First US Jet

[Mrs Glockrunner]

A piece of American history.

Video of the first US jet back in Oct 1942, a classic piece of film covering America's entry into the Jet Age with the Bell P59A.

Not many are aware America had a jet so early in the war. Just 10 months after Pearl Harbor.

Ya gotta' love the part about the installation of a $2 doorbell ringer on the dash to provide vibration so the gauges wouldn't stick.

http://www.aircraftowner.com/videos/view/americas-first-jet-flight-october-1942_1617.html

[SCmasterblaster]

Thanks :supergrin::supergrin::supergrin::supergrin::supergrin:

[ca survivor]

why was not put in production? I don't believe US had a jet before 1945, with the help of the Germans...

[1gewehr]

About 50 production models were built. The Bell P59 was not as fast or maneuverable as the P-51 Mustang. And it's fuel consumption was astounding. Jets also do not accelerate a quickly as piston-engine planes.
It did serve as a useful test vehicle to learn about jet propulsion.
The Lockheed P-80 which came along just six months later was a far superior fighter. It went into series production in January 1945, and was delivered to operational units in Britain in February 1945. It did not see any combat.
The British Gloster Meteor DID see combat in WWII, as it went operational in July of 1944.

[fwm]

why was not put in production? I don't believe US had a jet before 1945, with the help of the Germans...

It wasn't put into production because the engines did not produce the thrust expected and the plane performed worse than the piston engine planes of the time. It was in reality just a 'proof of concept' rather than production warplane prototype.