The jet was down for 21 months and the owner took advantage of that to get a lot of little things done.

This past weekend, we took it flying and it flew great. Five total flights with no maintenance squawks.

It has a 14,000 lbs max gross weight, but with two pilots, full tips, and empty pylons, the jet only weighs 9100 lbs... with about 5,500 lbs of thrust from the J-85's.

It is a lot of fun. And the owner has done a magnificent job of bring back a unique piece of American aviation history.

Well, if there are only 2 flying in the US, here's the second one. Easy platform to fly formation off of.

Mark,
Please pass on to the owner that I have some 100 gallon drop tanks available like the ones pictured. I also have the other style with the curved nose section. Both types were used on the A37s and are completely interchangeable. I used to mod them and sell them to the DOS for use on OV10 Broncos and also overhauled them.
Thanks,
Norman

Robert, what makes one plane easier to fly formation on than another plane?

Robert, what makes one plane easier to fly formation on than another plane?

Never saw/heard of an A-37 without tip tanks. Is there a story there? What happens to the already low endurance/range?

That is not an A-37, but rather a T-37 (with a Vietnam-era A-37 paint scheme).

Little if any of the parts are interchangeable, and the A-37 has a max gross weight about double the T-37's, and over 2.5 times the thrust.

The other A-37 is based in Colorado and is an A-model. I don't think it has flown in at least 3 years.

That is not an A-37, but rather a T-37 (with a Vietnam-era A-37 paint scheme).

Busy week!
Mark Peterson displayed 87921 for the jet's first performance. It was at Moses Lake Airshow.
The dual smoke system adds great visuals.
Fast forward to the 3:26 mark:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r-eUXAL5b_w

For his initial takeoff, he can climb 40 deg nose high at 170 KIAS.

That double smoke looks really cool... thanks for the video link! I'm looking forward to seeing Mark in St. George in October.

[youtube]https://youtu.be/QrZDU8IWAhY[/youtube]

After being down for nearly 1 year while 2 new fuel cells were manufactured and installed, 87921 is back flying again.

Last weekend, we flew 6 long cross country legs and had no write-ups. The aircraft is running really well.

We hope to have it at a few West Coast airshow venues in 2024.

It will spend this winter in the Western Sky Aviation Warbird Museum in St George Utah, so take a look if you're in the area.

Cannot get the 2nd pic to install properly.

That is a gorgeous plane! The smoke system is pretty neat! Well done!!

I was TDY to Bihn Hoa a month or two after Lt. Blasie (unknown Viet Nam soldier who became known) was shot down in an A-37 of the 8th SOS.

Out of 3 or 4 rocket attacks, the only major aircraft loss was an A-37 where the rocket came through a revetment opening. Burned until not much left, but ordnance did not explode.

Carried a pretty good load for the size, as long as you didn't need to go very far or fast.

T-37 used a dual element positive displacement proportioner pump powered by a single electric motor for equal flow from wing tanks to fuselage tank, which fed the engines. Due to higher flow, the A-37 used two of them. Quite a tangle of plumbing.

Also had USAF F-4 turnaround (my job), Marine A-4's, VNAF A-1's, and VNAF F-5's.

Thanks for resurrecting this thread. It's been fun to revisit.

Jon, did they lop the refueling probe off? Is that what the pipe with an angled end is on the starboard side of the nose?

I'd have kept it. It would make a good place to hang my towel after showering at OSH and a jungle gym for unattended kids.