VERSIONS – TP-80C, T-33A-1/TO-2(TV-2), T-33A-5, RT-33A
Navigation trainer, details as T-33-A-1 (later) unless otherwise indicated
Armament deleted and gun ports faired over
Some T-33 airframes modified with AN/
ARN-21 TACAN system replacing VOR and
ILS equipment and redesignated as
T-33A-10;
30 x T-33A loaned to Canadian Air Force
with no ejector seats, underslung tip tanks
and redesignated as Silver Star Mk.1, one
airframe from this batch (51-4198)
modified with Rolls-Royce Nene Mk.10
centrifugal turbojet and redesignated as
T-33ANX (Silver Star Mk.2) as prototype
for Silver Star Mk.3
Some airframes built to AT-33A (T-33A-20)
attack aircraft standard with 8 x 127 mm
(5 in) HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket)
on MA-2 launch rails (4 under each wing)
or 1 x 313 kg (690 lb) bomb on existing
shackles under each wing, additional
LAU-59 gun pod with 12.7 mm (0.5 in)
machine gun under each wing due to no
internal gun armament in T-33A-5 version
T-33A-5
Details as T-33-A-1 prototype unless otherwise indicated
Frameless canopy
Avionics:
AN/ARC-27 UHF radio;
AN/ARA-6 radio compass;
AN/APX-72 IFF;
AN/A1C interphone
Aircraft supplied to France redesignated
as T-33S-US later upgraded with Hispano-
Suiza licence-built Nene engine, new
ejector seats, radio and nav equipment
and redesignated as T-33SF;
Some airframes used for test purposes
and redesignated as NT-33A
210 T-33A licence built by Kawasaki, Japan;
Some airframes built to AT-33A (T-33A-20)
attack aircraft standard with 8 x 127 mm
(5 in) HVAR (High Velocity Aircraft Rocket)
on MA-2 launch rails (4 under each wing)
or 1 x 313 kg (690 lb) bomb on existing
shackles under each wing, Ecuadoran
airframes later upgraded in the 1980s by
Sabreliner Corp., StLouis, Missouri, USA
Revised ejector seats, later
rocket-type ejection seat
T-33 airframes operated by the US Navy
were initially designated TO-2, then
redesignated as TV-2;
other TV-2 operators included the US FAA
(Federal Aviation Administration) for test
purposes and the Yugoslavian Air Force
T-33A-1/TO-2 (TV-2) (later)
Details as TP-80C prototype unless otherwise indicated
Small luggage pod can be carried on
centreline behind main landing gear
871 lt (192 Imp gal, 230 US gal)
Fletcher wing tip tanks, wing
span reduced to 11.47 m
(37 ft 7.5 in)
2 x 12.7 mm (.50 in) Colt-Browning M3 machine
guns with 300 rounds per gun in lower nose
Stall inhibitor on
wing leading edge
Lockheed ejector seats replacing
original bucket seats
Some internal volume used
for luggage in empty space
from deleted armament
T-33 airframes operated by the US Navy
were initially designated TO-2, then
redesignated as TV-2;
Other TV-2 operators included the US FAA
(Federal Aviation Administration) for test
purposes and the Yugoslavian Air Force
T-33A-1 (TF-80C)/TO-2(TV-2) (early)
Large, rear hinged, clamshell canopy with bow
Modified from P-80C airframe, details as P-80C unless otherwise indicated
1 x Allison J33-A-35
centrifugal turbojet
Pitot
Under wing bomb shackles
retained from P-80C
Fuselage lengthened with
.737 mm (29 in) forward plug
Armament reduced from 6 to 2 machine guns,
with gun ports faired over
Additional 305 mm
(12 in) aft plug
Provision for 568 lt (125 Imp gal,
150 US gal) teardrop under
slung wing tip drop tank
Avionics:
SCR-522 VHF radio; AN/ARA-6
radio compass; AN/APX-6 IFF;
AN/AIC-10 interphone
48-356 redesignated as ET-33A
when accepted by USAF in
1949, then modified to YF-94
prototype in 1950
Rear fuselage
cooling louvres
Second cockpit added with
dual instruments flight
controls and seat
Bucket seats fitted
Centre fuselage fuel tank reduced
in size and capacity reduced from
784 lt (173 Imp gal, 207 US gal) to
359 lt (79 Imp gal, 95 US gal)
K-14 gunsight
Second prototype 48-357 used
for ejector seat development
at Wright Patterson AFB, Ohio,
USA and redesignated as
ETF-80C
TP-80C prototype
48-356
Photo reconnaissance version, details as T-33-A-1 (later) unless otherwise indicated
3 x under nose camera windows
for vertically mounted cameras
Port side camera window
Revised, blunter nose profile to camera nose,
hinged upward for easy access
Asymmetric camera window layout
to port and starboard nose panels
Camera installations:
Some sources quote a mix of
K-14 and K-18 cameras with
differing focal length lenses,
also a mix of KS-6 for oblique
positions and KS-8 framing
cameras for the vertical
Pitot moved further aft
AN/ARN-6 loop antenna
in upper nose
Rear seat removed and replaced
with fuel tank, additional ARC-3
VHF radio and AN/ARN-6 automatic
direction finder
RT-33A
ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015 • NO ITEMS MAY BE REPRODUCED WITHOUT THE PERMISSION OF THE COPYRIGHT HOLDER
FOLLOW WARPLANEDATA ON
ILLUSTRATIONS: © ADRIAN DAVID MOORE 2015
