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| T2V-1 / T-1 SeaStar | |
|---|---|
 Lockheed T-1A Seastar in 1959 | |
| General information | |
| Type | carrier-capable trainer |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed |
| Primary user | United States Navy |
| Number built | 150 |
| History | |
| Introduction date | May 1957 |
| First flight | 15 December 1953 |
| Retired | 1970s |
| Developed from | Lockheed T-33 |
TheLockheed T2V SeaStar, later called theT-1 SeaStar, is acarrier-capablejet trainer for theUnited States Navy that entered service in May 1957. Developed from theLockheed T-33 (itself derived from theLockheed P-80 Shooting Star), it was powered by oneAllison J33 engine.
Starting in 1949, the U.S. Navy used the Lockheed T-33 for land-based jet aircraft training. The T-33 was a derivative of theLockheed P-80/F-80 fighter and was first named TO-2, then TV-2 in Navy service. However, the TV-2 was not suitable for operation from aircraft carriers. The persisting need for a carrier-compatible trainer led to a further, more advanced design development of the P-80/T-33 family, which came into being with the Lockheed designationL-245 and USN designationT2V. Lockheed's demonstrator L-245 first flew on 16 December 1953 and production deliveries to the US Navy began in 1956.[1]
Compared to the T-33/TV-2, the T2V was almost totally re-engineered for carrier landings and at-sea operations with a redesigned tail, naval standard avionics, a strengthened undercarriage (with catapult fittings) and lower fuselage (with a retractable arrestor hook), power-operated leading-edge flaps (to increase lift at low speeds) to allow carrier launches and recoveries, and an elevated rear (instructor's) seat for improved instructor vision, among other changes. Unlike other P-80 derivatives, the T2V could withstand the shock of landing on a pitching carrier deck and had a much higher ability to withstand sea water-related aircraft wear from higher humidity and salt exposure.
The only version of the T2V was initially designatedT2V-1 when it entered service, but was redesignatedT-1A SeaStar under the1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system, the designation under which it would spend the majority of its career.
The T-1A was replaced by theNorth American T-2 Buckeye but remained in service into the 1970s.
As of 2017, one T2V-1A airworthy, based atPhoenix-Mesa Gateway Airport (former Williams Air Force Base) in Mesa, Arizona,[2] and being flown for experimental and display purposes. Two examples are preserved on public display inTucson,Arizona.[3]
Data from Lockheed Aircraft since 1913[4]
General characteristics
Performance
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
