Lockheed F-94 Starfire

$534,073 all-weather interceptor as of 1952

Overview

Lockheed Martin United States ICAO: F94 1949–1954 $500,000 (1952)

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.

Live Fleet Activity (F94)

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Specifications

Units
Engine
1 × Pratt & Whitney J48-P-5
Engine type
Jet
Thrust
8,750 lbf · 39 kN
Avionics
AN/APG-40 radar
Wing tips
No winglets
Seats
2
Crew
—
Cabin width
—
Cabin height
—
Cabin length
—
Exterior length
44 ft 6 in  ·  13.56 m
Tail height
14 ft 11 in  ·  4.55 m
Fuselage diameter
4 ft 7 in  ·  1.40 m
Wing span
44 ft 0 in  ·  13.40 m
Baggage volume
—
Gross weight
—
Empty weight
—
Max takeoff weight
24,200 lb  ·  11,000 kg
Max landing weight
18,300 lb  ·  8,300 kg
Max payload
1,750 lb  ·  800 kg
Fuel capacity
1,530 gal · 5,800 L · 4,600 kg (Jet A)
Max cruise speed
560 kt  ·  644 mph  ·  1,037 km/h
Maximum speed
—
Cruise speed
—
Approach speed
—
Range
1,108 nm  ·  1,280 mi  ·  2,050 km
Fuel burn
—
Ceiling
51,400 ft  ·  15,700 m
Rate of climb
7,980 ft/min  ·  41 m/s
Takeoff distance
—
Landing distance
—
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The Lockheed YF-94A All Weather Interceptor prototype.

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Operational Context

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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