Jet Fighters

In the last few months of World War II, the first jet fighter, the German Me-262, zoomed into combat. Much faster than any Allied propeller plane, it was power­fully armed with a 30-millimeter gun and rockets. Fortunately, the Me-262 was not used effectively-most Me-262s were used to carry bombs, and a bomb load reduced its speed. The Germans devel­
oped other jet airplanes and the rocket – powered Me-163, which was designed to intercept high-flying Allied bombers.

The only Allied jet to see combat in World War II was the British Meteor, a twin-engine fighter fast enough to destroy German V-1 flying bombs. The first U. S. jet in service, the XP-80 Shooting Star, was built in just 143 days and first flew in January 1944. Too late to fight in World War II, it saw combat in 1950 during the Korean War.

After World War II, it was clear that propeller-driven, piston-engine fighters were obsolete. Air forces hastened to equip themselves with jets, which were armed with missiles rather than machine guns. The U. S. Air Force had its first swept-wing fighter, the F-86 Sabre, in

1947 and its first all-weather interceptor, the F-94 Starfire, in 1949.

Jet fighters flew in combat during the Korean War, and the first victory gained in an all-jet air combat came in 1950 when Lieutenant Russell J. Brown, Jr., flying an F-80, shot down a Chinese MiG-15 fighter. Jet fighters also demon­strated their ability to fly nonstop across the ocean, when in 1950 an F-84 Thunderjet flew from Britain to the United States, refueling in the air three times on the way.

STEALTH

Although the F in the F-117 Nighthawk’s name designates it as a fighter, the stealth aircraft is a primarily a ground attack plane. Developed in secret, the F-117 became operational in 1983. Its unusual shape and construction help "blind" an enemy’s radar. It relies on stealth, not speed, to surprise an enemy. The Nighthawk has been used in war­fare by the United States in Panama in 1989, in the 1991 Gulf War, and in Iraq.

A Key Role

In the 1950s, some experts believed mis­siles could replace fighters. Experience in later conflicts (Vietnam, the Gulf War, Bosnia, and Iraq) has shown that the fighter plane still has a key role. Its tasks are now varied: Besides fighting enemy airplanes, it also flies reconnaissance, electronic warfare, and strike missions.

Over time, the fighter pilot’s job has become technically and physically more demanding. Some planes, such as the Russian MiG-31, need a second crew member to operate the weapons systems. The Russian MiG family of warplanes is one of the most famous in aviation history. It began with the Mikoyan – Gurevich MiG-1, a propeller-driven fighter of 1940. The MiG-15 jet (1950) was followed by a succession of faster MiGs, including the MiG-25, which set speed and altitude records. MiG fighters led the air forces of many Communist nations in Eastern Europe during the Cold War, and these fighter planes also were built in Chinese versions.