▁ra ids , ▁the ▁Navy ▁fitted ▁mic row ave - band , ▁compact ▁rad ar ▁sets ▁to ▁the ▁wings ▁of ▁its ▁single - eng ined ▁Gr um man ▁F 6 F ▁Hell cat ▁and ▁V ought ▁F 4 U ▁C ors air ▁f igh ters ▁by ▁the ▁close ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁operating ▁them ▁successfully ▁in ▁the ▁Pacific . ▁In ▁several ▁cases ▁these ▁aircraft ▁were ▁used ▁on ▁ra ids ▁of ▁their ▁own . ▁ ▁Post war ▁Even ▁while ▁the ▁war ▁ra ged , ▁the ▁jet ▁engine ▁so ▁seriously ▁ups et ▁aircraft ▁design ▁that ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁dedicated ▁jet - power ed ▁night ▁f igh ters ▁became ▁clear . ▁Both ▁the ▁British ▁and ▁Germ ans ▁spent ▁some ▁effort ▁on ▁the ▁topic , ▁but ▁as ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁were ▁on ▁the ▁def ensive , ▁their ▁work ▁was ▁given ▁a ▁much ▁higher ▁priority . ▁Their ▁Mess ersch mitt ▁Me ▁ 2 6 2 ▁was ▁adapted ▁to ▁the ▁role ▁and ▁Ober le ut nant ▁Kurt ▁Wel ter ▁claimed ▁ 2 5 ▁Mos qu itos ▁at ▁night . ▁ ▁Other ▁forces ▁did ▁not ▁have ▁the ▁pressing ▁need ▁to ▁move ▁to ▁the ▁jet ▁engine ; ▁Britain ▁and ▁the ▁US ▁were ▁facing ▁enemies ▁with ▁aircraft ▁of ▁even ▁lower ▁performance ▁than ▁their ▁existing ▁night ▁f igh ters . ▁However , ▁the ▁need ▁for ▁new ▁designs ▁was ▁evident , ▁and ▁some ▁low - level ▁work ▁started ▁in ▁the ▁closing ▁stages ▁of ▁the ▁war , ▁including ▁the ▁US ▁contract ▁for ▁the ▁North rop ▁F - 8 9 ▁Sc orp ion . ▁When ▁the