When I was first introduced to the T-33 at the Tyndall AFB schoolhouse after most recently flying the T-38 in UPT, it was like going from a modern day computer to a stone and chisel. The T-33 is a descendant of the Korean War era P-80, basically a trainer version. As such, the Tbird instrument panels were both laid out the same but had no resemblance to the modern day instrument “T” or “Six Pack”. The instrument panels were more akin to a “throw it on the wall and see were it sticks” arrangement. So, it was a challenge to develop some sort of an instrument cross check even during day VFR conditions. The first few instrument flights training under the hood without outside references were more of a semi controlled panic.
Among the other oddities of the Tbird design was location of the landing gear handle. On all the retractable gear airplanes I had ever been exposed to the gear handle was somewhere on the forward instrument panel. Not in the Tbird. The Tbird’s gear handle was cleverly located on the left side wall panel, near the floor, next to the pilot’s seat. It’s was actually quite convenient and just a matter of reaching down on the left side to grab the handle. It was a simple arrangement. The handle rotated 90 degrees of travel. Horizontally, the gear were down. Rotating the handle 90 degrees counterclockwise to the vertical position raised the gear and vice versus to lower the gear.
My cross country protege and I volunteered for all the air show static display events that we could. Extra flying time, interesting fun locations, VIP treatment, and with our International Orange flight suits lots of interest from the ladies in the evening, usually wondering if we were astronauts or test pilots (who were we to deny their awe?). During the day at the air show, there was always a lot of interest in the Tbird, especially from the old retired guys who had worked her back in the day. Young kids were also fascinated with our charge because of its “out of the ordinary” look and the “bombs” we were carrying on the wingtips. Now the dudes that were there with more modern jets were a different story. They would stroll (perhaps strut is more accurate) by and look with disdain at our shiny old jet (one jet in our squadron came out of the factory exactly 7 days before I was born). Occasionally, one of them would come up and start chatting. The questions were always the same. Where are you guys from? What do you do with this? Why? Performance questions, etc, etc..... Then, it was “Can I take a look at the cockpit?” Why, of course! So, up the boarding ladder we go. The look of amazement was always the same. Most would be thoroughly befuddled by the panel layout and want to know how we could fly instruments with this thing. After an appropriate amount of time to allow their confusion with this ancient dinosaur, I would issue the challenge. “I’ll bet you drinks at the bar tonight, or a case of beer(as appropriate for the air show location) that you can’t find the gear handle”. Challenge accepted! In more than a year a half of air show static displays, not a single one of these modern day jet jocks found the Tbird gear handle. We would even let them look in the rear cockpit. Our evening entertainment was always very cheap.
Because of its age, the Tbird and it’s components were getting long in the tooth. One summer day, while cruising in the mid 30,000 foot range, I felt a tug on my flight suit sleeve while resting my arms on the canopy rail. It was an unusual and somewhat startling feeling. I lower my arm, lean down, and look at the bottom of the canopy rail where it rests on the cockpit rim. I see daylight! That’s not supposed to be there. I explain what’s going on to my much more experienced cross country bud. He explains that it’s the well worn, old rubber canopy seal, and to turn up the cockpit heat to expand the seal. It worked! The next time that happened, I inserted a piece of paper into the void and it was quickly sucked out of my hand and shredded into the atmosphere. We had a new way to tidy up the cockpit.
Another Tbird oddity was the air conditioning system outlet control. Similar to the landing gear handle, it was located on the left side of the pilot’s seat in both cockpits and to the rear of the gear handle. It also had a 90 degree travel between vertical and horizontal. Vertical sent conditioned air up to the head area. Horizontal sent conditioned air down to the feet area. This handle had a cam arrangement that kept it from freely moving back and forth. One day while cruising along and half bored, I changed the valve between positions with a more aggressive than usual action. This resulted in a deep “thump” that, with some imagination, could sound like an engine anomaly. Hmmmmmm.
So, as an “old head” 1st Lieutenant IP, I would take new squadron pilots on their first cross country trips for familiarization with the jet and getting it from one place to another. On occasion, when flying with a newbie who was doing well and relaxed with the jet during a typical 2 1/2 to 3 hour cross country leg, I would reach down and “thump” the ac selector handle. There would be an instant “Did you hear that?” “No, what?” “A thumping sound”. “No, I didn’t hear anything”. We’d check instrument instruments, etc with no indications. After a few minutes, another thump followed a couple of seconds later with an additional thump. Again, from up front, a query if I’d heard anything. “No, what did it sound like it might be? Did you see anything on the engine instruments?” “A deep thump”. So, I’d wait a longer length of time and thump him again. Getting excited by now, he says “There it is again! Didn’t you hear it!”. I reply “Did it sound like this? “Thump” thump, thumpa da thumpa da thump”? I’ve been found out! I explain what it was and how to “play the piccolo” in the Tbird, and offer to buy at the bar tonight for having fun at his expense.
