Lockheed F-94C Starfire
The F-94 series all-weather interceptors
were developed from the Lockheed F-80 Shooting Star. The prototype F-94
first flew on July 1, 1949. The Starfire was subsequently produced in the
-A, -B, and -C series. The F-94C (originally designated the F-97A) was a
fundamental redesign of the F-94B and made its first flight on January 18,
1950.
Improvements in the F-94C included a
higher thrust engine, single point refuelling, a redesigned wing, a
sweptback horizontal stabilizer, upgraded fire-control and navigation
systems and, later, mid-wing rocket pods. Twenty-four rockets were carried
in the nose in a ring around the radome, shielded by retractable doors,
with an additional 24 in the wing pods, if installed. The F-94C carried no
guns. Starfires were employed in the air defence of the Continental U.S.
in the 1950s. In the F-94A form, they served as the first all-jet
all-weather interceptor for the Air Defence Command. The last F-94Cs were
withdrawn from USAF service in 1959.
SPECIFICATIONS
Span: 37 ft. 4 in.
Length: 44 ft. 6 in.
Height: 14 ft. 11 in.
Weight: 24,000 lbs. loaded
Armament: Twenty-four 2.75 in. Folding Fin Air Rockets (FFARs) in
nose and twenty-four FFARs in two wing pods
Engine: Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5 or -5A of 8,750 lbs. thrust with
afterburner
Crew: Two
Cost: $534,000
Serial Number: 50-980
C/N: 880-8025
Displayed As:50-1054
PERFORMANCE
Maximum speed: 640 mph.
Cruising speed: 476 mph.
Range: 1,275 miles
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