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Aviation History The Skyfox is an American twin-engined jet trainer aircraft, a highly upgraded development of the #Lockheed T-33. It was designed as a primary trainer to compete with and replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet. Besides its primary role as a trainer, the aircraft was envisioned to have other roles as well, including ground attack. The program was started by the Skyfox Corporation in 1983, and was acquired by #Boeing in 1986. Over 6,500 #Lockheed #T33 trainers were built, making it one of the most successful jet trainer programs in history. However, technology passed the "T-Bird" by, and by the 1980s, it was clear that the world's air forces needed a more modern training aircraft. The "Skyfox" was conceived and developed by Russell O'Quinn. The modification designs were led by T-33 designer Irvin Culver and a number of other former Lockheed employees formed Flight Concepts Incorporated in 1982, with the intent of modernizing the T-33 design. The company's name was later changed to Skyfox Corporation. The highly modified and modernized aircraft was expected to cost about half of a new comparable trainer, such as the BAE Hawk and Dassault/Dornier Alpha Jet. With the design work done, Skyfox purchased 80 surplus T-33s. The Skyfox was marketed either as a complete converted aircraft from Boeing, or as a conversion kit, with the customer providing the T-33 airframe. The conversion incorporated about 70% of the existing T-33 airframe, but replaced the existing internal single Allison J33 turbojet engine with two Garrett TFE731-3A turbofan engines mounted externally. Together, the two TFE731s weighed 17% less than the single original engine, while providing 60% more thrust on 45% less fuel. The engine change provided a large internal volume for fuel storage, eliminating the need for the T-33's wingtip tanks, but tip mountings were retained to accommodate optional auxiliary fuel tanks if desired. Other modifications included inboard wing leading-edge extensions, the replacement of the tip tanks with winglets, a new canopy with one-piece windshield, revised nose geometry to improve visibility from the cockpit and to fair into the T-33's lateral intakes, new tail surfaces with a mid-set tailplane (although the original wings were retained), and new avionics. Photo-Description: Old school, new school... In this image we can see the differences between the T-33 and the Skyfox. Source: Boeing.
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11moWow I almost forgot about this one!!!