TV-1 Shooting Star

The TV‑1 Shooting Star was Lockheed Corporation’s first operational jet fighter, developed shortly after World II as a naval adaptation of the P‑80. Designed in 1944, the prototype first flew on 25 January 1945, and by 1947 the Navy had ordered the TV‑1 for carrier‑based service. Its single‑engine General Electric J33‑C turbo‑jet produced 4,000 lbf of thrust, enabling a top speed of 560 mph at sea level and a service ceiling above 45,000 feet. The aircraft featured a straight‑wing layout, tricycle landing gear, and an all‑metal semi‑monocoque fuselage with a bubble canopy that gave pilots excellent visibility. Armament comprised four .50‑caliber machine guns and provisions for bombs or rockets, allowing it to perform both air‑to‑air and ground‑attack missions. Although the TV‑1 entered service only briefly before being superseded by swept‑wing designs such as the F9F Panther, it proved crucial in establishing carrier jet operations and in training pilots transitioning from propeller aircraft. Its successful integration demonstrated the feasibility of jet propulsion on aircraft carriers, influencing post‑war naval aviation strategy and paving the way for more advanced jet fighters in the U.S. fleet. The legacy of the TV‑1 endures in modern naval jet design.