| This view of the T-38 clearly shows the fore-and-aft cockpits and the
very small wing area. Also visible is the "coke bottle" waist in the fuselage -
an "area rule" design intended to minimize abrupt changes in the total
cross-sectional area of the aircraft. This helped reduce drag. The little candy cane-like
appendage on the front is the pitot boom. This airplane was specifically designed to be
fairly forgiving, yet still emulate the basic flight characteristics of the Century Series
(F-100, F-102, F-104, F-105, etc.) fighters. The T-38 has a symmetrical airfoil and a
stall transition which is not marked by any tactile feedback. This machine has to be flown
by the numbers. |
