter”), redesignating its Shooting Stars F-80s. By 1949, the new Republic F-84 ...

P-80 "Bolt" Shooting Star The Shooting Star was the US Air Force's first operational fighter jet. The first Shooting Stars were delivered late in 1944. Advertisement All the Latest Game Footage ...

We were equipped with Lockheed F-80C Shooting Stars; on the other ... was the 51st Fighter Interceptor Wing, which flew North American F-86 Sabre jets. My first flight at K-13 was a ride with ...