Trumpeter 02876 US T-38C Talon II

Northrop T-38A Talon is a two-seat supersonic low-wing training and training low-wing powered by two jet engines. The aircraft design was officially approved in October 1956. Then, in December, the production of the necessary production tooling began and work on prototypes was initiated. Machines marked in the USAF as YT-38 were to be used for flight tests (2 planes) and static tests (the third of the ordered planes). The USAF finally gave the new machine the official designation of the T-38 and ordered the first 4 serial aircraft. Not much later, it was the turn of another order, this time for a batch of 13 machines. The YT-38 flight was made on April 10, 1959. Law Nelson was at the controls. A few days later, on April 14, the plane broke the sound barrier for the first time (in a shallow dive) on its third flight. This happened despite the fact that the machine had a thrust significantly less than the target thrust. Trials of the first three YT-38 gave positive results. There were no design errors, and the plane itself, in accordance with the manufacturer's assumptions, was characterized by good piloting properties. Monthly production, initially 2 planes, was quickly increased to 10, and in 1961 12 machines per month. The flight test program was completed in February 1961 after a total of 2,000 flights. It can be noted that it was then considered the most successful of all conducted at the Edwards base. In October 1959, another 50 aircraft were ordered. In August 1960, Northrop received another order from the USAF, this time for 144 copies. Airplanes of this type were used by NASA pilots to perform the so-called "standards" of flight hours by future astronauts. The lion's share of mass-produced machines is the T-38A version, not adapted to carrying weapons. However, a version of the T-33B was created in small numbers, which could already carry a small package of overhead weapons. Technical data (T-38A version): length: 14.14 m, wingspan: 7.7 m, height: 3.92 m, maximum speed: 1380 km / h, practical ceiling: 15200 m, maximum range: 1830 km, armament: fixed - no .