"Red Bird" and "Blue Bird" go bard.
It is the name of two Boeing Canadian aircraft, the Canadair T-33, an ancient aircraft that Boeing followed with its aircraft during test flights.
The single-engine support nozzle is easy to pass. But take a closer look at the photos of the first flight, and here it is.
The Boeing T-33 is now retiring after 66 years of life. According to records from the Federal Aviation Administration, Canadair manufactured both aircraft in 1954.
"Boeing has stopped two of its T-33s," the company confirmed. "We're looking at other ways to support test flight activities."
“The T-33 has been used in a number of flight test support roles, including a safety capture aircraft for the first flights and formations of almost all new commercial aircraft beginning in 767 1981.
Boeing did not specify which aircraft could support future flight tests.
The decision to discontinue the T-33 reflects "insufficient supply chain support to maintain the aircraft," Boeing said.
Boeing has released undated images showing the T-33 flying together.
This year, the Red Bird (registration number N109X) launched the Boeing 777-9 on its first flight in January. Blue Bird has N416X registration.
The history of the T-33 begins in 1943, when the U.S. Army asked Lockheed to build a new fighter during World War II, according to the Air Mobility Command Museum.
The project created a single-seat P-80, which gave rise to a two-seat variant called the TP-80C, which was later renamed the T-33.
Powered by a single Allison J33 turbojet, the T-33 first flew in 1948. The Canadian manufacturer Canadair then produced its own version powered by a Rolls-Royce Nene 10 engine.
According to the U.S. National Air Force Museum, the U.S. military variant has a top speed of 456 kt (845 km / h), a ceiling of 45,000 feet, and a range of about 870 nm (1,611 km).
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