iniBuilds T-33 Jet Trainer

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And it looks like no travel pod— at least initially. Rockets and bombs (something almost NEVER EVER found on the type during it’s career), why YES, of course. Still a first day buy, but the omission is glaring— especially on this quintessential squadron “hack”.
 
Bomber_12th said:
I too am more interested to use the cockpit version with the modern avionics, matching the examples I'm familiar with that are flying today (many of which are actually Canadian-built CT-133s), but I'm also happy they're including a period-correct cockpit (even if just to not see any complaining in the forums). I'm sure it's sacrilege to many here, but I like flying the Taog Huey with the modern panel too (with period markings), because the restored/currently flying Huey I've seen most often in person flies with a modern glass panel as well, despite the rest of it being configured and painted like an example from the Vietnam War era.
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I agree with you up to a point. Whenever I get the chance to glimpse into the warbirds at Duxford, they always have a small Garmin unit and a modern radio in amongst the steam gauges. That's one of the many reasons I love what Flying Iron do - you can operate it as a warbird owner. With this T-33, however, I think too much is swept away with the modern cockpit, with no vestige of the original left. Of course, it is authentic if Mr. Colyer's aircraft is fitted out that way, but I do prefer more of a mix of the old and new. I hope the option of a small Garmin unit is included in the 'vintage' cockpit. Regrardless of all that, I shall be buying it - we have waited way too long for a top-notch T-33. By the way, the Tukan Ford Trimotor is being released tomorrow, apparently.
 
ColoKent said:
And it looks like no travel pod— at least initially. Rockets and bombs (something almost NEVER EVER found on the type during it’s career), why YES, of course. Still a first day buy, but the omission is glaring— especially on this quintessential squadron “hack”.
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Agreed that Rockets and Bombs seems an odd inclusion for an airplane that spent the majority of it's lifetime as a Trainer. I spent two years working on the T-33 in the late 60's at Perrin AFB and a travel pod was the only thing I ever saw under the wings. Also, like Paul_K, an option for a steam gauge panel like the originals would be nice.
 
Paul K said:
Whenever I get the chance to glimpse into the warbirds at Duxford, they always have a small Garmin unit and a modern radio in amongst the steam gauges. That's one of the many reasons I love what Flying Iron do - you can operate it as a warbird owner. With this T-33, however, I think too much is swept away with the modern cockpit, with no vestige of the original left. Of course, it is authentic if Mr. Colyer's aircraft is fitted out that way, but I do prefer more of a mix of the old and new. I hope the option of a small Garmin unit is included in the 'vintage' cockpit. Regrardless of all that, I shall be buying it - we have waited way too long for a top-notch T-33.
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I'm in full agreement with that viewpoint too. Like you mentioned, it would be nice to have a little Garmin unit and basic radio/transponder even in the classic cockpit version.

The modern variant panel they've modeled, doesn't appear to be specific to any one particular currently-flying T-33 or CT-133 (including Greg Colyer's CT-133), but does come close to matching the CT-133 N134EM, pictured below. The IniBuilds modern cockpit actually incorporates more steam gauges than this. As I mentioned on the official forums, this method is no different than the A2A Simulations "civilian" P-51D, where the modern panel on that one wasn't modeled after any one particular aircraft, but combined elements from various examples, and what they felt looked/worked best.



And a couple other restored/flying CT-133 cockpits/panels:


 
I'm looking forward to seeing how close I can get to the river at the bottom of the Grand Canyon with this one!
 
Priller said:
Show us the pics of your "panther"! :D
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giphy.webp
 
The armed variant is the AT-33 Coin Bird which had a gun nose and wing hardpoints. The last of those were retired in 2017 (Bolivian Air Force). Incidentally we used to have two T-33A's here in ILM, one an old retired T-33A put at Greenfield Park in 1965 which was moved to the VFW Post in 1975 and recently sold and moved out of the area to outside Charlotte. The other was airworthy and owned by the late Captain George Lancaster. I serviced that Jet during it's repairs and return to flight back in the early 90's. It was eventually sold after Capt Lancaster bought and operated his beloved A-26 Invader. Anyhow, am looking forward to this T-33A model.
 
Has anyone seen an anticipated release time frame for this? Both the 318th at McChord AFB and the 123rd at PANG flew the T-33 as a training support aircraft back in the early 80s. I'd love to see both schemes represented, as I grew up in Vancouver, WA.
 
DaveKDEN said:
Has anyone seen an anticipated release time frame for this? Both the 318th at McChord AFB and the 123rd at PANG flew the T-33 as a training support aircraft back in the early 80s. I'd love to see both schemes represented, as I grew up in Vancouver, WA.
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Mid-August is the hope acording to the forum post linked in the first post of this thread.
 
My ex-father in law flew with the TN ANG, and flew T-33s. He was tasked with taking pictures of the USSR's "Sputnik". No idea what altitude he flew to achieve it, but I know he did! Used to have a newspaper clipping about it, but lost it years ago. NC
 
Great minds think alike. I posted this morning on Inibuild's Discord server: "Theoretically, we are 4 days from T-33 release ("mid-August"), but I haven't heard a peep since the original announcement back in mid/late July." To their credit, one of their honchos answered "More news coming this week". So that's something.
 
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