1945 - Lockheed's P-80 Shooting Star enters service

Army Air Forces' Fastest Plane: A striking flight view of the P-80, Lockheed's Shooting Star, which attains a speed "closer to the speed of sound than any plane has ever flown before," according to AAF officials. In this photo the clean lines of the Shooting Star are excellently shown. 

Just exactly how fast the Lockheed Shooting Star P-80, "the fastest plane in the world," will fly is still a secret, but the Army Air Forces last week lifted some of the veils on their sleek new jet-propelled fighter to admit its top speed is more than 550 mph., that it will operate at altitudes above 45,000 feet and will carry enough fuel for long range fighter missions. 

The announcement came simultaneously with first public showings and flight exhibitions of the Shooting Star in New York, Washington, Los Angeles, Dallas, and Wright Field, Dayton, Ohio, in celebration of the AAF's 38th birthday, Aug. 1. 

The engine actually has but one moveable part, the impeller and turbine connected by a shaft, which spins at more than 10,000 revolutions per minute. Kerosene is being used for fuel, but for overseas operational use against Japan, high octane gasoline, more available there, can be used just as readily. The jet engine is without carburetor, oil cooling system, complex ignition system, generators, and other complications of the reciprocating engine, and can be replaced in 20 minutes. Lubrication is simple, requiring oil only at some half dozen bearings. Use of magnesium for aluminum in the engine saved 100 pounds weight.