PLAY
Aviation
F-80A-5
V
Rank
AB
6.7
RB
7.0
SB
7.0
Battle rating
USA
Game nation
Fighter
Main role
82,000
RP
Research
240,000
SL
Purchase
General information

The F-80 Shooting Star was an American straight-wing jet aircraft. It was the first American-designed jet fighter to enter service, and served for a short time in the Korean war before being replaced by the more capable F-86 Sabre. The aircraft was designed in just 143 days, and as a result, suffered from many critical issues; the aircraft was responsible for the deaths of several test pilots, including Richard Bong, America's highest scoring WWII ace. The aircraft, originally intended to fight the Me-262 over the skies of Europe, arrived too late to see service in the Second World War. However, the plane would go on to serve in the Korean War, where it was the first American jet to see combat.

It was introduced in Update 1.39. The plane was redesignated from the P-80A-5 to the F-80A-5 in Update 1.79 "Project X". The main purpose of the F-80 is to teach a pilot how to fly jets in general. If a pilot is doing well in the F-80, they're ready to move to higher-ranked jets. Never give up your speed: it is the plane's insurance. Only trade it for the altitude in zoom climbs. Be careful that the jet is up-tiered quite a lot. When this happens, strictly adhere to the rules outlined in this article or you will be at a great disadvantage. One thing to take note of is the M2 Brownings. Sadly, they are insufficient for high-speed combat due to the low rate of fire and subsequently limited damage output; be aware, however, that they still pack a punch in partial head-ons with 262s, 229s, and the like. The issue is later on fixed with the M3 Browning on the successor F-80C Shooting Star, but the ammunition load still remains low, like on the P-51D. As for piston planes: they are capable of setting enemy piston planes on fire in a short burst. All of the guns are mounted in the nose, making them deadly accurate when performing head-ons, especially once the "new 12 mm MGs" modification is installed. For ground attack, there is the usual complement of ordnance for the USAF: HVAR rockets and standard 1,000 lb bombs.



Flight performance
Max speed
at 0 m 882827899853 km/h
Rate of Climb 23.617.928.719.1 m/s
Turn time 2324.821.824.3 s
Max altitude 12,500 m
Takeoff Run 950 m

Combat
flaps
Take-off
flaps
Landing
flaps
Air
brake
General characteristics
Crew 1 person
Gross weight 5.5 t
Engine Allison J33-A-17
Length 10.5 m
Wingspan 11.8 m

Limits:
Max Speed Limit (IAS) 990 km/h
Mach Number Limit 1
Flap Speed Limit (IAS) 360 km/h
Gear Speed Limit (IAS) 380 km/h
Offensive armament
6 × 12.7 mm M2 Browning machine gun
Ammunition 1,800 rounds
Fire rate 750 shots/min

BeltBelt fillingArmor penetration (mm) at a distance:
10 m100 m500 m1000 m1500 m2000 m
API-T/AP/AP/I3027201396
AP-I/AP-I/API-T/I/I2826181174
API-T/I/AP/AP/AP-I/AP-I3027201396
API-T2826181174
AP-I/I/AP-I/I2826181174
Suspended armament
Setup 1 8 × HVAR rockets
Setup 2 2 × 1000 lb AN-M65A1 bomb
Economy
Repair cost Basic → Reference
AB 3,425 → 4,590 SL
RB 8,373 → 11,220 SL
SB 12,357 → 16,558 SL
Crew training 68,000 SL
Experts 240,000 SL
Aces 1,400 GE
Research Aces 620,000 RP
Reward multiplier AB / RB / SB
130 / 310 / 600 % SL
184 % RP
Total cost of modifications 71,100 RP
117,000 SL
Talisman cost 1,900 GE

Research order:

Flight performance
Survivability
Weaponry
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