NM ANG Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star

Additional Information:

The Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star was the first jet fighter used operationally by the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) during World War II. Designed and built by Lockheed in 1943 and delivered just 143 days from the start of design. Two early production aircraft did see very limited service in Italy just before the end of World War II. Designed with straight wings, the aircraft saw extensive combat in Korea with the United States Air Force (USAF) as the F-80.

The Lockheed P-80 put the New Mexico Air National Guard (NMANG), located on Kirtland Air Force Base, into the jet age by replacing their P-51-D’s in 1953. The NMANG converted the P-80’s into F-80’s later that year. Some of the aircraft assigned to the NMANG at that time were 48-5860, 50-5595, 45-8572, 58-5333, 48-8638, 48-5004, 58601, 58569, and 91820. The NMANG headquarters on Kirtland AFB still has one of the planes, 48501, mounted in a static display.

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