Northrop T-38 Talon - Variants

Variants

• N-156T : Northrop company designation.
• YT-38 : Prototypes, two built with YJ85-GE-1 engines, later designated YT-38A and four pre-production aircraft with YJ-85-GE-5 engines, later designated T-38A.
• T-38A : Two-seat advanced training aircraft, production model, 1,139 built.
• T-38A(N) : Two-seat astronaut training version for NASA.
• AT-38A : A small number of T-38As were converted into weapons training aircraft.
• DT-38A : A number of US Navy T-38As were converted into drone directors.
• NT-38A : A small number of T-38As were converted into research and test aircraft.
• QT-38A : Unmanned target drone aircraft.
• AT-38B : Two-seat weapons training aircraft.
• T-38C : A T-38A with structural and avionics upgrades.
• T-38M : Modernized Turkish Air Force T-38As with full glass cockpit and avionics, upgraded by Turkish Aerospace Industries under the project codename "ARI" (Turkish: Arı, for Bee).
• N-205 : "Space trainer" variant proposed in May 1958, with triple rocket engines for vertical launch. Capable of Mach 3.2 on its way to an altitude of 200,000 feet (61,000 m).
• ST-38 or N-205B : Revised proposal in April 1963 for the new Aerospace Research Pilot School, with a rolling take-off, top speed of Mach 3.3 and a ceiling of 285,000 feet (87,000 m), high enough to qualify its pilots for astronaut wings.
• T-38 VTOL Proposed vertical take-off variant with four lift nozzles behind the pilot.