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T-38 Talon
Type Advanced trainer
Manufacturer Northrop Corporation
Designed by Edgar Schmued
Maiden flight 10 March 1959
Introduced 17 March 1961
Status Operational
Primary users United States Air Force
United States Navy
NASA
Luftwaffe
Turkish Air Force
Produced 1961–1972
Number built 1,187
Developed from N-156
Variants Northrop F-5

The Northrop T-38 Talon is an American supersonic jet trainer. An aerospace manufacturer is a company or individual involved in the various aspects of designing building testing selling and maintaining Aircraft, Aircraft parts The Northrop Corporation was a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman Edgar Schmued, German-American aircraft designer (1899 - 1985 was famed for his design of the iconic P-51 Mustang and later the F-86 Sabre. The maiden flight of an Aircraft is the first occasion on which an aircraft leaves the ground of its own accord Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger Year 1961 ( MCMLXI) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The United States of America —commonly referred to as the A trainer is an Aircraft used to develop piloting navigational or war-fighting skills in flight crew It was the world's first, and most produced supersonic trainer. It remains in service as of 2008 in air forces throughout the world including the United States Air Force (USAF), which remains its largest user.

The basic airframe was used for the light combat aircraft F-5 Freedom Fighter family. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout In addition to USAF pilots, T-38s are also used by NASA astronauts, the U. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program S. Naval Test Pilot School (other T-38s were previously used as USN aggressor aircraft), other NATO pilots under a joint training program, and some under civilian ownership. The North Atlantic Treaty

Contents

Design and development

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). A fighter aircraft is a Military aircraft designed primarily for air-to-air combat with other Aircraft, as opposed to a Bomber, which is designed The Northrop Corporation was a leading Aircraft manufacturer of the United States from its formation in 1939 until its merger with Grumman to form Northrop Grumman Northrop Grumman Corporation ( is an Aerospace and defense technology company formed by the 1994 purchase of Grumman by Northrop. 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 T-33 Shooting Star it was then using in this role. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout The first of three prototypes (designated YT-38) flew on March 10, 1959. Events 241 BC - First Punic War: Battle of the Aegates Islands - The Romans sink the Carthaginian fleet bringing The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The type was quickly adopted and the first production examples were delivered in 1961, officially entering service on March 17 that year, complementing the T-37 primary jet trainer. Events 45 BC - In his last victory Julius Caesar defeats the Pompeian forces of Titus Labienus and Pompey the Younger For the Soviet light tank see T-37 tank WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. 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 USAF remains one of the few armed flying forces using dedicated supersonic final trainers, as most such as the US Navy use high subsonic trainers.

The T-38 is of conventional configuration, with a small, low, long-chord wing, a single vertical stabilizer, and tricycle undercarriage. In Aviation, the undercarriage or landing gear is the structure (usually wheels that supports an Aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi The aircraft seats a student pilot and instructor in tandem, and has intakes for its two turbojet engines at the wing roots. TurboJET (噴射飛航 is the brand name for the operations of the Hong Kong -based Shun Tak-China Travel Ship Management Limited (信德中旅船務管理有限公司 Its nimble performance has earned it the nickname white rocket—in 1962, T-38s set four climb records.

U.S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying T-38 Talons in formation
U. S. Air Force Thunderbirds flying T-38 Talons in formation

The F-5B and F (which also derive from the N-156) can be distinguished from the T-38 by the wings; the wing of the T-38 meets the fuselage straight and ends square, while the F-5 possesses leading edge extensions near the wing roots and wingtip launch rails for air to air missiles. The Thunderbirds are the Air Demonstration Squadron of the US Leading edge extensions or LEX (also referred to as leading edge root extensions or LERX or strakes or chines) are An air-to-air missile ( AAM) is a guided Missile fired from an Aircraft for the purpose of destroying another aircraft Under the paint, the T-38 wing is constructed of honeycomb material whereas the wing of the F-5 family is constructed of conventional skin over underlying support structure.

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 centerline pylon. In 2003, 562 T-38s were still operational with the USAF and are currently undergoing structural and avionics programs (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 PMP (a propulsion modification designed to improve low-altitude engine performance by significantly increasing thrust). A head-up display, or HUD, is any transparent display that presents data without requiring the user to look away from his or her usual viewpont Basic concept of GPS operation A GPS receiver calculates its position by carefully timing the signals sent by the constellation of GPS Satellites high above the Earth An Inertial Navigation System (INS is a Navigation aid that uses a Computer and motion sensors to continuously track the position orientation and Velocity The Traffic alert and Collision Avoidance System (or TCAS) is an aircraft collision avoidance system designed to reduce the incidence of mid-air collisions between Many USAF variants (T-38A and AT-38B) are being converted to the T-38C standard.

Two T-38 Talon planes follow Space Shuttle Columbia as it lands at Northrup Strip in White Sands, New Mexico, ending its mission STS-3.
Two T-38 Talon planes follow Space Shuttle Columbia as it lands at Northrup Strip in White Sands, New Mexico, ending its mission STS-3. Space Shuttle Columbia ( NASA Orbiter Vehicle Designation: OV-102) was the first spaceworthy Space shuttle in NASA 's For the 1992 motion picture see White Sands (film. White Sands is a Census-designated place (CDP in Doña Ana County, STS-3 was the third Space shuttle mission and was the third mission for the Space Shuttle Columbia.

The fighter version of the N-156 was eventually selected for the US Military Assistance Program (MAP) and produced as the F-5 Freedom Fighter. The Mutual Defense Assistance Act commonly known as the Battle Act was a 1949 law passed by the United States. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout Many of these have since reverted to a weapons training role as various air forces have introduced newer types into service. The F-5G was later developed into the single-engine F-20 Tigershark. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Operational history

The United States Air Force Strategic Air Command had T-38 Talons in service from 1981 through 1991. The Strategic Air Command (SAC was both a major command and a "specified command" in the U These planes were used to enhance the career development of bomber co-pilots through the "Accelerated Copilot Enrichment Program". They were later used as proficiency aircraft for all B-52 and B-1 pilots, as well as SR-71 and U-2 pilots. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout

Besides the USAF, other T-38 operators include the German Luftwaffe, the Portuguese Air Force, the Republic of China Air Force, the Turkish Air Force and the US Navy. ( German 'luftvafe is a generic German term for an Air force. The Portuguese Air Force ( PoAF) (Força Aérea Portuguesa FAP) is the Air force of Portugal. Republic of China Air Force Personnel53000 The Turkish Air Force (Türk Hava Kuvvetleri is a branch of the Turkish Armed Forces. It is also flown by NASA and Boeing, who use the type as a chase plane. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration ( NASA, ˈnæsə is an agency of the United States government, responsible for the nation's public space program The Boeing Company is a major Aerospace and defense corporation originally founded by William E A chase plane is an Aircraft that "chases" another aircraft during Test flights For many years the best way to ensure the safety of an Experimental There is a very small number of them in private civilian hands.

NASA also uses the plane as a jet trainer for its astronauts; its fleet is housed primarily at Ellington Field in Houston, Texas. Ellington Field is a joint civil-military Airport located 15 miles (24 km) southeast of downtown Houston, within Harris County in NASA's T-38's have been some notable fatal accidents in the 1960s, resulting in the deaths of astronauts Theodore Freeman, Elliott See, and Charles Bassett. Theodore Cordy Freeman (born February 18, 1930, in Haverford Pennsylvania; died October 31, 1964 at Ellington Air Force Charles Arthur "Art" Bassett II ( December 30, 1931 &ndash February 28, 1966) was a United States Air Force officer and These crashes were due to adverse conditions and not due to problems with the jet.

In the wake of the January 28, 1986 Space Shuttle Challenger disaster, the then-President Ronald Reagan and his wife Nancy traveled to the Lyndon B. Johnson Space Center in Houston, Texas on January 31, 1986, to speak at a memorial service honoring the astronauts. Events 1077 - Walk to Canossa: The Excommunication of Henry IV Holy Roman Emperor is lifted Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) The Space Shuttle Challenger disaster took place on January 28 1986 when ''Challenger'', a Space Shuttle operated by NASA, broke apart The Lyndon B Johnson Space Flight Center ( "JSFC") is the National Aeronautics and Space Administration 's center for Events 1504 - France cedes Naples to Aragon. 1606 - Gunpowder Plot: Guy Fawkes Year 1986 ( MCMLXXXVI) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link displays 1986 Gregorian calendar) It was attended by 6,000 NASA employees and 4,000 guests, as well as by the families of the crew. During the carefully planned ceremony, an Air Force band led the singing of "God Bless America" as NASA T-38 Talons flew directly over the scene, in the traditional missing-man formation. The missing man formation is an aerial Salute performed as part of a flyover of aircraft at a funeral or memorial event typically in memory of a fallen All activities were broadcast live by the national television networks.

In response to the 1973 OPEC oil embargo, the Thunderbirds aerobatic display team of the U. The Thunderbirds are the Air Demonstration Squadron of the US S. Air Force adopted the T-38 Talon, which used far less fuel than the F-4 Phantom, in 1974. (The Blue Angels downsized to the A-4 Skyhawk at roughly the same time). The United States Navy 's Navy Flight Demonstration Squadron, popularly known as the Blue Angels, was formed in 1946 and was the world's first officially sanctioned WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout After the infamous "Diamond Crash" incident that killed four of the team's six demonstration pilots, the Talon was replaced in this role by the front-line F-16A Fighting Falcon in 1983.

Two fatal crashes, one on 23 April 2008 at Columbus Air Force Base in Mississippi and the second on 1 May 2008 at Sheppard Air Force Base in Wichita Falls, Texas, resulted in four fatalities, causing the Air Force to temporarily ground the aircraft. Events 215 BC - A temple is built on the Capitoline Hill dedicated to Venus Erycina to commemorate the Roman defeat at 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Columbus Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base in Lowndes County, Mississippi, United States, five miles north of the city Mississippi ( is a state located in the Deep South of the United States Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common Sheppard Air Force Base is a United States Air Force base located five miles (8 km) north of the Central business district of Wichita Falls Wichita Falls is a city in the state of Texas and the County seat of Wichita County Texas, United States. Texas ( is a state geographically located in the South Central United States and is also known as the Lone Star State. [1]

Variants

Operators

Flag of Germany Germany
Flag of Portugal Portugal
Flag of the Republic of China Republic of China (Taiwan)
Flag of Turkey Turkey
Flag of South Korea Republic of Korea
Flag of the United States United States

Specifications (T-38A)

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Related lists

References

  1. ^ Associated Press, "Planes Grounded After Crashes", printed in the New York Times, May 2, 2008, p. WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft. Please see WikipediaWikiProject Aircraft/page content for recommended layout * List of active United States military aircraft This is a list of currently-active Military aircraft in use by the United States Events 1194 - King Richard I of England gives Portsmouth its first Royal Charter. 2008 ( MMVIII) is the current year in accordance with the Gregorian calendar, a Leap year that started on Tuesday of the Common 14.
  2. ^ Factsheets : T-38 Talon : T-38 Talon
  3. ^ "The Air Force in Facts and Figures", Air Force Magazine, May 2008.

External links

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