The T-33 Shooting Star
The T-33 S/N 53-5916 on display
The Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star (or T-Bird) is an American jet trainer aircraft. It was produced by Lockheed and made its first flight in 1948. The T-33 was developed from the Lockheed P-80/F-80 starting as TP-80C/TF-80C in development, then designated T-33A.
A total of 6,557 units were produced.
Cache is not at the indicated coordinates. To solve for the coordinates you will need to locate the Jet. On the left wing tip fuel tank there is a plate that reads: "Tank assembled for use on F-AB, F-CD, or T-EE series aircraft." Where A, B, C, D, and E are numbers to get the coordinates of the final.
Cache is located at:
N 41 57.A(B+1)(D+5)
W 91 41.B(E-1)(C-2)
This example was built in 1953 as a T-33A-1-LO and later converted to a DT-33A (drone director) and hence the “DTR-619” stenciled on the nose. The tail number is consistent with Air Force aircraft numbering procedures with the “O” indicating that the aircraft was more than 10 years old and still in the inventory and the “3” indicating the last number of the contract manufacturing year (1953). When put together it reads “0-35916.” The last three numbers from tail are repeated on nose with aircraft type abbreviated with code letters: DTR-916. D (for drone director) and TR (for trainer). Had it not been modified to a drone director the nose number would have remained TR-916.
By 1953, nine out of ten jet fighter pilots were trained in T-33s in the US and abroad. The Iowa Air National Guard had one or two assigned to each squadron until the early 1970s. They were very successful training aircraft and many are flying today at airshows and as flight test chase planes. There are several located in Iowa at city parks and airports.
Service History of S/N 53-5916:
- Sep 6, 1955: Delivered to US Air Force
- Sep 1955: Transferred to Sacramento Air Material Area, McClellan AFB, CA (to DT-33A)
- Nov 1956: Transferred to 3205th Drone Group (Air Proving Ground Command), Holloman AFB, NM
- Dec 1957: Transferred to Air Proving Ground Center (Air Research and Development Command), Holloman AFB, NM
- Feb 1961: Transferred to Air Force Missile Development Center (ARDC), Holloman AFB, NM (to JDT-33A, deployment to Eglin AFB FL)
- Nov 1965: Transferred to Military Aircraft Storage and Disposition Center, Davis-Monthan AFB, Tuscon, AZ
- Jun 1967: Dropped from inventory and made a museum aircraft
- 1968: Loaned to the City of Cedar Rapids for display
Iowa Air National Guard T-33
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