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.

A comprehensive manual of proven wilderness survival tactics for every situation. Written for use in formal United States Air Force survival training courses, the U.S. Air Force Survival Handbook is the bible for pilots who want to stay alive-no matter what. Assuming, as the Air Force does, that flight personnel may be faced at any time with a bailout or crash landing in hostile territory without supplies, the advice here is superlatively practical, but also surprisingly readable and interesting. Detailing specific survival threats at sea, in the tropics, in the desert, in Arctic conditions, and the psychological perils of imprisonment and torture, this handbook is replete with fascinating and useful (if unsettling) information. Precisely written, profusely illustrated, and completely authoritative, this is an essential book for anyone-soldier or civilian-looking for knowledge that could prove to be the difference between life and death in a dangerous situation. 1000 black-and-white illustrations

The U.S. Air Force's first all-jet strategic bomber, the swept-wing Boeing B-47 Stratojet had a range of 3,500 nautical miles and a payload capacity of 20,000 pounds. It served as the mainstay of Strategic Air Command in the 1950s into the mid 1960s. The B-47 was an outgrowth of WWII research and development efforts, and the prototype aircraft first flew in December of 1947. The unique six-jet design featured twin engine pods on the wing near the fuselage, and one outboard. It also incorporated an elegant bicycle-type landing gear with two-wheel struts on the forward and aft fuselage and outrigger wheels. In 1956, over 1300 B-47s and 250 RB-47s were on alert. It was the high water mark for the aircraft, which was fully supplanted by the B-52 by 1967. This B-47 pilot's flight operating manual was originally produced by the USAF. It has been slightly reformatted but is reproduced here in its entirety. It provides a fascinating view inside the cockpit of one of history's great planes.

Created by famed Lockheed designer Kelly Johnson, the F-104 Starfighter was designed to compete with Soviet Mig-15s. Equipped with a huge and powerful J79 engine, the aircraft could reach speeds well in excess of Mach 2.0, while its thin, trapezoidal wing provided extremely low drag with terrific acceleration and rate of climb. Unforgiving and sensitive to control inputs, the F-104 killed many pilots and developed a reputation as a "widow-maker." Despite its shortcomings, the Starfighter enjoyed a long career. It flew in the air support role during "Rolling Thunder" in the Vietnam War. It also saw extensive service in foreign air forces and NATO. NASA continued to use the F-104 as a support aircraft until 1995. This pilot's flight operating handbook was originally produced by the USAF. It has been slightly reformatted but is reproduced here in its entirety. It provides a fascinating view inside the cockpit of one of history's great planes.

Conceived during the dark days of the Cold War, the U-2 is a single-engine, single-seat, surveillance aircraft. Designed by aeronautical engineer "Kelly" Johnson, the plane was used by the C.I.A. to photograph installations deep inside Soviet Russia and remains in use by the U.S. Air Force. Known as the "Dragon Lady," the U-2 was originally highly classified. Its existence remained a secret until 1960, when a U-2 flown by Francis Gary Powers was shot down over Soviet territory that precipitated a major political crisis. Despite the incident, the U-2 went on to have a long and illustrious career, and upgraded airframes remained in use five decades after it first debuted. Originally printed by Lockheed and the U.S. Air Force in the 1960s, this Flight Operating Handbook taught pilots everything they needed to know before entering the cockpit. Classified "Restricted," the manual was recently declassified through the Freedom of Information Act 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. Please note, due to the provenance of this manual some pages contain photographic reproductions which may be considered to be of sub-standard quality.

This manual outlines required material for all phases of aircraft performance. It is a source document for the basic flight engineer course. It directs new flight engineers in learning the technical language and practical application related to flight. It furnishes the experienced flight engineers with background and review information. The aircraft performance technology presented in this manual is not limited to one specific airframe. For the most part, the technical language, performance charts, and procedures are common to all transport aircraft. There are two major factors that are responsible for the differences. These are a specific aircraft's design and the way different aircraft performance procedures to support that design. These factors may make a given performance limitation critical for one aircraft and insignificant for another. The material contained in this manual provides information relative to the duties of the flight engineer, the atmosphere, aerodynamics, power plants, weight and balance, and aircraft flight performance. It also includes guidelines for mission planning.