RidgeRunner Posted August 15, 2017 Share Posted August 15, 2017 Does anyone out there have a definitive list of the T-33/AT-33s operated by the FAE. I am interested in the early serial range only. For example "AT-799" is a known machine. I ask because from the only image I can find of an operational T-bird in the old scheme and serial system it depicts "TF-868", which is listed on the web as an F-80C! Does anyone know the truth? Thanks. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 28, 2017 Author Share Posted September 28, 2017 (edited) Just pushing this one back to the top in the hope of catching the attention of a Latin expert! thanks in advance. Martin Edited September 28, 2017 by RidgeRunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted September 28, 2017 Share Posted September 28, 2017 I expect you've gone down this route but...Google image search for Ecuador Air Force T-33 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ecuador+airforce+T-33&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjik6nt6sjWAhXBUlAKHUhtAlYQsAQIKQ&biw=1366&bih=632#imgrc=maNph-gsDzcWPM:&spf=1506634511979 And Ecuador Air Force AT-33 https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=ecuador+air+force+AT-33&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiin42f68jWAhUIKsAKHXjdCO8Q_AUICygC&biw=1366&bih=632#imgrc=_&spf=1506634602441 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 28, 2017 Author Share Posted September 28, 2017 (edited) Thanks mate but, yes, that's a well trodden path now. Details of these machines are pretty scarce :(. I have an operational photo of what believe is TF-868 but, as I said, the records show that to be an F-80. I just want proof before I put cement to plastic. by the way, that first image is Colombian. Martin Edited September 28, 2017 by RidgeRunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 Just to say that I tried JoeBaugher and drew a blank Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 Does anyone out there have the "Latin American Military Aviation" book by John Andrade (1982)? If so, does it include the T-33 with the various operators? Thanks, Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
72modeler Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 13 hours ago, RidgeRunner said: Does anyone out there have the "Latin American Military Aviation" book by John Andrade (1982)? If so, does it include the T-33 with the various operators? Thanks, Martin Martin, Dan Hagedorn would be the man to answer your question, if anyone can, but I don't know if he visits this site much. Hopefully he will see this and offer his wisdom; from what I have read about him, he's forgotten more about Latin American Air Forces than the rest of us know. You might try contacting him at the site listed in the link I have attached below. Mike http://www.museumofflight.org/user_area/content_media/raw/dan_hagedorn.pdf 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob de Bie Posted September 29, 2017 Share Posted September 29, 2017 (edited) 14 hours ago, RidgeRunner said: Does anyone out there have the "Latin American Military Aviation" book by John Andrade (1982)? If so, does it include the T-33 with the various operators? I was about to mention that title too. I don't have it, but I checked 'Militair 1982' by John Andrade, and it lists: "About a dozen are active. Call signs include AT-707, AT-799, AT-919 and FT-872/52-1872" Rob Edited September 29, 2017 by Rob de Bie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 Thanks Rob. I have that issue but sadly no TF-868. There is an image on line of a preserved TF-808 but Latin American operators are notorious for not being accurate, sadly. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 29, 2017 Author Share Posted September 29, 2017 And thanks Mike on the Dan steer. You are right. Martin Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
spaddad Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 You may be able to contact Dan via the ACIG website. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 Thanks Spaddad Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted September 30, 2017 Share Posted September 30, 2017 On 28/09/2017 at 10:53 PM, RidgeRunner said: that first image is Colombian Thats the wording used in the search for you..Blew past Ecuador and gave you any T-33 ! The Aviation Hobby Shop ( West Drayton) published a book with South American Air Force fleet lists serials etc. "Foreign Military air arms to Europe" 1980,which I have . It only lists Transport a/c and Jaguars. It mentions the Ecuadorian A/F numbering system.. All prefixed FAE and part of the number is based on the a/c's construction number... Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted September 30, 2017 Author Share Posted September 30, 2017 (edited) Thanks bzn20.... I'll keep trying ;)... The numbering system you describe is the modern one. At the time of I am thinking about it was prior to this. At that time they used a weird system that must have had reason but I can't see it! . See my Meteor entry for an example of how weird it was: the Meteors had a FF-xxxx Code and then a "40xxx" tail number. Martin Edited September 30, 2017 by RidgeRunner 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 RR, I've looked through my record cards and can find nothing on these FAE T-33s but may be able to add a bit nevertheless. First T-33s supplied to FAE arrived in the period October-December 1956 - just four machines were delivered and this seems to have been the status quo until more aircraft arrived in the mid-60s. FAE therefore had low utilisation rates and there were between 2 and 3 aircraft declared serviceable at any time during this period. By 1963 the fleet was flying just 227 hours a year. Next deliveries comprised two further T-33s in late 1964 and another pair in the following Spring. USAF/MAP records show that 3 or 4 more were delivered by the end of 1965 and the FAE declared a dozen delivered (which agrees) up to 1971. The serial number issue is simple: initially all aircraft carried the 'last 3' digits of the USAF serial (not the construction number), either as FT-xxx, AT-xxx or FAE-xxx. Later (I'm assuming 1970s/1980s or even later) the FAE adopted its own serial number system, which re-allocated the surviving T-33s in the s/n range FAE-600 to FAE-640 (or maybe even into FAE-650 etc). Later deliveries from Taiwan considerably increased to FAE T-33/AT-33 fleet. So to answer your question I looked through record cards for USAF T-33s with 'last 3' of 868 and managed to remove a number as unsuitable (e.g 52-9868 which was lost at Chaumont on 31 January 1959 (not 22 Jan as Baugher states) etc) and I strongly suspect that 'your' 868 is/was USAF s/n 53-5868. Unfortunately I don't have the record cards for this batch so cannot confirm 100%, though other 53-FY T-33s served with FAE (53-5722/FAE-722/FAE-630 being one), so it does make sense. Rather annoyingly I cannot find the s/ns of the first four T-33s delivered but suspect that they were 53-FY. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bzn20 Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 19 minutes ago, Sabrejet said: not the construction number Aren't USAF serials EG 53 the fiscal year ordered, the next four, in this case in the sequence in the construction number built to that fiscal (tax year) year they were ordered ? Except for Secret aircraft that were spread across several fiscal years to confuse. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sabrejet Posted October 1, 2017 Share Posted October 1, 2017 No. 53 (etc) is the FY but construction numbers are allocated by manufacturer and not related to FY. 1 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RidgeRunner Posted October 1, 2017 Author Share Posted October 1, 2017 (edited) Hi SJ, A great summary. Thanks for that. much appreciated. sorry but I've unintentionally been misleading. the prefix is TF- not FT-. The machine in question may well be TF-808? Any thoughts? Martin Edited October 1, 2017 by RidgeRunner Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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