T-33 Shooting Star

[Bluehawk]

Came across this USAF T-33 Shooting Star fighter (ca 1948-1959), plunked out in front of a used car lot all of a sudden, across the road from the Joplin airport, in the rain, on my way to groceries. No combat colors, so maybe Missouri ANG surplus?

[The Meatcan]

Hey Blue, was that plane for sale also?

Looks to be in pretty fair shape. Low mileage? Only flown for joyrides on Sundays?

thanks for sharing the pic!

Terry

[Bluehawk]

No for sale sign on it that i could see!

[m1ashooter]

We had one at Minot that was used as a target by the 5th FIS in the mid 80's.

[RustyCanteen]

Thanks for posting this, it's something you don't see everyday!

 

RC

[Steindaddie]

Apparently this T-33 (52-9462) just arrived at it's new home ~~>http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/story/brads-beat-lockheed-t-33-jet/d/story/baIMzXabokS5fi5mR8zjnA

 

It was purchased from the Merle H. Maine collection in Ontario, Oregon.

 

As an aside, I remember the T-33 from my USAF days -- refueling one took quite a bit of time & physical effort.

 

[Sabrejet]

Recently photographed by me at Duxford. A Canadian-built variant.

 

[Sabrejet]

[Sabrejet]

[Sabrejet]

[Bluehawk]

Apparently this T-33 (52-9462) just arrived at it's new home ~~>http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/story/brads-beat-lockheed-t-33-jet/d/story/baIMzXabokS5fi5mR8zjnA

 

It was purchased from the Merle H. Maine collection in Ontario, Oregon.

 

As an aside, I remember the T-33 from my USAF days -- refueling one took quite a bit of time & physical effort.

 

Wow... The magic is working

 

Thank you!

[B-17Guy]

Many of you may have seen this footage of flying T33's in the Grand Canyon in 1959, but since this is a T33 thread-

 

http://www.airspacemag.com/multimedia/videos/Jetting-Through-the-Grand-Canyon.html

 

 

John

[Bluehawk]

Yowza

[Lee Ragan]

 

Came across this USAF T-33 Shooting Star fighter (ca 1948-1959), plunked out in front of a used car lot all of a sudden, across the road from the Joplin airport, in the rain, on my way to groceries. No combat colors, so maybe Missouri ANG surplus?

A T-33 was a trainer not a fighter and wouldn't have any "combat colors". These old T-Birds are all over the country sitting on static display

While stationed at K.I. Sawyer AFB in the late 60's the 62nd Fighter Interceptor Sqd. operated 3 T-33's as units hacks. Mainly used as targets for prictice intercept missions. I was lucky enough to get a back seat ride in one in the summer of 1969, on a "Maximum Training Day", intercept mission. Most fun I had in 4 years in the Air Force.

Yes, they stayed in service way up into the 1980's even tho they are slow, they are still a great looking bird.

[Bluehawk]

Quite so, Lee, of course. "T" (I am losing my memory, it would appear)

 

There was one in a park out in the west neighborhoods of San Francisco too...

[ikar]

Apparently this T-33 (52-9462) just arrived at it's new home ~~>http://www.fourstateshomepage.com/story/brads-beat-lockheed-t-33-jet/d/story/baIMzXabokS5fi5mR8zjnA

 

It was purchased from the Merle H. Maine collection in Ontario, Oregon.

 

As an aside, I remember the T-33 from my USAF days -- refueling one took quite a bit of time & physical effort.

 

Actually the 5th F.I.S. had four T-33s. We used them for simulated migs, E.C.M. work, radio relay platforms, taxis, and various other things.

 

 

 

 

 

[GIl Sanow]

The interesting thing is that the T-33 was the trainer version of the F-80. They extended it to add another seat and discovered it was faster than the F-80!

 

G

[Lee Ragan]

Actually the 5th F.I.S. had four T-33s. We used them for simulated migs, E.C.M. work, radio relay platforms, taxis, and various other things.

 

 

 

 

 

I have a photo of myself standing next to 70590 taken 25 August 1985 at an air show at Reese AFB, Texas. This was back in my Civil Air Patrol days.

(Sorry, I have no way of showing the photo, it's a 35mm print.) Anyway, she was a beautiful bird: very well maintained.

[hueytaxi]

Dad used to fly home a lot in a T-33. Thanks for the F-80 reminder. I thought they were closely related. We used to call them Tweety Birds at the flight line. Dad tried to get me up in one, but all we could get approved was the T-34 "Mentor". I would spend summers with him in my middle teens where he had a Maintenance squadron maintaining 104's and KB-50's at England AFB.

[Bluehawk]

I would spend summers with him in my middle teens where he had a Maintenance squadron maintaining 104's and KB-50's at England AFB.

A KB-50 is one of those I'd love to have seen while operational... nice looking aircraft.

[Vahe Demirjian]

I photographed this Canadian-built T-33 (Canadian military designation CT-133) at the Planes of Fame Museum in January:

 

The CT-133 differed from the T-33 in being powered by one Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet (thirty T-33s delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force in 1951-1952 retained the T-33's powerplant, and one T-33 with serial number 51-4198 became the prototype for the CT-133. The CT-133 on display at the Planes of Fame Museum happens to be painted in both USAF markings and with a civil registration (N133AT) on the vertical stabilizer.