Classic Century Fighters
The first jet fighter used operationally in the USAAF. It was introduced in 1945 and saw extensive service in Korea. Due to testing incidents it was not fielded in WWII. It saw the first jet-to-jet combat when an F-80C shot down a MiG-15. Although inferior in performance to the F-86 Sabre, the Shooting Star continued to serve as recon by the war's closing. Of the 277 F-80s lost in operations (about 30% of the existing inventory), 113 were destroyed by ground fire and 14 shot down by enemy aircraft. A longer-fuselage model, the T-33, was produced until 1959 as a trainer. The Shooting Star was armed with 2 1,000lb bombs or 8 unguided rockets, and 6 12.7mm M2 Browning machine guns, and fitted with wingtip-mounted fuel tanks.
F-84F Thunderstreak
Not to be confused with the F-84 Thunderjet, which had a straight wing, the F-84F had a swept wing and improved design structure. It was introduced in 1954 as a replacement for the F-84 Thunderjet under terms that it would be low-cost, and as such was made to use most of the same parts. It arrived too late for Korea but was a mainstay for the USAF during the rising tensions between East and West as the Berlin Wall was constructed. It was retired from Air Force service in 1964 and from air National Guard service in 1971. Its armament was six M2 Browning MGs and up to 6,000lbs of bombs, including one nuclear bomb.
