Lockheed T-33 DGA models

[-Jim G]

Thanks Don and Bruno!
I am jealous of your experience Don.

These were amazing planes. They had such longevity. For a type that first flew in 1948, I worked on them in 1979. I understand that the final T-33 in the US inventory was retired in 1997.

[gomidefilho]

Shooting Star's longevity is impressive. To think that until very recently they were in service as top-of-the-line aircraft in Mexico, Canada, Bolivia.

The first T-33A arrived in Brazil in 1956 and initially equipped the 1st/4th Aviation Group, headquartered at the Fortaleza Air Force Base. In February 1967 the 1st/14th Aviation Group, at Canoas Air Base, received its first TF-33s, followed by the 1st Fighter Aviation Group (based at Santa Cruz Air Base) in 1967.

The Brazilian Air Force operated 58 T-33As, which received registration numbers FAB 4310 to FAB 4367. Of this total, 48 were AT-33A-20-LO, configured for tactical support missions, with the capacity to carry two 454 kg or 10 12.7 mm HVAR rockets under the wings. The ten training examples were designated as T-33 and T-33A, and the others received the designation TF-33, TF-33A and AT-33A.

The T-33A was replaced by the EMBRAER AT-26 Xavante in 1972 in the 1st GAVCA and in 1973 in the 1st/4th GAV, with all remaining examples being transferred to the 1st/14th GAV, which used them until 1975, when it was finally withdrawn from service, replaced by the Northrop F-5E Tiger II.





When I did my mandatory military service in Brazil with the Brazilian Air Force, I spent hours admiring the lines of the T-33 preserved as a monument at the Canoas Air Force Base, where I served. The blue band with the stars represents the constellation Cruzeiro do Sul, (southern cross) which so much guided the legendary pilots of the pioneering times on their flights in the Southern Hemisphere and is the symbol 1º/14º GAVCA.

DGA will soon offer the FAB's TF-33, I had the honor of building it in 1/100 scale. As I've said before and Jim is proving with his wonderful builds it's an easy and effective model to build that DGA is lovingly improving textures and bringing more realism to certain pieces compared to the edits that were in the first Ecardmodels store over the past decade.





















Jim

Sorry for intruding on your thread.

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by gomidefilho

Jim

Sorry for intruding on your thread.

Pericles! Quite to the contrary, I love your contribution to this thread: Pictures of aircraft; History of the aircraft in the FAB; Beautiful pictures of the model you built. Thank you!

I am about halfway done with my 14th model, so here is a picture that I took today of the first 13:

[gomidefilho]

Amazing collection and my pleasure contribute Jim my friend.

[-Jim G]

I have just uploaded the second in the series of T-33 models to Ecardmodels

[Don Boose]

Beautiful! Post 13 looks like a carrier deck.

Don

[Rata]

Superb 'metal' texturing on the Thunderbirds T-33 Jim!

[Don Boose]

Yes. Very realistic and artistic.

Don

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by Don Boose

Beautiful! Post 13 looks like a carrier deck.

Yes Don, I thought so too! It is the deck of the municipal dock at my local lake.
I like to photo my models outside.

Originally Posted by Rata

Superb 'metal' texturing on the Thunderbirds T-33 Jim!

I absolutely agree with you Rata! I think that Gary did a fantastic job with the aluminium texture. It made the model a pleasure to build and photo!

[Wyvern]

Great builds, Jim. I’ve tried the DGA T-33 twice without achieving an eighth of the neatness you’ve achieved.

Wyvern