In the years 1947-1948, the US Navy was finding that deliveries of its newly-ordered Grumman F9F Panthers and McDonnell F2H Banshee carrier-based jet fighters were taking place at a considerably slower rate than expected. In order to fill in the gap until adequate numbers of these fighters could be delivered and to provide for a nucleus of trained jet pilots, the Navy arranged for 49 USAF P-80C-1-LOs and one USAF P-80C-5-LO to be transferred to them. These Shooting Stars were all powered by the 4600 lb.s.t. Allison J33-A-23 engine.
In Navy service, the Shooting Stars bore the designation TO-1. The T (rather than F) letter indicated that these aircraft were considered as trainers rather than as operational combat aircraft. This TO-1 designation was changed to TV-1 after 1950. Their original USAF serials had been 47-218/224, 47-525, 47-601/604, 47-1380/1394, 48-382,47-1396/1411 and 48-376/381. These USAF serials were replaced by Navy BuNos 33821 through 33870 respectively.
These Navy- and Marine Corps-operated TV-1s were strictly land-based aircraft and were not equipped with any carrier-landing equipment. TV-1s operated during the 1950s with at least two squadrons (VF-52 of the Navy and VMF-311 of the Marine Corps). When sufficient numbers of Panthers and Banshees became available, the TV-1s were transferred to reserve units and were eventually phased out of service.
Sources:
-
The American Fighter, Enzo Angelucci and Peter Bowers, Orion Books, 1987.
-
United States Military Aircraft since 1909, Gordon Swanborough and Peter
M. Bowers, Smithsonian Institution Press, 1989.
-
Lockheed Aircraft since 1913, Rene J. Francillon, Naval Institute Press,
1987.
- Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star Variant Briefing, Robert F. Dorr, Wings of Fame, Volume 11, 1998.
