Lockheed F-94C Starfire

The F-94 series all-weather interceptors were developed from the Lockheed P-80 Shooting Star. The prototype F-94 first flew on July 1, 1949. The Starfire was subsequently produced in the A, B and C series. The F-94C (originally designated the F-97A) was a fundamental redesign of the F-94B and made its first flight on Jan. 18, 1950. Improvements in the F-94C included a higher thrust engine, single point refueling, a redesigned wing, a sweptback horizontal stabilizer, upgraded fire-control and navigation systems, and later, mid-wing rocket pods. Twenty-four rockets were carried in the nose in a ring around the radome, shielded by retractable doors, with an additional 24 in the wing pods, if installed. The F-94C carried no guns. Starfires were employed in the air defense of the continental United States in the 1950s. In the F-94A form, they served as the first all-jet, all-weather interceptor for the Air Defense Command. The last F-94Cs were withdrawn from USAF service in 1959. The aircraft on display (S/N 50-980) has been painted to represent an F-94C assigned to the 60th Fighter Interceptor Squadron at Otis Air Force Base, Mass. during the late 1950s. (U.S. Air Force photo by Ty Greenlees)