The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first operational jet fighter of the United States. Introduced in 1945 and retired in 1959 by the USAF, the service life of the P-80 was short lived, especially in comparison to the subsequent T-33 trainer aircraft (distinguishable by its longer cockpit), which long outlasted the P-80 of which it was developed from. Many of these aircraft can still be seen flying today.
Extensively used by the USAF in the Korean war (Where it served as the F-80), it was one of the first aircraft to fight in jet-on-jet combat, where it was quickly outmatched by the Soviet MiG-15, prompting the search for a replacement. This would end up being the F-94 Starfire (a further development of the T-33) and the F-86 Sabre.

This is my first post on PMC! Expect the format to change, but I hope you enjoy what I have made and what I have in store for the future!