T-33A Shooting Star
Military History
The Lockheed P-80 became the first jet fighter to enter full squadron service in the United States Army Air Forces. The aircraft had straight wings, and it was the first operational jet fighter to have its engine contained in the fuselage. The aircraft made its first flight on January 8, 1944. Development and production of the P-80 continued on after World War II. The P-80 was re-designated "F-80" in 1948 after the U.S. Air Force split off from the U.S. Army.
A large number of accidents with the F-80 demonstrated the need for a two seat trainer version. Lockheed reached an agreement with the United States Air Force to produce a prototype two seat TF-80C. Unlike most prototypes, the TF-80C was not built to any official specification or order, and funding was entirely supplied by Lockheed. Appointed to lead this project was Lockheed designer Clarence "Kelly" Johnson and the Skunk Works team, also responsible for the P-80 Shooting Star fighter. The trainer version was derived from the Lockheed F-80C by lengthening the fuselage by slightly over three feet and adding a second seat, instrumentation, and flight controls.
The trainer made its first flight on March 22, 1948. It was designated T-33A (Popularly nicknamed the "T-Bird") soon after, with U.S. production taking place from 1948 to 1959. In addition to being operated by the U.S. Air Force, the U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps operated several variants, including a carrier-capable one. The aircraft was also operated by Canada, Japan, Germany, and a total of over 30 nations. It was licensed to be manufactured by Canadair and by Kawasaki in Japan.
A total of 6,557 Shooting Stars were produced, 5,691 by Lockheed, 210 by Kawasaki and 656 by Canadair.
Read more information on the T-33A Shooting Star from the free online resource 'Wikipedia'.
T-33A-1-LO - Constr #: 580-6911 - Serial No: 51-9127 (U.S. Air Force)
The known history of this aircraft is listed below.
| Date | Squadron | Location |
|---|---|---|
| 1953 May 8 | Delivered | |
| 1953 May | 3525th Flying Training Wing (Air Training Command) | Tyndall AFB, FL |
| 1955 May | 3525th Combat Crew Training Wing (ATC) | Tyndall AFB, FL Deployment to Edwards AFB, CA |
| 1956 Nov | 3600th Combat Crew Training Wing (ATC) | Luke AFB, AZ |
| 1957 Aug | 3550th Combat Crew Training Wing (ATC) | Moody AFB, GA |
| 1958 Aug | 3550th Flying Training Wing (ATC) | Moody AFB, GA Deployment to Nellis AFB, NV |
| 1958 Sep | 3575th Pilot Training Wing (ATC) | Vance AFB, OK Deployment to Reese AFB, TX |
| 1961 May | 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing (Tactical Air Command) | Nellis AFB, NV Deployment to England AFB, LA |
| 1968 Mar 25 | Stricken from Inventory | AF Logistics Command Oakland, CA |
| 1968 Mar | Transferred to other agency | |
| .... | .... | |
| 1969 | Private Ownership - Richmond, CA Ralph Johnson | |
| .... | Registered as N123MJ | |
| 1972 | Private Ownership - Oakland, CA American Air Museum | |
| 1977 | Private Ownership - San Francisco, CA Archie Baldocchi | |
| 1978 Oct 2 | Certificate of Airworthiness Issued Registered as NX9127 | |
| 1984 | Private Ownership - West Palm Beach, FL A. H. Massey | |
| 1986 | Private Ownership - Deer Valley, AZ Thunderbird Aviation | |
| 1988 | .... | |
| 1990 Jun | Private Ownership - Hampshire, IL Louis Antonacci | |
| 1992 Feb 25 | Private Ownership - Oxford, OH Rolf F. Brunckhors | |
| 1998 Jun 29 | Private Ownership - Burr Ridge, IL Tee Bird Corporation | |
| 2015 Jan | Warbird Heritage Foundation |
SPECIFICATIONS
| Manufacturer: | Lockheed Aircraft Corporation |
| Model: | T-33A-1-LO |
| Year Built: | 1953 |
| Constr # / Plant: | 580-6911 / Burbank, CA |
| Serial No: | 51-9127 (U.S. Air Force) |
| N-Number: | N9127 |
| Engines: | One |
| Allison J33-A-35 turbojet | |
| Thrust: 5,400 lbs. | |
| Length: | 37 ft. 9 in. |
| Height: | 11 ft. 8 in. |
| Wingspan: | 38 ft. 10.5 in. |
| Weight: | Empty: 8,084 lbs. |
| Max Takeoff: 14,442 lbs. | |
| Performance: | Range: 1,025 miles on internal fuel |
| Range: 1,270 miles with tip tanks (ferry range) | |
| Ceiling: 48,000 ft. | |
| Cruising Speed: 454 Mph at optimum altitude. | |
| Max Speed: 599 Mph at sea level |
GALLERY
Explore the photos of our aircraft on this page by clicking the play arrow, or click on the square in the upper right hand corner to go to full screen. Once on the page, click play. To return to this page, click upper right hand button again. In full screen mode, you can double click the image to get a close-up view.
In-Flight Photos
Exterior and Interior Photos
Date and Location: Unknown; Photo Credit: United States Air Force
AVAILABILITY
Our T-33A Shooting Star is available for airshows and special events. For additional information, please contact us!