Two T-33 Cockpits. Worth Saving?(2007 Zombie)

On second reading of my post you are probably correct David. Although I imagine some other department within the USAF (other than the Museum) will have a hand in them somewhere.
The net effect will be the same – they will be scrapped at the end of their ‘useful’ life rather than end up in private hands for the reasons suggested above.

I don’t imagine the airframes at Spadeadam are there on the same basis i.e USAF museum loan .

Further details re the USAF airframes can be found here …. http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=93596&highlight=Sculthorpe

and here …. http://forum.keypublishing.co.uk/showthread.php?t=75213&highlight=Sculthorpe

An additional observation.

Re-reading the post above has reminded me that shortly after 9/11 checks were made and ‘certain instrumentation’ removed from these loaned airframes by the USAF; who were obviously ahead of the game, or who knows perhaps were setting the agenda.

:confused:i wonder if these mysteres a t33 are covered by the american lease scheme??
due to them being payed for by the yanks??…ie, will they let them go into private hands ????

All the Mysteres, T-33’s and F100’s are loaned via the USAF Museum at Dayton as they were all MDAP funded by the USA in the 50’s and hence returned to their ownership at the end of their active life.
At the time of their return through Sculthorpe, many of the fledgling collections in the UK were able to take advantage of this loan arrangement and it provided a boost for quite a few collections in their early days.

This arrangement in the post 9/11 era is one the US no longer actively supports hence as colections fold or no longer declare an interest in a particular airframe from this cache they are being retrieved and scrapped to avoid any possible ‘terrorist threat’ :rolleyes: Its entirely unlikely that any will be held by private individuals even as cockpit sections – too much paperwork for the Americans I suspect.

:confused:i wonder if these mysteres a t33 are covered by the american lease scheme??
due to them being payed for by the yanks??…ie, will they let them go into private hands ????

I think I can confirm that given T167’s list – one of the aircraft scrapped was FT – 29.

This small panel and a rudder pedal were all that were identifiable from a dwindling small pile of scrap on the ground.

The two engines are still high and dry in a skip.

P.S. I was told that the aircraft were “borrowed” from the scrap heap to be used in a film set in the North East with Robson (?) before being returned and being scrapped.

Thanks for all your help guys.
Regards.

Graham

Could also try ARCO at Duxford… as they did after all operate the Golden Apple T33 until its demise.

Wasnt there tip tanks and rudder on ebay recently? Also check the barnstormers site as there are parts popping up from time to time…

Thanks Dave. Very much appreciated.
Kind regards.

Graham

Graham,

You could contact Spadeadam.

They might be accomodating as they have replaced some of the T-33’s with Jaguars recently.

It may be that the days of the T-33’s are coming to an end given that two were scrapped.

T-33 parts

Hi all,
Can anyone point me in the direction of a UK source for T-33 parts. In
particular, I need a tail fin/rudder assembly and a pair of tip tanks.
Kind regards.

Graham
Bentwaters Cold War Museum

F-100D

Was still there in October 2008

http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1137886/

Might have now gone in November 2008 according to some sources

Speaking of US-funded airframes in Europe…
Did anyone save the cockpit from the F-100 that was destroyed by the Beaver at a UK collection?

There were seven aircraft flown to Prestwick and then transported to Spadeadam

c/n 5336 FT-01 to Prestwick 05/11/79 to Spadeadam 13/03/80
c/n 5337 FT-02 to Prestwick 05/11/79 to Spadeadam 10/03/80
c/n 5525 FT-06 to Prestwick 05/11/79 to Spadeadam 19/03/80
c/n 5527 FT-07 to Prestwick 12/11/79 to Spadeadam 28/02/80
c/n 5996 FT-10 to Prestwick 12/11/79 to Spadeadam 07/03/80
c/n 5993 FT-11 to Prestwick 05/11/79 to Spadeadam 14/03/80
c/n 9092 FT-29 to Prestwick 12/11/79 to Spadeadam 18/03/80

This is from http://belmilac.wetpaint.com/page/Lockheed+T-33A+T-Bird

As to why one would now have the data plata for c/n 9111 is a mystery

The only other possibility I can think of is if one of the aircraft has been repaired using c/n 9111 as a donor

Both FT-02 and FT-10 have had CAT 4 repairs by SABCA in 1958/59. Also FT-01 has a CAT 2 incident in 1969 and could also have been repaired using a donor airframe. So perhaps c/n 9111 did not go to Turkey but went to Belgium.

I have a memory that I was there the day that a number of ex-Belgium T-33s were delivered to Prestwick which sometime later disappeared and reappeared at Spadeadam.

I visited Spadeadam approximately ten years ago to swap acanopy for the example at NEAM and extract some undercarriage brackets for Elvington.

This involved two trips. During this time I was allowed access to all T33 airframes. They all wore camo that was identical to those worn by the Belgian aircraft in service.

I have never seen any references to anything other than they were all ex Belgian.

Two comments on the previous :

– Belgium never acquired T33s from either Germany or Turkey, all were delivered straight from the US
– None of the Belgian T33s wore c/n 9111

So I guess it’s safe to rule out option one.

Best regards,

Laurent

Data plate

Okay the data plate says it is a T33A – 1LO

It says the aircraft ID is 9111.

Searching on the internet shows two references

1. A picture from May 1959 that shows the 9111 T33A as BD796

2. A list of registrations that says that T33A 9111 was sold to the German AF and then some possibly to Turkey (?) – quote”

53-5769/5772 Lockheed T-33A-1-LO
c/n 580-9108/9111
5772 to German AF as AB-796, BD-796, EA-394, JA-397. To Turkey in 1968″

So options are:

1. It was either sold to Belgium from Germany ( or Turkey ???)
2. The data plate is from another T33 that just happens to have been scrapped at same time
3. The earlier information was misleading.

Dont want to be pedantic – just interested in what the history is.
Any suggestions.

Brian,

All T-33’s up there are almost certainly ex Belgium. Air North had a base tour at Spadeadam in the 80’s and confirmed the serials (I have the report somewhere). I’m wondering if the 9111 could be related to the FAB serial of FT-11? which was reported as being on the dummy airfield.

The SU-22 can been viewed from Spadeadam Farm and thankfully is still fairly intact

Cheers
Dave