Hobby Master NASA Northrop T-38 Talon Chase Plane - N923NA, STS-3 Mission for Space Shuttle "Columbia", White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, March 30th, 1982 (1:72 Scale)

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NASA Northrop T-38 Talon Chase Plane - N923NA, STS-3 Mission for Space Shuttle "Columbia", White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, March 30th, 1982 (1:72 Scale)

Hobby Master NASA Northrop T-38 Talon Chase Plane - N923NA, STS-3 Mission for Space Shuttle "Columbia", White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, March 30th, 1982

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Product Code: HA5401

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Hobby Master HA5401 NASA Northrop T-38 Talon Chase Plane - N923NA, STS-3 Mission for Space Shuttle "Columbia", White Sands Space Harbor, New Mexico, March 30th, 1982 (1:72 Scale) "First, I believe that this nation should commit itself to achieving the goal, before this decade is out, of landing a man on the moon and returning him safely to the earth. No single space project in this period will be more impressive to mankind, or more important for the long-range exploration of space; and none will be so difficult or expensive to accomplish."
- Excerpted from President John F. Kennedy's speech delivered before a joint session of Congress, May 25th, 1961

The Northrop T-38 Talon is a two-seat, twin jet supersonic jet trainer designed and produced by the American aircraft manufacturer Northrop Corporation. It was the world's first supersonic trainer as well as the most produced.

The T-38 can be traced back to 1952 and Northrop's N-102 Fang and N-156 fighter aircraft projects. During the mid-1950s, Northrop officials decided to adapt the N-156 to suit a recently issued general operating requirement by the United States Air Force (USAF) for a supersonic trainer to replace the Lockheed T-33. The bid was successful, in no small part on its lower lifecycle cost comparisons to competing aircraft, and the company received an initial order to build three prototypes. The first of these, designated YT-38, made its maiden flight on April 10th, 1959. The T-38 was introduced to USAF service on March 17th, 1961.

The USAF is the largest operator of the T-38. Additional operators of the T-38 include NASA and the United States Navy. U.S. Naval Test Pilot School in Patuxent River, Maryland, is the principal US Navy operator. Other T-38s were previously used by the US Navy for dissimilar air combat training until replaced by the similar Northrop F-5 Tiger II. Pilots of other NATO nations have commonly flown the T-38 during joint training programs with American pilots. The T-38 remains in service as of 2023 with several air forces. As of 2023, the T-38 has been in service for over 60 years with the USAF, its original operator. In September 2018, USAF announced the replacement of the Talon by the Boeing-Saab T-7 Red Hawk with phaseout to begin in 2023.

Pictured here is a 1:72 scale replica of a NASA Northrop T-38 Talon chase plane that was involved in STS-3 Mission for Space Shuttle "Columbia", then deployed to New Mexico on March 30th, 1982. Sold Out!

Dimensions:
Wingspan: 4-1/4-inches
Length: 7-3/4-inches

Release Date: April 2017

Historical Account: "STS-3" - STS-3 was NASA's third Space Shuttle mission, and was the third mission for the Space Shuttle Columbia. It launched on March 22nd, 1982, and landed eight days later on March 30th. The mission involved extensive orbital endurance testing of the Columbia itself, as well as numerous scientific experiments. STS-3 was the first shuttle launch with an unpainted external tank, and the only mission to land at the White Sands Space Harbor near Las Cruces, New Mexico. The shuttle was forced to land at White Sands due to flooding at its originally planned landing site, Edwards Air Force Base.