Warplanes: February 27, 2000

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Boeing has designed a new pod to be carried by one of its T-33 jet trainers. (Boeing owns three T-33s, which it uses as chase planes and for aerial photography while developing other aircraft.) The pod, which resembles an external fuel tank, can be set to mimic the radar emissions of any of more than a dozen US and foreign fighter planes. This allows Boeing to calibrate the radars of various aircraft under development, including the 757 used to test the F-22's electronics and new AWACS planes. Using the T-33 avoids having to pay expensive rent on other fighters for these missions. --Stephen V Cole