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Northrop T-38
Talon (Variants/Other Names: AT-38)
History: In the mid-1950s, Northrop began
design-work on a new high-performance, lightweight fighter designated the N-156 (which
eventually led to the F-5 family of fighters), and an accompanying supersonic trainer
initially called the N-156T. The first of three prototypes,
eventually called the YT-38, first flew on 10 April 1959.
After testing two different engine installations, an initial
contract for the T-38A was signed with the US Air Force, and the
first Talon entered service at Randolph AFB, Texas, on 17 March 1961. Production ended in
early 1972 after 1,187 had been built, and the type is still in service as the US Air
Force's advanced training aircraft for student pilots selected to fly fighters. In addition, the Talon is used by NASA as a chase aircraft,
and has served as a trainer in Singapore, Taiwan, Germany, and Portugal. The US Navy also
operates at least three Talons at its Patuxent River NAS Test Pilot's School, and the
Boeing Company flies a small handful as chase aircraft. A major variant of the aircraft is
the AT-38B, which has a gunsight and a centerline pylon which
can be fitted with a gun pod or practice-bombs or rockets. The latest, upgraded version of the aircraft is the T-38C
Talon II, which entered operational service in 2003. To create the new
model, older airframes were (among other things) retrofitted with new, electronic
instrumentation. Several civilian-owned T-38s have appeared in the USA in the
past decade, and at least two are used extensively in the flight-test role. Nicknames: The White Rocket; Blue
Jet (AT-38); Smurf (AT-38) Specifications (T-38A): Number Built: 1,187 Number Still Airworthy: ~700 active
Military/Government worldwide; Approximately 4 are privately owned as warbirds.
Cockpit Photo: Links:
All text and photos Copyright 2016 The
Doublestar Group, unless otherwise noted.
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