Lockheed | ||||||||||||||||||||||
F-94 Starfire
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Photo: Robert Deering 1985 National Museum of the USAF Wright-Paterson AFB (FFO) Dayton, Ohio |
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Developed from the
T-33 Shooting Star, the two-place F-94 was
the first American all-weather jet
interceptor and the first U.S. production
jet to have an afterburner. The large radar
in the nose permitted the observer in the
rear seat to locate an enemy aircraft at
night or in poor weather. The pilot then
flew the Starfire into proper position for
an attack based upon the observer's radar
indications.
During its service in the 1950s, the F-94 operated primarily in the defense of the United States against Soviet bomber attack, flying with USAF and Air National Guard units. During the Korean War, the USAF replaced the propeller-driven F-82 Twin Mustang with the more capable Starfire. In 1951 F-94s started flying in defense of Japanese air space, and the next year Starfires began flying night bomber escort and air defense missions from bases in Korea. Lockheed produced 853 F-94s; of these, 110 were F-94As. |
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