Boeing Skyfox

The Boeing Skyfox was an American twin-engined jet trainer, a heavily upgraded development of the Lockheed T-33 meant to compete with and replace the Cessna T-37 Tweet as a primary trainer, with ground attack also envisioned. The Skyfox Corporation began the programme in 1983 and Boeing acquired it in 1986. The conversion kept about 70 percent of the T-33 airframe but replaced its single Allison J33 turbojet with two externally mounted Garrett TFE731-3A turbofans, and added wing leading-edge extensions, winglets, a new canopy, new tail surfaces and new avionics. It was offered either as a complete Boeing aircraft or as a conversion kit. Only one prototype was built, first flown on 23 August 1983 at Mojave, and Boeing cancelled the project for lack of customers; a Portuguese letter of intent for 20 kits was the only commitment.