Northrop T-38A Talon

The T-38 Talon has been training U.S. Air Force pilots since 1961. It was developed to replace the T-33 as the main jet trainer for the Air Force. The first Talon flew in 1959 and they began appearing in service in 1961. In all 1,189 T-38As were built between 1960 and 1972. The upgraded T-38C Talon remains in service with the U.S. Air Force as a trainer, with the U.S. Navy as an adversary aircraft in the Top Gun program, and with NASA.

Service History:

Built by Northrop Aircraft, Hawthorne, California and delivered to the USAF on April 2, 1962.

April 1962 To 3560^th Maintenance Support Group, Webb AFB, Texas.

August 1963 To 3560^th Pilot Training Wing, Webb AFB, Texas.

November 1972 To San Antonio Air Logistics Center, Kelly AFB, Texas.

July 1976 To Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona for storage.

1977-1978 To Taiwan for advanced pilot training.

April 1981 Dropped from inventory as surplus.

June 1982 Loaned to Pima Air & Space Museum by the National Museum of the United States Air Force.

Wingspan	25 ft 3 in.
Length	46 ft 4 in.
Height	12 ft 10 in.
Weight	11,761 lbs (loaded)
Maximum Speed	805 MPH
Service Ceiling	45,000 ft
Range	860 miles
Engines	Two General Electric J85-GE-5A turbojets with 3,850 pounds of thrust
Crew	2

Manufacturer
Northrop

Markings
3560^th Pilot Training Wing, Webb AFB, Texas, 1963

Designation
T-38A

Serial Number
61-0854