In 1943, a small group of aeronautical engineers working for the then Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (headed by Clarence ‘Kelly’ Johnson) were given the rush job of creating an entirely new plane from...

In 1943, a small group of aeronautical engineers working for the then Lockheed Aircraft Corporation (headed by Clarence ‘Kelly’ Johnson) were given the rush job of creating an entirely new plane from scratch, the P-80 ‘Shooting Star’ jet fighter. This secret project was housed in a temporary structure roofed over with an old circus tent, which had been thrown up next to a smelly plastics factory. Staffed with the right mix of expertise, and given complete autonomy, unhampered by bureaucracy or the strict application of regulations, this team met their objective in 143 days 3 37 days ahead of schedule.