Span:  16.25"

Length: 16.25"

The T-33 trainer, "T-Bird," came from the F-80 fighter which also bore the name Shooting Star. By adding three feet to the fuselage the world's first jet trainer was born. The cockpit grew to two places and the six machine guns came out.

Design work for the P-80 began in 1943 with the first flight on Jan. 8, 1944. The F-80, then P-80, was the first jet fighter to enter squadron service in the Army Air Force and saw action in Korea. As more advanced jets entered service, the F-80 took on another role - training jet pilots.

The two-place T-33 jet was designed for training pilots already qualified to fly propeller-driven aircraft. It was developed from the single-seat F-80 fighter by lengthening the fuselage slightly more than three feet to accommodate a second cockpit.