Warbirds Online » Blog Archive » A Bunch of Warbirds in a "Warbird" Retires

Last week marked the end of an era for a truly unique "warbird" of sorts. I’m talking about the Convair C-131 TIFS (Total In Flight Simulator) simulator aircraft. Starting out life as a Convair C-131 Samaritan in 1955, the aircraft was later significantly modified by Cornell Aeronautical Laboratories (later known as Calspan) as a unique aircraft with two completely separate cockpits — one in the standard position, and the other in an extended nose compartment that could be configured to simulate the layout and flying habits of a host of different aircraft. The extended nose section could also be configured to contain various avionics or radar test equipment as well.

The TIFS holds a special place in my heart for the fact that I grew up in the Buffalo area and frequently saw the awkward looking aircraft take to the sky from the Buffalo International Airport. I got a chance to see the plane up close when my 11th grade engineering class took a trip to the Calspan hangar — certainly a once-in-a-lifetime trip!

For more information on the retirement of the TIFS to the care of the National Museum of the United States Air Force in Dayton, OH, please see this article in Air Force Link: http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123124386

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