Shooting Star F-80 F-94 T-33, Illustrated

The P-80 was the first operational American jet fighter, and was the first American production airplane to exceed 500 mph in level flight. It was also the first American jet to score a victory in air-to-air combat with another jet. For a brief time, it held the world’s air speed record. Its direct descendants include the F-94 Starfire and T-33 which added a second seat and retained the name “Shooting Star”, serving operationally with USAF until 1997. The T2V Sea Star was also developed from the T-33 and served into the 1970s. The basic design of the Shooting Star was so reliable and relevant that the last T-33 was not retired until 2017, when the Bolivian Air Force gave up the T-33 after 44 years of service. An operational career that long is bound to produce a variety of colors and markings and I have included some of the best from collectors world wide.