The T-33 "Thunderbird" was the training variant of the U.S. Air
Force's first production jet fighter, the F/P-80 "Shooting Star."
Originally designed by Lockheed's "Kelly" Johnson during WWII, the
P-80 went from drawing board to airborne in a record 150 days. The
T-bird was three feet longer than the P-80, and boasted a second
seat, instrumentation and flight controls. Equipped with an Allison
J33 turbojet, the T-33 had a maximum speed of 600 mph, a range of
over 1200 miles in ferry, and a service ceiling of 48,000 feet. The
Navy also operated the T-33 as the TV-2 or T-33B, and eventually
produced a carrier-capable variant called the T2V-1/T-1A SeaStar.
In addition to its role as a trainer, the plane served as a drone
control aircraft, reconnaissance platform, and target tow aircraft.
In foreign service the T-33, which could carry rockets, bombs and
gun pods, was used as a combat aircraft. Perhaps its most notable
combat role was during the Bay of Pigs, when T-33s flown by the
Cuban Revolutionary Air Force (FAR) attacked ships and aircraft of
the exile forces, helping fend off the invasion. One of the most
successful and enduring aircraft in history, the T-33 flew in the
air forces of over 30 nations. Over 6500 were produced between
1949-59, and some continue to fly today. Originally printed by
Lockheed and the U.S.A.F., this Flight Operating Handbook taught
pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit.
Originally classified "Restricted," the manual was declassified and
is here reprinted in book form. This affordable facsimile has been
slightly reformatted. Care has been taken however to preserve the
integrity of the text.
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