Northrop T-38 Talon

[Jay Beckman]

509th Talon departing Willie

[David Loera]

first time I've been out to Willie since October.

[Dave S.]

Welcome back Dave!
From Luke today, not your usual perspective of a T-38

[Brian Lockett]

Northrop T-38 Talons visiting Luke AFB on January 28:

Northrop T-38C Talon 67-14931 of the 25th Flying Training Squadron Warbirds based at Vance Air Force Base, Oklahoma

Northrop T-38C Talon 66-4361 of the 435th Flying Training Squadron Black Eagles based at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas.

[bilwor]

Northrop T-38A Talon 68-8185  c/n T.6190 & Northrop T-38A Talon 64-13297 c/n N.5726  BB 1st Reconnaissance Squadron  9th Reconnaissance Wing, Beale AFB   D-M  02/10/11

[Jeff D. Welker]

[Joe Copalman]

Beat-up Boxin' Bear departing Willie:

[Jeff D. Welker]

Very cool photo Joe.

[Jay Beckman]

Do we know what the straps / stripes are on the intake trunks?

[Paul Dumm]

[Jeff D. Welker]

^ Paul, nice capture. That NASA bird is my white whale - literally! Every time I see him inbound on FlightAware, he is gone before I can get out to Willie and take his picture. I missed him twice this week. Here is a photo of 2 Talon's from Beale heading home this afternoon.

[Joe Copalman]

Do we know what the straps / stripes are on the intake trunks?

Sorry for the delayed response, missed this when it was originally posted.  Intake ribbing is the result of the Propulsion Modernization Program, which involves modifying the intakes and exhausts of T-38Cs.  There are only a handful of C-models that haven't been PMPed-out, and none of the As (Beale, Holloman, Whiteman) are getting the mod.  Last I heard, these birds weren't being repainted until they went in for major maintenance (I don't know the precise lingo).

[Joe Copalman]

I believe the engines are the same J85s, they're just being modified. 

[Jay Beckman]

Is it a duct shape change or simply some reinforcement?

[Joe Copalman]

Duct shape change.  Go through your T-38 shots and look at the Beale/Whiteman/Holloman birds (all As) then compare that with the intakes on most of the CB/EN/RA/VN (mostly C) birds.  The PMP-ed C-models have noticeably wider intakes.  They also have the vented exhausts, as opposed to the straight-nozzled exhausts on As and non-PMP Cs.