Product Description

The USAF's first successful jet fighter, the F-80 actually made a name for itself in combat as a strike bomber during the Korean War. A Shooting Star also shot down the first MiG-15 lost during the campaign in what is believed to have been the world's first ever jet-versus-jet engagement. Read in this volume how the 8th and 49th Fighter Bomber Wings in Korea, F-80Cs completed an amazing 98,515, combat sorties, shot down 37 aircraft (including six MiG-15s), dropped 33,266 US tons of bombs and fired off 80,935 air-to-ground rockets. Aside from the fighter-bomber F-80C, photo-recce RF-80A/Cs and 'hack' two-seat T-33s are also featured.

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #1066146 in Books
• Published on: 2001-06-25
• Released on: 2001-06-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 128 pages

From the Publisher
These histories of classic military aircraft showcase the best in privately owned contemporary photography, supported by scale drawings, cutaways, comprehensive text and a wealth of first hand accounts.

About the Author
Warren Thompson has written three books on the Korean War for Osprey in the past, including the best-selling 'Korean War Aces' in the Aircraft of the Aces series. He is also an official historian of the P-61 aircrew association.

Customer Reviews

CHAPTER 5 RF-80s
Warren Thompson is a friend of mine. I contributed information for his books. In Chapter 5 there is mention of my encounter with a MIG15& I jettioned my Tip Tanks to be more maneuverable & my wingman told me that the MIG on my tail flew Into the tanks. This was never confirmed but so what I got back to K-14 (Kimpo)in one piece. Warren got with pilots like me who flew 100 combat missions to be authentic & not full of stories. He is a Historian & an excellent author. His Chapters regarding F-80Cs deals with the pilots flying Fighter Bomber missions. These pilots along with F-84 pilots took the brunt of combat losses. They did not have easy missions. I lost many friends.

Francis W. Meyer, Major USAF Retired

Wonderful,detail,meticulous approaches on glorious battle history of F-80C Shooting Star in Korean War !

I am a American Historian. I like introduce a Korean military aviation researcher,
Young Ki Moon,Seoul, Korea. I am a most important supplier of
his requesting important books and DVD,after his meticulous searches on Amazon.
occasionally, he sent me many valuable Reviews after his reading books.
Now,I introduce his review of this book as following:
It is my routine collections of Osprey frontline colour series as my emotionally
attached booksin my personal study library. My best favourite jet fighter all over the
world is 1st U.S.operational agile,pretty jet fighter, F-80 Shooting Star !
In my memory, it was exciting pleasure and chance to see very maneuverable,silvery white,
agile F-80 Shooting Star on commiuust occupied Seoul sky ,June27,1950 !
during early period of Korean War, F-80 pilot fighted in korea then rested with family in Japan
due to unreliable Korean air field !
I saw 1st air battle in Korean War,F-82G vs Yak-7U (1 Yak-7 shot down) and I,also,saw the
1st appearing F-80Cs(4 IL-10 attack bomber shot down).over the Seoul sky on june27,1950.
Photo-reconnaissunce flighting with RF-80A also started on June28,1950.
Main task of F-80C were intercepter and ground support strafing-bombing.
after first apperance of 6 MIG-15 was contended with F-51 Mustang, F-80C and MIG-15
had the first air battle,jet fighter vs jet fighter, of the world on Nov,8,1950 near the Yalu river.
F-80 pilot, Lt. Brown became victor of one MIG-15 killer.
after entering MIG-15, straight winged jet fighters such as F-80,F-84,F9F and Metere become
obsolute. afterward,F-80C became main fighter-bomber group throuhout Korean War.