iscover
Totally unrecognisable as a T-33, the fuselage re-forming, new engines and modified wingtips are clearly visible in this photo. Boeing claims performance capabilities similar to the best current intermediate jet trainers yet at a fraction of the programme cost.
Update – Boeing Skyfox
0 comment
The Boeing Skyfox Jet Trainer
Boeing have taken over the potentially promising Skyfox jet trainer programme and have offered the aircraft to the RAAF to fulfil a number of roles.
The Skyfox is a most interesting programme any goes a long way to proving the old adage that ‘life begins at forty’! Skyfox is basically a substantially refurbished Lockheed T-33 trainer married to nineteen eighties technology to produce a relatively high-performance military aircraft of minimal cost.
Origins of the type date back to earlier this decade when Lockheed were looking at a refurbishing programme for Portugal’s T-33 fleet following the sale of a number of Tristar jetliners to the Portuguese airline, TAP. With the cessation of the Tristar programme Lockheed let its offset commitment slip and so the project, which had won wide support within Lockheed, was proceeded with to the flight test stage by a group of retired employees. The fact that most of these highly trained professionals came direct from the famous Lockheed Skunk Work’s (which was responsible for the F-104, U-2, SR-71, YF- 12A, TR-1 and the present stealth fighter) testifies to the innovative design changes that make the Skyfox the potentially saleable aircraft that it is.
This content is available exclusively to Australian Aviation members.
A monthly membership is only $5.99 or save with our annual plans.
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
- Unlimited access to all Australian Aviation digital content
- Access to the Australian Aviation app
- Australian Aviation quarterly print & digital magazines
- Access to In Focus reports every month on our website
- Access to our Behind the Lens photo galleries and other exclusive content
- Daily news updates via our email bulletin
Want to see more stories from trusted news sources?
Make Australian Aviation a preferred news source on Google.
Click here to add Australian Aviation as a preferred news source.
