Lockheed T-33 DGA models

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by Wyvern

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

Wyvern, Thanks, I don't think of myself as a great builder, but with practice I am getting pretty good at building them. I am always working on my technique, seeking to find better results. I think I may need to do a build thread to show what I have learned so far.

The shape of the T-33 is difficult to model and I am amazed at how Rob was able to design it in paper.

[Jan Kytop]

I was asking myself. Do you have a T-33 with decoration for an aircraft used during the Korean War?

Thanks.

[Meteor]

[QUOTE=-Jim G;782934]Wyvern, Thanks, I don't think of myself as a great builder, but with practice I am getting pretty good at building them. I am always working on my technique, seeking to find better results. I think I may need to do a build thread to show what I have learned so far.

Without being a designer I dare to say, that I totally agree with Jim, that the T-33 must be a really difficult plane to design especially its nose.

I would like to see more photos of this latest model.

I have bought and/or downloaded several paper versions from different designers and I can say that I am still not fully satisfied with the results

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by Jan Kytop

I was asking myself. Do you have a T-33 with decoration for an aircraft used during the Korean War?

Jan, I am not the Korean War expert that you are. It has never occurred to me that T-33s would have served in Korea given their limited armament. It is very likely that T-33s were stationed in Japan during that time so that F-80, and F-84, and F-86 pilots could get dual control qualifying flights with instructors. Let me know if you have information that would put a T-33 in Korea. If you have a picture or two, we would certainly put that livery on one of our models.

[Jan Kytop]

Originally Posted by -Jim G

Jan, I am not the Korean War expert that you are. It has never occurred to me that T-33s would have served in Korea given their limited armament. It is very likely that T-33s were stationed in Japan during that time so that F-80, and F-84, and F-86 pilots could get dual control qualifying flights with instructors. Let me know if you have information that would put a T-33 in Korea. If you have a picture or two, we would certainly put that livery on one of our models.

Thank you for your reply.
I have these two pictures:

[Don Boose]

In the early 1950s, Milton Caniff drew a Steve Canyon story entitled "In Formosa's Dire Strait." I can't find my copy of the Kitchen Sink reprint that included that story, but as I recall Steve had a T-33 altered to look like an F-94B (then the very latest USAF fighter) and, if my memory serves, pretended to defect with the airplane. I can't for the life of me remember what happened after that, and I can't find the book in my Milton Caniff library, so I can't show you what imaginary markings Caniff used on that airplane.

But the discussion of T-33s in Japan and Korea during the Korean War reminded me.

Don

[tigertony100]

Well, as far as I know Korea War T-33 has the fuel tanks behind the wings a la P-80 style, very few of them has wing tip tanks.

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by tigertony100

Well, as far as I know Korea War T-33 has the fuel tanks behind the wings a la P-80 style, very few of them has wing tip tanks.

Tony, you are correct. The original F-80 wing tip tanks were 165 gallon capacity and slung under the wingtips. T-33s used the same wing tanks as the F-80s.

Aircraft operating over Korea from Misawa Air Base in Japan found that they had a very limited combat range. Personnel at Misawa developed a longer tank with 90 gallon greater capacity. These were called Misawa Tanks. They were also mounted under the wingtips.

Later, the Fletcher Company started to manufacture 230 gallon tanks which are mounted in-line with the wing, and sport a winglet on the outboard side. These tanks were superior to the previous models and replaced all of the earlier tanks.

The models that I have built thus far all have the Fletcher tanks. DGA has one version with the original Lockheed tanks which will be published in time.

It would be interesting to find the dimensions of a Misawa tank, it has a pointier nose than the Lockheed tank, is underslung to the wingtip, and has nearly the size of the Fletcher tank but it has no winglet.

[-Jim G]

Originally Posted by Jan Kytop

Thank you for your reply.
I have these two pictures:

I will ask DGAs graphics folks whether they will create one, or both of these.

[Jan Kytop]

Originally Posted by -Jim G

I will ask DGAs graphics folks whether they will create one, or both of these.

It will be a fine addition to my museum!