U.S. Air Force And Northrop Honor 50 Year History Of The T-38 Talon Jet

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U.S. Air Force And Northrop Honor 50 Year History Of The T-38 Talon Jet By Eddy Metcalf

		April 19, 2011 - Northrop Grumman Corporation joined representatives of the U.S. Air Force in celebrating the 50th anniversary of the first delivery of the T-38 Talon trainer aircraft. At an event held at Randolph Air Force Base in Texas, the Northrop Grumman-built aircraft was lauded for its longevity, performance and reliability as the primary training aircraft for generations of Air Force pilots. Northrop Grumman produced 1,187 T-38s between 1959 and 1972, the year the production program ended. Approximately half of those aircraft remain in service today with the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy, NASA and air forces around the world. Since 1961, more than 70,000 Air Force pilots have earned their wings in the T-38.

The average T-38 has flown 15,000 hours, and the high-time aircraft has flown 19,000 hours. Northrop Grumman has continued to maintain the aircraft, producing replacement wings and new structural components to extend the service life of the platform. "The word 'icon' should not be used lightly, but that word simply and accurately describes the Northrop Grumman T-38 Talon," said Duke Dufresne, sector vice president and general manager of the Strike and Surveillance Systems Division of Northrop Grumman's Aerospace Systems sector. "It's an honor to stand with the U.S. Air Force as the company that designed, built and continues to service the T-38. This aircraft's unparalleled history and ongoing importance speak volumes about its quality, and the fact that so many of the world's finest pilots trained on the T-38 is a legacy to be proud of." The Northrop T-38 Talon is a twin-engine supersonic jet trainer. It was the world's first supersonic trainer and is also the most produced. It remains in service in air forces throughout the world. The United States Air Force (USAF) is the largest user. In addition to USAF pilots, the T-38 is used in the United States by NASA. The U.S. Naval Test Pilot School is the principal U.S. Navy operator (other T-38s were previously used as USN aggressor aircraft until replaced by the similar F-5 Tiger II), as well as some NATO pilots participating in joint training programs, also fly the T-38. The basic airframe was used for the light combat aircraft F-5 Freedom Fighter family. In the 1950s Northrop began studying lightweight and more affordable fighter designs. The company began with its single-engine N-102 "Fang" concept. The N-102 was facing weight and cost growth, so the project was canceled and the company N-156 project was begun.

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 that role. The first of three prototypes (designated YT-38) flew on 10 March 1959.

The type was quickly adopted and the first production examples were delivered in 1961, officially entering service on 17 March that year, complementing the T-37 primary jet trainer. 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. The aircraft seats a student pilot and instructor in tandem, and has intakes for its two turbojet engines at the wing roots. Its nimble performance has earned it the nickname white rocket. In 1962, T-38s set four climb records. Other News Stories (For the latest news please checkout our home page) Civil Aviation Authority Sets Out Policy On Performance Based Navigation Discovery Air Announces Debt Repayment Moller International Schedules Test Flight Of The M400 Skycar EADS To Conduct Flight Demonstrations Of Its Armed AAS-72X Helicopter Boeing Delivering 787 Pilot Training On Global Scale FAA Spoke On Biometric Pilots Licenses Before U.S. House Committee NTSB Report Details How Close United Airlines Flight 889 Came To A Midair FAA Administrator Changing ATC Scheduling Practices ICAO Standards Weak On Shipping Lithium Batteries By Aircraft Report Shows UK Airline Pilots Suffer Significant Fatigue New Touch Screen Attendant Control Panel For Airplane Cabin Upgrades 2011 Bahamas & Caribbean Pilot's Guide Now On The iPad Hawaiian Airlines Pilots Raise Money For Victims Of Japan?s Tsunami Sikorsky And Other Pioneering Aviation Families Support Lindbergh?s LEAP Program Airline Traffic Up 2.2 Percent From January 2010 B/E Awarded Cabin Seat Contract On Lufthansa?s A330 And A340 Aircraft L-3 To Begin Upgrading The Navy?s EP-3E Aircraft Avionics Suite E-2D Advanced Hawkeye Program Completes Successful DAB Review GE Aviation Breaks Ground For New Research & Development Center BA Cabin Crew Strike On Hold Both Sides Believe Issues Can Be Solved FAA's Head Of ATO Resigns Amid Reports Of Controllers Falling Asleep FAA To Add Additional Staffing On The Grave Yard Shift At 27 Control Towers Grassroots Campaign To Improve Airport Passenger Security Screening Airlines Participate In ICAO Volcanic Ash Crisis Exercise Finnair Publishes More Extensive Corporate Responsibility Report Delta TechOps Expands Partnership With Evergreen Aviation Technologies Northrop?s Lake Charles Aircraft Maintenance Center Selected MRO Of The Year Eurocopter Attends LAAD 2011 Defense Show To Expand Presence In Latin America Honolulu Coast Guard Receives New MH-65 Dolphin Helicopter FAA Announces Barbados Does Not Comply With ICAO Safety Standards UAE Air Force Receives First Airbus Military A330 MRTT