Lockheed F-94 Starfire
| F-94 Starfire | |
|---|---|
 |
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| A U.S. Air Force F-94B Starfire in flight. | |
| Role | All-weather interceptor |
| National origin | United States |
| Manufacturer | Lockheed Corporation |
| First flight | 16 April 1949 |
| Introduction | May 1950 |
| Retired | 1958 USAF 1959 ANG |
| Primary users |
United States Air Force Air National Guard |
| Number built | 855 |
| Unit cost |
US$196,248 (F-94B) |
| Developed from | Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star |
| F-94A Starfire | |
 F-94A Cut-Away Drawing
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F-94A Radar Indicator Screens
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US$196,248 (F-94B)
The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was a first-generation jet aircraft of the United States Air Force. It was developed from the twin-seat Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star in the late 1940s as an all-weather, day/night interceptor. The aircraft reached operational service in May 1950 with Air Defense Command, replacing the piston-engined North American F-82 Twin Mustang in the all-weather interceptor role.
The F-94 was the first operational USAF fighter equipped with an afterburner and was the first jet-powered all-weather fighter to enter combat during the Korean War in January 1953. It had a relatively brief operational life, being replaced in the mid-1950s by the Northrop F-89 Scorpion and North American F-86D Sabre interceptor aircraft. The last aircraft left active-duty service in 1958 and Air National Guard service in 1959.
Built to a 1948 USAF specification for a radar-equipped interceptor to replace the aging F-61 Black Widow and North American F-82 Twin Mustang, it was specifically designed to counter the threat of the USSR's new Tupolev Tu-4 bombers (reverse-engineered Boeing B-29). The Curtiss-Wright XF-87 Blackhawk had been designated to be the USAF first jet night fighter, but its performance was sub par, and Lockheed was asked to design a jet night fighter on a crash program basis. The F-94 was derived from the TF-80C (later T-33A Shooting Star) which was a two-seat trainer version of the F-80 Shooting Star. A lengthened nose area with guns, radar and automatic fire control system was added. Since the conversion seemed so simple, a contract was awarded to Lockheed in early 1949, with the first flight on 16 April 1949. The early test YF-94s used 75% of the parts used in the earlier F-80 and T-33As.
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