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Boeing Skyfox

1983 COLD WAR X-PLANE

History of Boeing Skyfox

Boeing Skyfox is a retrofit program to modernize a large fleet of existing Lockheed T-33 Meteor jet trainers that were widely used and sold during the Cold War. The T-33 is a two-seat trainer developed from the P-80/F-80 "Meteor" single-seat fighter jets that appeared during World War II. The F-80 served in the Korean War, while the T-33 was used to launch a whole new generation of jet pilots. Due to its World War II origins, it was only a matter of time before the system reached its technological limits (the T-33 is largely obsolete today, but remained in service until 2005).

Lockheed has built more than 6,500 T-33s, another 656 by Air Canada (as the CT-133 "Silver Star" and its Rolls-Royce Nene turbojet), and hundreds more in Manufactured under license from Kawasaki, Japan.

With the T-33 in service, Skyfox (formerly Flight Concepts, founded in 1982) was formed by ex-Lockheed engineers. A design program was launched to overhaul these older aircraft, giving them a more modern exterior and completely redesigned interiors, while significantly improving performance and reducing operating costs. The program proved so promising that Boeing bought Skyfox in 1986 to begin offering retrofit kits to a larger market. However, few potential buyers showed up, and cheaper propeller-driven alternatives offered stiff competition. The program ultimately failed when only one prototype was completed in 1982 - a modified variant of the former Canadian CT-133 "Silver Star".

The first flight of the Skyfox prototype took place on August 23, 1983. The program was completely phased out in 1997.

Skyfox plans to completely redesign the exterior of the T-33, so much so that the original aircraft is barely recognizable in its new livery. A new, sharper nose cone was developed, while the one-piece headliner took on a more "teardrop" shape. The wings remained straight attachments and mounted low on the sides of the fuselage, but gained additional surface area at the wing roots, while wingtip drop tanks were optional.

Whereas the original T-33 used a single turbojet engine buried in the fuselage and drawn in by two side-mounted air intakes, the Skyfox kit had two external engine nacelles mounted centrally aft of the fuselage. The original air intakes were streamlined to conform to the general shape of the aircraft, while the internal volume was replaced by fuel tanks. This forces the horizontal stabilizer to rise from the fuselage to the vertical stabilizer itself in a "T" arrangement. The landing gear remains a traditional trike configuration and is fully retractable with nose wheel steering and power brakes for improved ground control.

Additional upgrade packages will be available on Skyfox routes, which will improve the avionics suite and electronics.

The original T-33 was powered by an Allison J33-A-35 series turbojet, while the Skyfox modification was fitted with a pair of more modern Garret brand TFE731-3A series turbofan engines, both increasing With improved power and improved efficiency, each unit is rated at 3,700 pounds of thrust. In testing, the Skyfox prototype reported a range of 2,200 miles on internal fuel and optional external storage.

The fuselage achieves a service ceiling of 40,000 feet at a climb rate of 4,900 feet per minute, while the new engines drastically reduce the aircraft's takeoff distance from 4,600 feet to 2,600 feet and increase lift-off time. Maximum takeoff weight is 20,000 lbs.

Skyfox's design work went beyond creating an advanced modern jet trainer and also envisioned a ground attack role. As a result, the fuselage can carry approximately 6,000 pounds of external bearings via multiple underwing mount points, and the ordnance options will include machine gun and cannon pods, as well as conventional bomb-throwing and rocket pods for close-support strike roles.

This effectively expands the aircraft's tactical and logistical capabilities to appeal to a wider market.

Despite impressive efforts, there is little market interest in more modern T-33 replacements, mainly from interest within Bolivia and Ecuador, while the US Air Force and Portugal have also been nominated as candidates . As such, the Skyfox program didn't have much momentum in aviation history.