EAA Aviation Museum Adds Two Historic Fighter Jets on Temporary Display

The EAA Aviation Museum’s Eagle Hangar recently added a pair of significant post-World War II aircraft for temporary display. One of the airplanes comes from EAA’s collection, while the other has been loaned by its owner for display until EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2025, where it will take flight in select air shows.

A de Havilland Vampire from the Vampire Airshows team makes up one half of the display. The Vampire was the second jet fighter flown by the Royal Air Force. The Vampire is known for several firsts among jet aircraft, including the first to land and take off from an aircraft carrier, and the first to fly across the Atlantic Ocean (with multiple stops).

A P-80 Shooting Star from EAA’s collection completes the display. EAA’s P-80 is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force. The P-80 is the first fighter jet operated by the United States Army Air Forces, and first saw combat during the Korean War. EAA’s P-80 previously was displayed on the pole in front of the museum for many years until it was taken down in 2023 to undergo an exterior restoration. The airplane is in the markings of former NASA astronaut Frank Borman and fighter pilot Charles McGee’s U.S. Air Force squadron.