T-33 Shooting Star

     Notes: Initially developed in 1948 as a two-place training variant of the P-80 Shooting Star, the first variants of the T-33 were designated the TP-80C (and later TF-80C, then T-33A).  The type was designed for jet transition training – for pilots who were already proficient at flying propeller-driven fighter aircraft to learn how to fly the then-new jet aircraft.  The Navy also used a version of the T-33, designated TV-2, then later the T-33B.  T-33s served as the basis for an advanced two-seat interceptor, which became the F-94 Starfire.  Though primarily used as a trainer by most countries using it, the T-33 was also developed into a reconnaissance platform, used as OPFOR aircraft, drone direction, target towing, drone targets, and ELINT aircraft. The last T-33 in US service, a research aircraft for NASA designated NT-33, was retired in 1997, though some continue to be used in some smaller air forces as trainers.  In the 1980s, the Boeing AT-33 Skyfox attack platform, a vastly upgraded T-33C, was pitched to some countries’ air forces who were already using the T-33, but this design was ultimately unsuccessful.  T-33s have also been somewhat successful in sales to civilians; a noted owner of a civilian T-33 was Michael Dorn, who played LT Worf on several Star Trek franchises.  Boeing also operated a number of T-33s until 2020, using them as chase planes when testing their airliner aircraft. All told, some 30 countries were equipped with T-33s at some point.

The T-33A

     Also known among pilots as the T-Bird, the initial T-33s were P-80C/F-80Cs with a fuselage lengthened by one meter, and the space used for a rear cockpit with a full set of controls for the instructor and emergency cutoff controls that allowed the instructor to take away flight controls from his student.  The first such variants retained their air-ground capability, including a reduced load of two M3 machineguns, to allow for ground-attack practice and firing as ground and aerial targets.  (These were later omitted as the T-33 became a pure initial trainer.)  These were designated TP-80C, and later TF-80C, then T-33A.  Only 20 TP-80s were built, being supplanted by the later T-33A.  The T-33As and its predecessors were basically straightforward two-seat versions of the F-80A – somewhat heavier, but for the most part operating like the F-80A.

     The DT-33A was used as a drone director.  Drone director aircraft were used to control drone aircraft in the days before effective ground drone control stations were available, and the rear cockpit had controls for a drone in the air to provide a maneuvering target for training fighter pilots.  Sometimes these drones were QT-33As, which are essentially T-33As turned into radio-controlled target drones.

The T-1A/T-33B

     The US Navy, having had experience with P-80A/F-80A-based transition trainers (most notably the TO-1 and TV-1), decided to get their own version of the T-33A.  This version, the T2V SeaStar, was later redesignated the T-1A, then towards the end of its career the T-33B. This version was suitably modified for carrier landings and takeoffs, with an arrestor hook and generally strengthened airframe, as well as strengthened landing gear and harder tires.  The wings were hinged just outside of the wing hardpoints.  The T-33B was a bit heavier than the T-33A due to being navalized, but the more aerodynamic nose and different engine (still a variant of the J33) partially made up for this performance-wise.

Canadair CT-133 Silver Star

     The CT-133 was a license-produced T-33A, sometimes referred to as the Canadair T-33.  They differed from the standard T-33A in being powered by license-produced British Rolls-Royce Nene 10 turbojets instead of Allison J33s.  The wingtips also carried fuel tanks almost twice the capacity of those on the T-33A.  The CL-133s were not retired from Canadian Forces until 2005, and the Canadians still retain five in flying condition in storage. A noted use of the CL-133 was as the Red Knight aircraft on the Canadian Forces Aerobatic Team.  Some 40 CL-133s were sold to Bolivia after refurbishment into AT-33A aircraft in the 1970s; these were later shipped back to Canada in units for a SLEP, with Bolivian AT-33As not being retired until 2007.

     The CT-133 was also modified into several other variants.  The CE-133 was an EW training aircraft, used to train electronic warfare officers to use their equipment while in a maneuvering aircraft.  The CX-133 was used to test several ejection seat types and fittings.  The ET-133 was an OPFOR aircraft, the same as a CT-133 but lacking armament and weapon hardpoints. The TE-133 served the same role, but was used by OPFOR units in simulated attacks on ships.

     Some other users of CT-133s included France, Greece, Portugal, and Turkey.

The AT-33A

     The AT-33A (not to be confused with the AT-33 Skyfox below) was a conversion of the T-33A into an attack aircraft, developed over the period of 1972-1975.  These were simply T-33As with the F-80C machinegun complement returned, hardpoints restored, and appropriate bombsights and gunsights added.  They were not proceeded with for the most part by the USAF, but were used for a short time as air-to-ground trainers. The AT-33A also proved popular in some foreign countries’ air forces.

     Some Bolivian AT-33As were actually based on Canadian CT-133s (see above).  These retained the Nene engines and larger wingtip fuel tanks, but otherwise had the same equipment as T-33A-based AT-33As. 

The AT-33 Skyfox

     The AT-33 Skyfox, more properly known as the Boeing Skyfox, is an extensive redesign of the T-33 originally envisioned by Flight Concepts, which was later renamed to Skyfox (hence the name of the aircraft). Even later, the company was bought out by Boeing, with the Skyfox design being marketed to countries still using the T-33 starting in the 1980s and continuing, unsuccessfully until 1997, when the design was dropped.  The single prototype was fully restored and placed into the Palm Springs Air Museum in California.  The Skyfox was featured as a new US Air Force strikefighter in the third episode of the TV series Airwolf.

     The Skyfox features a heavily reworked airframe, becoming more streamlined and made of lighter but stronger materials than that of the T-33A.  This was coupled to a pair of Garrett TFE731 turbofan engines mounted in external nacelles, replacing the single fuselage-mounted Allison J-33.  These two engines are, together, only 60% of the weight of the Allison J33, and also consumed 45% less fuel than the Allison.  The turbofans had a power output of 3700 pounds thrust each.  Since the fuselage no longer housed the engine, fuel tankage could be increased dramatically, enough so that Boeing felt they could delete the wingtip fuel tanks.  This in turn allowed the Skyfox to increase g-loading and maneuverability on the airframe.  The hardpoints had increased weight-carrying ability, distributed among four wing hardpoints, two of which were wet. Though it was not implemented on the prototype, Boeing intended to replace the two M3 machineguns with a pair of 20mm M39A2 autocannons on production examples.  Each hardpoint could also mount a Sidewinder AAM or two Stinger ATAS missiles. It may be noted that the original Skyfox was based on a CT-133, though this had no effect on the eventual design other than that the CL-133 was newer-build than most T-33As.

     The Skyfox was meant to be both a trainer and a light attack aircraft, and was primarily aimed at smaller air forces who already employed the T-33A and AT-33A.  The conversions could be put on any T-33 variant, and were of surprisingly low RL cost compared to most new attack jets of its time.

     In the end, even though Portugal signed a letter of intent for 20 Skyfoxes, there was little interest from the international marketplace in the Skyfox, and Boeing felt that the cost of gearing up a new production line was not worth the order from Portugal, and in 1997, gave up on the Skyfox.

     Twilight 2000 Notes: The T-33 had generally been long out of service in many first-line countries.  In several Second and Third-World countries it remained in service, generally upgraded into the AT-33A or RT-33A standard.  However, with war clouds closing in, some countries, including the US and Canada, began upgrading their T-33s into the Skyfox standard, with the type becoming a surprising standout ground support aircraft in the latter half of the Twilight War.

*The T-33A, T-33B and AT-33A (except for those that are based on the CT-133) are equipped with a water/alcohol injection system, which increases the speed and acceleration to the figures on the right side of the slash for up to 20 seconds total.