Designed by Lockheed's legendary engineer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson, the F-80 (first designated P-80) "Shooting Star" was one of the world's first operational jet fighter aircraft. After it missed seeing combat in WWII - four prototype aircraft were in Europe at war's end - the plane drew first blood in Korea in 1950. Variants included a photo recon version and the two-seat T-33, both of which saw heavy service in air forces around the world. Originally printed by Lockheed and the United States Air Force in the 1950s, this F-80 Flight Operating Manual taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted," the manual was recently declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been reformatted and color images appear in black and white. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

The T-33 ¿Thunderbird¿ was the training variant of the U.S. Air Force¿s first production jet fighter, the F/P-80 ¿Shooting Star¿. Originally designed by ¿Kelly¿ Johnson during WWII, the P-80 went from drawing board to airborne in a record 150 days! One of the most successful aircraft in history, the T-33 has flown in the air forces of over 30 nations. Over 6500 were produced between 1949-59. Originally printed by Lockheed and the U.S.A.F., this Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified ¿Restricted¿, the manual was declassified and is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the integrity of the text.

Covering all the essentials of turbine aircraft, this guide will prepare readers for a turbine aircraft interview, commuter ground school, or a new jet job.

The P-85 Goblin was the only airplane that ever flew which was designed from scratch to be operated entirely from another airplane. The development of the B-36 by the Consolidated Vultee Aircraft Corporation of Fort Worth, Texas resulted in a requirement for fighter protection for the bomber at distances from any friendly base that far exceeded the range of currently available escort fighter airplanes. Due to the inability of contemporary fighters to escort B-36 bombers all the way to their targets, the Army Air Corps initiated Project MX-472, Unconventional Fighter Design Studies, on December 3, 1942. The primary objective of the project was the development of a suitable method of protecting the B-36 on long-range bombing missions. The McDonnell Aircraft Corporation designed the P-85 Goblin to fit entirely within the confines of the bomb bay of the B-36. The little fighter was just fifteen feet long with a wing sapn of twenty-one feet.