EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013: Lockheed Shooting Star Jet Warbirds Keep the Excitement Alive at Daily Airshows

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

Airshow organizers faced the challenge of providing jet aircraft performances in the absence of the military jet teams during the 2013 airshow season, and EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 was no exception.  As discussed in the previous feature, the role of jet action in the daily airshows was  filled by civilian warbird jets performing as individuals or in teams such as the Black Diamond Jet Team.  One of the most popular warbird jets on the airshow circuit is the Lockheed/Canadair T-33 Shooting Star family of jet trainers.  Manufactured mainly during the 1950s following the introduction of the P-80/F-80 series of early jet fighters, nearly 6,000 were built for the U.S. Air Force, U.S. Navy and foreign air forces.  Later in it's service career, the aircraft was also used for other emerging roles such as drone director and target tow, and some aircraft were modified for the reconnaissance and attack roles in some countries.  Canadair produced 656, many now in the jet warbird fleet, and Kawasaki manufactured 210 in Japan.  The Shooting Star was even used as the basis of the Skyfox trainer aircraft developed as a replacement for the Cessna T-37 in the 1980s, but this effort was not rewarded with a contract.  



Lockheed T-33 with MO
Air National Guard*

The T-33 continues to fly in support of current aircraft development programs as chase aircraft and in other secondary roles, and of course, many can be found on the airshow circuit.  The Aero Experience continues our coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2013 with more jet airshow action featuring the T-33 Shooting Star:

*Greater St. Louis Air & Space Museum Archives