Northrop T-38A "Talon"

Northrop T-38A "Talon". . , In the mid-1950s, the USAF required a trainer with higher performance than the T-33 to better prepare student pilots for the latest tactical aircraft that were then coming into service. The aircraft chosen was the T-38A which offered high performance with low maintenance and operating costs. Destined to become the USAF's first supersonic trainer, the T-38A prototype first flew on April 10, 1959, and production continued until 1972. A total of 1,189 T-38As were built. Some were later modified into AT-38Bs with external armament for weapons training purposes., Jacqueline Cochran set eight performance records in the fall of 1961 flying a production T-38A and, in February 1962, a T-38A set four international time-to-climb records. The USAF Thunderbirds used T-38As from 1974 to 1982 because of their economic operation and high performance. Other users of the T-38A included the U.S. Navy in their Top Gun combat simulation program and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration., The aircraft on exhibit (S/N 59-1601) served at the Air Force Test and Evaluation Center at Edwards Air Force Base, California. It was sent to Lockheed Aircraft Corporation, Marietta, Georgia, in May 1968 for testing. It was dropped from the USAF inventory in April 1971., Specifications , Span: 25 ft. 3 in. , Length: 46 ft. 4½ in. , Height: 12 ft. 10½ in. , Weight: 11,761 lbs. loaded , Armament: None , Engines: Two General Electric J85-GE-5A turbojets of 3,850 lbs. thrust each with afterburner , Crew: Two , Cost: $756,000, Performance , Maximum speed: 812 mph , Cruising speed: 578 mph , Range: 1,093 miles , Service ceiling: 45,000 ft., This aircraft is on loan from the National Museum of the United States Air Force