The 1949 F-80 ramjet

 

First ramjet plane to fly, a standard Lockheed F-80 with ramjet units at wing tips streaks through sky over Muroc Air Force Base, California. Tubes of stainless steel, ramjets used for flight were seven feet long and 20 inches in diameter. After the plane reached speed of about 400 m.p.h. through use of its regular turbojet engine, it flew solely on forward thrust provided by air rammed into tubes mixing with liquid fuel and burning.