Lockheed F-94 Starfire

Lockheed Corporation · United States · first flew 1949 · fighter

The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was the United States Air Force's first operational jet-powered all-weather interceptor, developed from the T-33 trainer to carry an airborne radar and a radar operator in the rear cockpit. It relied on unguided rockets rather than guns for its primary armament.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Mid-mounted, swept
E — Engines	1 × turbojet, fuselage-mounted
F — Fuselage	13.6 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

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Spot it by:

Early jet all-weather interceptor derived from T-33
Radar nose and rocket armament
Single turbojet with afterburner on F-94C

Visually similar to the T-33, identifiable by the longer radar nose, two-seat tandem cockpit with distinct canopy framing, and on the F-94C by the rocket-ring around the nose intake.

Specifications

The Lockheed F-94 Starfire has a length of 13.6 m (45 ft).
It has a wingspan of 13 m (43 ft).
Its maximum speed is 941 km/h (585 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Rushed into service in 1950 to counter the Soviet Tu-4 bomber threat, the F-94 was a rapid development of the T-33/P-80 family. It saw combat in the Korean War flying night interception missions against communist Po-2 biplanes and Yak-18s—an unusual role for a jet fighter. The definitive F-94C introduced a redesigned wing and replaced guns with a ring of 24 unguided Mighty Mouse rockets around the nose.

Variants

The F-94A and B were transitional versions; the F-94C was the major production model with a redesigned thinner wing and all-rocket armament.

Where you'll see it

Operated exclusively by the US Air Force Air Defense Command from 1950 until replaced by the F-86D and F-101 in the mid-1950s.

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