Lockheed 'Stars': F-80, TO-1, F-94, T-33 (TO-2, TV-2), T-1 (T2V), and F-90

[dy031101]

Joseph F. Baugher states on his P-59 entry that the P-80 was actually was actually inspired by initial work of Bell engineers on a single-engined P-59: when Bell ended up too busy with other projects, the USAAF transferred the preliminary drawings of the single-engined P-59 to Lockheed......

And since I have a penchant for big guns, this got me wondering what if a variant of P-80 armed with a 37mm cannon (and, if possible, still a couple of .50 cal. MGs) existed......  

[Jschmus]

Photos of operational SeaStars seem to be thin on the ground, or at least on the net, so I was pleasantly surprised when the Naval Aviation Museum at Pensacola posted this on their Facebook page.  The photo is captioned "T2V-1 Seastars fly in formation over the training aircraft carrier Antietam (CVS 36) anchored in Pensacola Bay, circa 1961."

[NARSES2]

Bit of a thread revival but there's an interesting photograph in June's Airfix Magazine of the EF-80 Shooting Star prone-pilot test aircraft. It's only of the cockpit and intake area as the article is about the prone-pilot Meteor, but the two posed side by side on a stand would look interesting.

I wasn't aware of this US program and another one I wasn't aware of is a photo in the same article of the British Reid and Sigrist RS.4 Bobsleigh. Earlier British trials aircraft and one I new absolutely nothing about. Need to dig into this a little more

[jcf]

Bit of a thread revival but there's an interesting photograph in June's Airfix Magazine of the EF-80 Shooting Star prone-pilot test aircraft. It's only of the cockpit and intake area as the article is about the prone-pilot Meteor, but the two posed side by side on a stand would look interesting.

I wasn't aware of this US program and another one I wasn't aware of is a photo in the same article of the British Reid and Sigrist RS.4 Bobsleigh. Earlier British trials aircraft and one I new absolutely nothing about. Need to dig into this a little more

Northrop MX-324 and XP-79 were also prone pilot.

[NARSES2]

Northrop MX-324 and XP-79 were also prone pilot.

I'd never really twigged that Jon, thanks 

That photo I've included in the quote could almost pass as a land speed record attempt car in that particular shot

[Captain Canada]

Glad it's been revived ! Love this family. Great pic of the 4 ship !

[Mossie]

That photo I've included in the quote could almost pass as a land speed record attempt car in that particular shot

Like Skeleton for LSR cars, "it's not dangerous enough, lets do it head first!"

[jcf]

That photo I've included in the quote could almost pass as a land speed record attempt car in that particular shot

Like Skeleton for LSR cars, "it's not dangerous enough, lets do it head first!"

There have been a few of those, car and bike. 

[Weaver]

Some Starfire ideas of varying craziness:

F-94E close support aircraft, converted from surplus F-94C interceptors: remove the afterburner and replace it with an aft-fan unit (the fuselage OD was much greater than the pre-afterburner jetpipe OD) with auxiliary intakes for the fan coming forward to the fuselage transport joint just behind the trailing edge to avoid FOD problems. Radar and rocket tubes removed and replaced with 4 x 20mm, backseater and his equipment replaced by a fuel tank.

RF-94F recce aircraft: remove the radar and rocket tubes from an F-94C and replace them with a LOROP camera with a roll-stabilised mirror in the nose cone. Possibly extended wings too. Could also use this as a testbed/operational trials aircraft for early EO/thermal systems for use in Vietnam. It'd go well with the aft-fan described above too, since it would need endurance more than speed.

Ultimate interceptor version: remove the nose rocket tubes and fit a bigger radome for a bigger and better radar system. Increase the diameter of the wing-mounted rocket pods so that they hold 19 instead of 12 (i.e. standard FFAR pod), then make up for the loss of rockets (down from 48 to 38) by adding two, or possibly four, AIM-4A/B Falcons on underwing pylons.

[Weaver]

This glorious thing is the F-94D fighter-bomber prototype converted, after cancellation of a production order, into a testbed for the Vulcan cannon:



Now that long nose makes me think of SLAR - Side-Looking Airborne Radar. So what if, after the Vulcan trials, the F-94D was converted into a SLAR trials aircraft? SLAR aerials need a degree of roll-stabilization inside their housings, so maybe the aircraft would have a long dielectric canoe fairing under the nose, offset to clear the nosewheel bay and extending right back to the main gear bays. The nosewheel bay would have a modified single-hinge door, opening away from the SLAR, with the rear two-thirds of it closing again to minimise side area. Speaking of side area, there'd be a lot more of it, all at the front, which would need addressing. The F-94's already a bit short on ground clearance at the back, so a ventral fin is probably not an option. For a test aircraft, a relatively crude fin-fillet and tip-extension would do the job, and would create less drag than the other option, which is Gannet-style extra fins on the tailplanes.


Re my previous suggestion of a LOROP F-94C, here's a pic of a tac-recce EF-94C that got as far as a flying prototype. Note that this is NOT the same as my LOROP proposal, but it's still an interesting possibility, which you could also do to a surplus F-94B:



Anybody got any idea why it's called an 'EF-94C' as opposed to an 'RF-94C', which I would have thought was more logical?

[Mossie]

According to Wiki:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/1924_United_States_Army_Air_Service_aircraft_designation_system

E = Exempt from modification orders (loaned to outside organizations)

Was it a private venture?

[Knightflyer]

Anybody got any idea why it's called an 'EF-94C' as opposed to an 'RF-94C', which I would have thought was more logical?

What's the badge /"roundel" on it? It looks like a member of The Commonwealth has got at it! ?

[Dizzyfugu]

If you take a closer look, it's the same stylized "paper plane" symbol that's repeated on the fin - just on a white BG and with the blue ring. IIRC this was a symbol used at Edwards AB for "special test items", including at least one early MiG (a 15 or 17) tested there, too.

[Knightflyer]

If you take a closer look, it's the same stylized "paper plane" symbol that's repeated on the fin - just on a white BG and with the blue ring. IIRC this was a symbol used at Edwards AB for "special test items", including at least one early MiG (a 15 or 17) tested there, too.

I'll take your word for it ....your eyes must be better than mine.....all I keep seeing is 601 squadrons winged sword! 

[Dizzyfugu]

Well, you just recognize it when you know what you are looking for/at.

Otherwise I'd subscribe to the Commenwealth theory, almost looks like a sun-bleached RNZAF roundel...