TESTBED VERSIONS – T-33A-1, T-33AN Pégase, QT-33A, Skyfox
Details as CT-133 Mk.3 unless otherwise indicated
Modified from ex-Canadian T-33AN 21160
after some time on the civilian register as
N12414 it was rebuilt by Volpar Inc. and
first flown on the 23rd August 1983, later
acquired by Boeing and offered either as
a complete conversion or a conversion kit;
Originally conceived by Russell O'Quinn,
designed by Irvin Culver, 70% of the
original T-33 airframe was retained
Original wing retained but modified
with tip tanks replaced by down
turned winglets
Revised nose/shape and profile
Ventral strakes
New tail incorporating a low T-tail
with leading edge bullet, new rear
fuselage/original exhaust deleted
Raked blade antenna
Additional
nose pitot
2 x Garrett TFE731-3A
turbofans in pods mounted
high on rear fuselage
Original inlets faired over
Nose strakes
Revised cockpit systems/
instrumentation with
Stencel ejector seats
ILS antennas
Swept tailplanes with
straight trailing edge
and squared-off tips
Wing leading edge/fuselage fillet
Single piece windshield
Single point refuelling
Large fuselage/engine
mounting/fillet
Increased internal
fuel capacity
Skyfox (Boeing T-33SF)
Drone conversion, details as T-33A-1 unless otherwise indicated
Camera scoring system installed
Arrestor hook added
Revised fuel tank/system with
automatic fuel management
Armament deleted and
gun ports faired over
Additional comms antennas
Nose wheel steering added
Anti-skid brake system
T-33A airframes modified by Sperry Flight
Systems, Marana Air Park, Arizona, USA
and Honeywell Corp. with ground control
by operators using the Sperry DSCE-33N
drone stabilisation and control bench;
Approximately 81 x QT-33A modified as
FSAT (Full Scale Aerial Target) for the US
Air Force and US Navy and also used for
radioactive sampling during nuclear tests
in the 1950s
Remote control systems with
400 amp DC generator installed
in rear cockpit space
Front seat/controls retained
for pilot/ferry flights
Additional avionics/equipment:
AN/DRW-29 command receivers; AN/AKT-2
telemetry transmitter; vertical gyro; turn and
pitch controller; altitude integrator; air speed
reference unit; air speed amplifier; air speed
follow-up unit; throttle servo; unit; flight
control system amplifier; servo control;
control surface/trim tab actuators/controllers;
automatic pilot and flight controller unit
(US Air Force drones only); secondary control
panels fro safety pilot (US Navy drones only)
1 x airframe (48-360) modified as DTF-80C
drone controller prototype leading to more
DT-33A drone controllers;
EDT-33A designation applied to 49-920 as
nuclear test drone director;
EQT-33A (JT-33A) applied to 48-919 for testing;
TV-2D (DT-33B) designation applied to US
Navy drone controller airframes;
TV-2KD (QT-33C) applied to US Navy airframes
acting as drones/controller/utility aircraft,
designated QT-33B when used as a drone
QT-33A
Details as CT-133 Mk.3 unless otherwise indicated
Instrumented test boom
Pégase (Programme d'Etude Génerale
d'une Aile Supercritique Epaisse)(Thick
Supercritical Wing General Study
Programme)
Airframe bailed from l'Armé de l'Air and
modified by Aerospatiale/CEV (Centre
d'essais du Vol) and ONERA (Office
National d'Etudes et Recherches
Aérospatiales for supercritical wing
trials during 1977-78
Wing replaced with new
supercritical airfoil wing
with squared-off wing tip
Aerospatiale T-33AN Pégase
Airframe modified with twin tails
to improve directional stability
for research during the definition
stage for the US Navy T2V-1
SeaStar trainer
Details as T-33A-1 unless otherwise indicated
Oval tail with
conventional
rudder
Redesigned tail planes with twin tail fins
Provision for arrestor system
under rear fuselage
Armament deleted and
gun ports faired over
Revised rear exhaust/
empennage
T-33A-1 51-4263
ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015 • NO ITEMS MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER
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ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015
