The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American subsonic jet trainer. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A .

The two-place T-33 jet was designed for training pilots already qualified to fly propeller-driven aircraft. It was developed from the single-seat F-80 fighter by lengthening the fuselage about three feet to accommodate a second cockpit.

Jan 5, 2014 · America’s first operational jet fighter was the Lockheed P–80 Shooting Star, which first flew in 1944. Unfortunately, the propeller-driven trainers of World War II could not prepare pilots well for flying turbojet airplanes.

As the F-80 became the first operational jet for the USAAF, the demand for a two-seat trainer version grew. A prototype TF-80C (48-0356) was built that was three feet longer than the F-80. This aircraft now lives as a gate guard at Lackland AFB, San Antonio, TX.

The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star, also known as the T-Bird, was America’s first jet trainer. The single-engine aircraft is a variation of the F-80 jet fighter and is known for its climbing and gliding ability.

Jan 1, 2020 · The T-33 Shooting Star is Lockheed's longest lasting jet trainer. See the T-33 Shooting Star specifications, evolution and more on Military Machine.

The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star was designed by Clarence Kelly Johnson and manufactured by Lockheed as an American subsonic trainer aircraft during the late 1940s. Based on the Lockheed P-80/F-80 jet fighter, the T-33 Shooting Star first flew in March 1948 and was retired in July 2017.

The Lockheed T-33 is a single-engine two-seat jet trainer aircraft produced by the US-American manufacturer Lockheed Corporation. The Lockheed T-33 T-Bird is a two-seat trainer variant of the Lockheed P-80/F-80 Shooting Star, initially designated TF-80C.

The Shooting Star was the first U.S. Air Force aircraft to exceed 500 mph in level flight, the first American jet airplane to be manufactured in large quantities, and the first USAF jet to be used in combat. A major variant of the F-80 was the T-33 Shooting Star, a two-seat trainer version.

The most widely used jet trainer in the world is the Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star. Essentially a two-seat version of the USAF F-80, America's first operation jet fighter, the T-33 continues in use today.