| T-38 Talon |
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| u.s. military trainer aircraft 1950-1959 | |
| jet aircraft | |
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The Northrop T-38 Talon is a US-built supersonic jet Trainer for military pilots and NASA astronauts. It was the world’s first supersonic trainer and remains in service As Of 2006 . It is considered to have an exceptional safety record for a supersonic jet. HISTORY The T-38 was designed in the mid 1950s as the trainer variant of a lightweight Fighter project (the N-156 project) by the Northrop Corporation (today part of Northrop Grumman ). Although the United States Air Force had no need for a small fighter at the time, it became interested in the trainer as a replacement for the Lockheed T-33 s it was then using in this role. The first of three prototypes (designated YT-38) flew on March 10 1959 . The type was quickly adopted and the first production examples were delivered in 1961 , officially entering service on March 17 that year. When production ended in 1972 , 1,187 T-38s had been built. Since its introduction, it is estimated that some 50,000 military pilots have trained on this aircraft. The T-38 is of conventional configuration, with a small, low, long-chord wing, a single tail fin, and Tricycle Undercarriage . The aircraft seats a student pilot and instructor in tandem, and has intakes for its two Turbojet engines at the wing roots. Its nimble performance has earned it the nickname ''white rocket''—in 1962 , T-38s set four climb records. Most T-38s built were of the T-38A variant, but the USAF also had a small number of aircraft that had been converted for weapons training. These aircraft (designated '''AT-38B''') had been fitted with a gunsight and could carry a gunpod, rockets, or bombs on a centreline pylon. In 2003, 562 T-38s were still operational with the USAF and are currently undergoing structural and avionics programmes ('''T-38C''') to extend their service life to 2020 . Improvements include the addition of a HUD , GPS , INS ( Inertial Navigation System ), and TCAS as well as a propulsion modification. All USAF variants (T-38A and AT-38B) are being converted to the T-38C standard. Besides the USAF, other T-38 operators include the German Luftwaffe , the Portuguese Air Force , the Taiwanese Air Force , and the Turkish Air Force . It is also flown by NASA and Boeing , who use the type as a Chase Plane . NASA also uses the plane as a jet trainer for its astronauts; its fleet is housed primarily at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas . There are also a very small number of them in private civilian hands. The fighter version of the N-156 was eventually selected for the US’s Military Assistance Program (MAP) and produced as the F-5 Freedom Fighter . Many of these have since reverted to a weapons training role as various air forces have introduced newer types into service. Citing fuel and maintenance costs, the Thunderbirds aerobatic display team of the U.S. Air Force used the T-38 Talon from 1974 until 1983 when it was replaced by the F-16 Fighting Falcon . flying T-38 Talons in formation]] SPECIFICATIONS (T-38)
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