F-80B "Shooting Star"
The F-80B was an improvement upon the F-80A models. It had thinner wings with thicker skin, stronger nose bulkheads to support greater fire power (six M,3 .50 in machine guns), and a stainless steel armored compartment containing the new Allison J33 21 engine, with water alcohol injection and and the capacoty for jet assisted take off (JATO). The F-80B also featured underwing rocket launchers, cockpit cooling and canopy anti-frosting systems, and a jettisonable pilot seat (designed, manufactured, and installed by Lockheed).
The F-80B got its start in early 1945, when Lockheed presented plans for the F-80Z an advanced F-80 type. The Lockheed's sophisticated F-80Z plans were unrealistic. To follow them would amount to building a whole new aircraft. Instead, the AAF settled for a much simpler model. This aircraft also bore the F-80Z designation until the spring of 1947. A March engineering inspection found that after 65 changes the F-80Z still differed little from the P 80A. The F-80Z accordingly became the F-80B one month later.
In all a total of 240 F-80Bs were produced.
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