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NT-33 Shooting Star
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Photo:
Robert Deering 10/18/2012 National Museum of the USAF Dayton, Ohio |
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The NT-33A was a
T-33 trainer adapted as an in-flight
simulator assigned to Wright Laboratory and
its predecessor organizations. A civilian
contractor, Calspan SRL Corp. of Buffalo,
N.Y., operated and maintained the aircraft
to train hundreds of Air Force and Navy
pilots to test advanced aircraft, to examine
new control concepts and human factors
concerns and to discover potential handling
problems in new aircraft. It was used to
perform studies in flying qualities, cockpit
displays, control sticks and flight control
design of aircraft, including the X-15,
A-10, F-15, F-16, F-18, F-117 and F-22.
The aircraft, fitted with a Lockheed F-94A nose, had a three degree-of-freedom, response-feedback flight control system that provided independent control of the pitch, roll and yaw motions. The control stick and rudder pedals in the front seat were connected to a computer that was programmed to perform according to the flight characteristics of the aircraft being simulated. As the evaluation pilot moved the controls, the NT-33A responded as would the simulated aircraft. The rear seat was occupied by a safety pilot whose standard controls enabled him to fly the aircraft in the event of a computer malfunction or if the aircraft being simulated proved to difficult to control. During the NT-33A's 40 years of distinguished service, Calspan performed numerous research programs around the country. The NT-33 conducted its last research project in April 1997 and was flown to Wright-Patterson Air Force Base, Ohio, for display in the National Museum of the United States Air Force. |
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