Aircraft classified as first generation jet fighters are the first attempts at creation of military aircraft using jet engines. A few were developed during the closing days of World War II but saw very limited combat operations. The generation can be split into two broad groups: World War II era fighters such as the Me 262 and mature first generation fighters such as the F-86 used in the Korean War.
The "generations" of fighter aircraft are a relatively modern concept based on claims for "Fifth Generation" fighters. They are rough categories based on similar designs and do not correspond to a rigid definition.
By the 1950s, the next major group of fighter aircraft were planes that used air to air missiles as their primary armament and could routinely exceed the speed of sound in level flight. First generation fighters were limited to engagements in visual range, and the expected performance of new missiles, like the AIM-7 Sparrow, with semi-active radar homing, forced changes in aircraft design.
There is not a bright, clearly defined line between first- and second-generation fighters, and some early second-generation fighters, such as the F-8 Crusader, still had guns as their primary armament. Infrared-guided or so-called "heat-seeking" missiles such as the AIM-9 Sidewinder and early beam-riding missiles like the Kaliningrad K-5 were used on late first-generation aircraft.
First Generation Jet Fighter Aircraft:| Jet Fighter Aircraft | Picture | Spesifications | Country | Year |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shenyang J-5 | China | 1956 | ||
| McDonnell F3H Demon | US | 1956 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-25 | Soviet Union | 1955 | ||
| Saab 32 Lansen | Sweden | 1955 | ||
| Dassault Mystère | France | 1954 | ||
| Republic F-84F Thunderstreak | US | 1954 | ||
| CAC Sabre | US-Australia | 1954 | ||
| Hawker Sea Hawk | UK | 1953 | ||
| Dassault Mystère IV | France | 1953 | ||
| Dassault Ouragan | France | 1952 | ||
| Avro Canada CF-100 Canuck | Canada | 1952 | ||
| de Havilland Venom | UK | 1952 | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17 | Soviet Union | 1952 | ||
| Supermarine Attacker | UK | 1951 | ||
| de Havilland Sea Venom | UK | 1951 | ||
| Douglas F3D Skyknight | US | 1951 | ||
| Northrop F-89 Scorpion | US | 1950 | ||
| Lockheed F-94 Starfire | US | 1950 | ||
| Saab 21R | Sweden | 1950 | ||
| Canadair Sabre | Canada | 1950 | ||
| Saab 29 Tunnan | Sweden | 1950 | ||
| North American F-86 Sabre | US | 1949 | ||
| Lavochkin La-15 | Soviet Union | 1949 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-23 | Soviet Union | 1949 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-17 | Soviet Union | 1948 | ||
| McDonnell F2H Banshee | US | 1948 | ||
| McDonnell FH Phantom | US | 1947 | ||
| Republic F-84 Thunderjet | US | 1947 | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-15 | Soviet Union | 1947 | ||
| Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-9 | Soviet Union | 1946 | ||
| Yakovlev Yak-15 | Soviet Union | 1946 | ||
| Heinkel He 162 | Germany | 1945 | ||
| de Havilland Vampire | UK | 1945 | ||
| Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star | US | 1945 | ||
| Ryan FR Fireball | US | 1945 | ||
| Messerschmitt Me 262 | Germany | 1944 | ||
| Gloster Meteor | UK | 1944 | ||
| Bell P-59 Airacomet | US | 1942 |
