Northrop T-38A Talon
While the USAF had no interest in Northrop’s N-156F low-cost fighter program (which eventually became first the F-5A Freedom Fighter and then the F-5E Tiger II), it saw potential in the two-seat N-156T. The T-33 Shooting Star and T-37 trainers then in service offered only subsonic performance, while USAF fighters in the late 1950s were nearly all capable of supersonic speed. Students graduating from subsonic T-33s would be going immediately into supersonic “Century Series” fighters. With this in mind, the USAF ordered the N-156T as the T-38A Talon in March 1959, with the aircraft entering service in 1961. Fifty years later, the Talon is still the USAF’s primary trainer, with no change in external appearance.
As a trainer, the T-38 has performance equal to that of a fighter, and is quite nimble and fast. For this reason, it has also been used as an aggressor aircraft on occasion by the USAF and US Navy, as a chase aircraft and astronaut trainer by NASA, and even as “emergency fighters” by the Portuguese Air Force. Despite being something of a “hot rod,” the T-38 is still quite forgiving in its role as a trainer, and over 55,000 pilots have won their wings while flying it. During the early 1980s, the USAF converted a small number of T-38s to AT-38B standard, adding a centerline hardpoint for weapons training. In 2003, the USAF upgraded its remaining T-38As and AT-38Bs to T-38C standard, bringing the design into the 21st Century, with upgraded avionics, HUD, INS, GPS, and modification to its engines for better thrust at low altitudes. Besides the USAF, six other air forces have also used Talons, and many more have trained with USAF aircraft.
Information on T-38s tend to be sparse, and 62-3634 is no different. All that can be found about this aircraft is that it was at one time in storage at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Ogden, Utah, but was declared surplus to the museum's needs, along with a T-37B and a F-5B. All three were purchased or donated to the Western Sky Warbird Aviation Museum in St. George; 62-3634 arrived at St. George in 2015.
Its identity remains something of a mystery. It carries the EL tailcode of Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, meaning that it was assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing. It carries an unusual camouflage of two shades of gray (the blue titling on this side of the aircraft are probably where the aircraft was masked for repainting). While it would not be unusual for T-38s to be assigned to USAF bomber units as familiarization or general duty aircraft, there's no listing that I could find of the 28th BW having T-38s on strength. 62-3634 will have to remain anonymous for now, until I can find more information on it. I saw this aircraft in August 2020.
Northrop T-38A Talon
While the USAF had no interest in Northrop’s N-156F low-cost fighter program (which eventually became first the F-5A Freedom Fighter and then the F-5E Tiger II), it saw potential in the two-seat N-156T. The T-33 Shooting Star and T-37 trainers then in service offered only subsonic performance, while USAF fighters in the late 1950s were nearly all capable of supersonic speed. Students graduating from subsonic T-33s would be going immediately into supersonic “Century Series” fighters. With this in mind, the USAF ordered the N-156T as the T-38A Talon in March 1959, with the aircraft entering service in 1961. Fifty years later, the Talon is still the USAF’s primary trainer, with no change in external appearance.
As a trainer, the T-38 has performance equal to that of a fighter, and is quite nimble and fast. For this reason, it has also been used as an aggressor aircraft on occasion by the USAF and US Navy, as a chase aircraft and astronaut trainer by NASA, and even as “emergency fighters” by the Portuguese Air Force. Despite being something of a “hot rod,” the T-38 is still quite forgiving in its role as a trainer, and over 55,000 pilots have won their wings while flying it. During the early 1980s, the USAF converted a small number of T-38s to AT-38B standard, adding a centerline hardpoint for weapons training. In 2003, the USAF upgraded its remaining T-38As and AT-38Bs to T-38C standard, bringing the design into the 21st Century, with upgraded avionics, HUD, INS, GPS, and modification to its engines for better thrust at low altitudes. Besides the USAF, six other air forces have also used Talons, and many more have trained with USAF aircraft.
Information on T-38s tend to be sparse, and 62-3634 is no different. All that can be found about this aircraft is that it was at one time in storage at the Hill Aerospace Museum in Ogden, Utah, but was declared surplus to the museum's needs, along with a T-37B and a F-5B. All three were purchased or donated to the Western Sky Warbird Aviation Museum in St. George; 62-3634 arrived at St. George in 2015.
Its identity remains something of a mystery. It carries the EL tailcode of Ellsworth AFB, South Dakota, meaning that it was assigned to the 28th Bomb Wing. It carries an unusual camouflage of two shades of gray (the blue titling on this side of the aircraft are probably where the aircraft was masked for repainting). While it would not be unusual for T-38s to be assigned to USAF bomber units as familiarization or general duty aircraft, there's no listing that I could find of the 28th BW having T-38s on strength. 62-3634 will have to remain anonymous for now, until I can find more information on it. I saw this aircraft in August 2020.