Lockheed F-94 Starfire

$534,073 all-weather interceptor as of 1952

U.S. Air Force Lockheed YF 94A in flight.
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credit: U.S. Air Force
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The Lockheed F-94 Starfire was developed and built by Lockheed Corporation as a first-generation jet aircraft intended for the United States Air Force. Introduced in May 1950, it was a development of the T-33 Shooting Star subsonic jet trainer. The Starfire was an all-weather, day/night interceptor produced from 1949 to 1954. It was the first fighter of the United States Air Force fitted with an afterburner and also the first all-weather fighter powered by a jet engine that served during the Korean War.

Manufacturer:
Lockheed Martin Aeronautics
Country:
United States
Manufactured:
1949 to: 1954
ICAO:
F94
Price:
US$0.5 million (1952)
Avionics:
AN/APG-40 radar
Engine:
1x Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5
Jet
Power:
8,750 pound-force
Max Cruise Speed:
560 knots
1,037 Km/h
Approach Speed (Vref):
Travel range:
1,108 Nautical Miles
2,052 Kilometers
Fuel Economy:
Service Ceiling:
51,400 feet
Rate of Climb:
7980 feet / minute
40.54metre / second
Take Off Distance:
Landing Distance:
Max Take Off Weight:
10,970 Kg
24,184 lbs
Max Landing Weight:
8,300 Kg
18,298 lbs
Max Payload:
800 Kg
1,764 lbs
Fuel Tank Capacity:
1,526 gallon
5,777 litre
Baggage Volume:
Seats - Economy / General:
2 seats
Seats - Business Class:
Seats - First Class:
Cabin Height:
Cabin Width:
Cabin Length:
Exterior Length:
13.56 metre - 44.49 feet
Tail height:
4.55 metre - 14.93 feet
Fuselage Diameter:
1.4 metre - 4.59 feet
Wing Span / Rotor Diameter:
13.4 metre - 43.96 feet
Wing Tips:
No Winglets

Blog Mentions

Blog posts that mention the Lockheed F-94 Starfire:

On April 16, 1949, the YF-94 prototype model took to the air for the first time. The F-94 Starfire was produced in several versions. In May 1950, the initial production version designated as F-94A entered into service. It was followed by the F-94B in January 1951.

The F-94C was a greatly improved version of the original Starfire. It can accommodate two crew members and has an external length of 13.56 meters, an external height of 3.1 meters, and a fuselage diameter of 1.4 meters. It has a tail height of 4.55 meters and a wheelbase of 5.3 meters. To enhance its performance, the version is fitted with a slimmer wing with a wingspan of 12.93 meters and a wing area of 21.63 square meters. The aircraft has an empty weight of 5,764 kg, a gross weight of 8,300 kg, and a maximum takeoff weight of 10,970 kg. The maximum payload is 800 kg and the fuel tank capacity is 1,526 US gal.

The F-94C is powered by a single more powerful Pratt and Whitney J48-P-5 engine, a license-built version of the Rolls-Royce Tay. It is a turbojet engine with water injection, a single-stage double-sided centrifugal compressor, nine interconnected can combustion chambers, a single-stage axial turbine, and a pressure spray oil system.

It produces a dry thrust of 6,350 lbf and an afterburning thrust of 8,750 lbf. The aircraft has a maximum speed of 560 knots. The standard range is 700 nautical miles while the ferry range is 1,108 nautical miles. It can fly up to 51,400 feet and has a rate of climb of 7,980 feet per minute. The F-94C could be armed with twenty-four or forty-eight 70 mm Mk 4/Mk 40 Folding-Fin Aerial Rockets (FFAR) and was fitted with AN/APG-40 radar antenna.

 

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