T-6 Texan II
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| T-6 Texan II | |
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| A USAF T-6A Texan II out of Randolph Air Force Base | |
| Role | Trainer aircraft |
| Manufacturer | Raytheon Aircraft Company Hawker Beechcraft |
| Primary users | United States Air Force United States Navy Canadian Forces Hellenic Air Force |
| Produced | +435[1] |
| Developed from | Pilatus PC-9 |
The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II is a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by the Raytheon Aircraft Company (now Hawker Beechcraft). It is used by the United States Air Force for basic pilot training and by the United States Navy for Primary and Intermediate Joint Naval Flight Officer (NFO) and Air Force Navigator / Weapon Systems Officer (WSO) training. It has replaced the Air Force's T-37B Tweet and is replacing the Navy's T-34C Turbo Mentor. The T-6A is also used as a basic trainer by the Canadian Forces (CT-156 Harvard II), the Luftwaffe of Germany, and the Greek Air Force.
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[edit] Design and development
The T-6 is a development of the Pilatus PC-9, modified significantly by Beechcraft in order to enter the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) competition in the 1990s.[2] A similar arrangement between Pilatus and British Aerospace had also been in place for an Royal Air Force competition in the 1980s, although this competition selected the Shorts Tucano. The aircraft was designated under the 1962 United States Tri-Service aircraft designation system and named for the decades-earlier T-6 Texan. The Beechcraft brand has since been purchased from Raytheon by Onex Corporation as Hawker Beechcraft.[3]
The Texan II is built by Hawker Beechcraft in Wichita, Kansas. Although the design is heavily based on the Pilatus PC-9, the T-6 is a complete redesign from the ground up, and is considerably more sophisticated and powerful.[2]
[edit] Operational history
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[edit] United States
The T-6A was introduced to Moody Air Force Base and Randolph Air Force Base in 2000-2001, and the Air Force awarded the full rate T-6 production contract in December 2001. Laughlin Air Force Base began flying the T-6 in 2003 where it is now the primary basic trainer, having completely replaced the T-37. Vance Air Force Base completed transitioning from the T-37 to the T-6 in 2006. That year, Columbus Air Force Base began its transition, and will retire its last T-37 in April 2008. T-37s are still in service at Sheppard Air Force Base, and are expected to retire in 2009.[4]
The T-6A also replaced all T-34s at Naval Air Station Pensacola in early 2005. T-34s are still in service at NAS Corpus Christi and NAS Whiting Field as the primary trainer.
One Texan II costs approximately 6 million dollars. Almost a quarter of this cost goes into two advanced, highly reliable Martin-Baker ejection seats, which have the capability for zero-zero ejection.[5]
[edit] Greece
The Hellenic Air Force operates 25 T-6A and 20 T-6A NTA aircraft.[6]
[edit] Canada
The CT-156 Harvard II is a variant used for pilot instruction in the NATO Flying Training in Canada (NFTC), located at 15 Wing, Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.[7] They are leased to the Canadian Forces Air Command by the program's administrator, Bombardier. Cockpit layout, ejection protocols, and performance mimic the CT-155 Hawk jet trainer also used by the NTFC. The NFTC has 24 Harvard II aircraft owned and maintained by Bombardier.
[edit] Israel
On 9 June 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a possible FMS sale to Israel of 25 T-6As for the Israeli Air Force.[8][9]
[edit] Iraq
On 9 December 2008, the Defense Security Cooperation Agency announced a possible FMS sale to Iraq of 20 T-6As and 36 AT-6Bs for the Iraqi Air Force.[10]
[edit] Variants
- T-6A Texan II
- Standard version for the USAF, USN, and Hellenic Air Force (25).
- T-6A NTA Texan II
- Armed version of the T-6A for the HAF (20). T-6A NTA has the capability to carry rocket pods, gun pods, external fuel tanks, and bombs.
- T-6B Texan II
- Upgraded version with a digital glass cockpit that includes a Head-Up Display (HUD), six multi-function displays (MFD) and Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS).[11]
- AT-6B Texan II
- Armed version of the T-6B for primary weapons training or light attack roles. It has the same digital cockpit, but upgraded to include datalink and integrated electro-optical sensors along with several weapons configurations.[12]
- CT-156 Harvard II
- Version of the T-6A for NTFC with the Canadian Forces; Cockpit layoutbased on that of the CT-155 Hawk.
[edit] Operators
- United States Air Force
- Air Education and Training Command
- Air Force Reserve Command
- 340th Flying Training Group
- 5th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB
- 43d Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB
- 96th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB
- 97th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB
- 100th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB
- 340th Flying Training Group
- United States Navy / United States Marine Corps
- Naval Air Training Command
- Training Air Wing Six, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
- Training Squadron 4, NAS Pensacola
- Training Squadron 10, NAS Pensacola
- Training Air Wing Six, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
- Naval Air Training Command
[edit] Incidents
- Two Columbus Air Force Base T-6 Texan II primary trainers collided about 12:47 p.m. Nov. 28, 2007 near the Columbus AFB Auxiliary airfield in Shuqualak, Miss. (Gunshy Auxiliary Airfield) At the time of the accident, the aircraft were conducting flight training operations. On-scene emergency response located and confirmed all four pilots had parachuted safely.[14] The Accident Investigation Board determined that pilot error was the cause of the mishap.[15]
[edit] Specifications (T-6A)
This aircraft article is missing some (or all) of its specifications. If you have a source, you can help Wikipedia by adding them.General characteristics
- Crew: 2, tandem seating
- Length: 33 ft 4 in (10.2 m)
- Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in (10.2 m)
- Height: 10 ft 8 in (3.3 m)
- Empty weight: 4,900 lb (2,087 kg)
- Loaded weight: 6,550 lb (2,971 kg)
- Max takeoff weight: 6,500 lb (2,958 kg)
- Powerplant: 1× Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop, 1,100 shp (820 kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 316 knots IAS (Mach 0.67 at high altitude, 585 km/h)
- Range: 850 nm (1,575 km)
- Service ceiling: 31,000 ft (9,448 m)
- Rate of climb: 4,500 ft/min (1,372 m/min)
[edit] See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
[edit] References
- ^ HawkerBeechcraft Production
- ^ a b Hawker Beechcraft - T-6 is not a PC-9 Article
- ^ Biz Yahoo Onex Acquires Hawker Beechcraft Article
- ^ [1]
- ^ Global Security T-6 Texan
- ^ [2]
- ^ a b Department of National Defence Public Affairs (March 2007). "CT-156 Harvard II". http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/site/equip/ct156/default_e.asp. Retrieved on 2008-06-25.
- ^ http://defense-update.com/newscast/0608/news/news1006_texan_il.htm
- ^ http://www.dsca.mil/PressReleases/36-b/2008/Israel_08-42.pdf
- ^ Iraq to Get 36 AT-6B Light Attack Planes, 20 T-6A Trainers
- ^ CMC Electronics Cockpit 4000 for Turboprop and Jet Trainers Article
- ^ Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (undated). "Beechcraft AT-6". https://www.hawkerbeechcraft.com/military/at-6_ab/. Retrieved on 2008-10-04.
- ^ T-6 Texan II, www.luftwaffe.de. Accessed July 11, 2009.
- ^ Air Force Link (November 2007). "T-6 Texan IIs collide". http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123077354. Retrieved on 2007-11-28.
- ^ USAF (undated). "Executive Summary Accident Investigation Board T-6A". http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/T-6A_Columbus_28Nov07.pdf. Retrieved on 2009-03-12.
[edit] External links
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Wikimedia Commons has media related to: T-6 Texan II |
- Hawker Beechcraft T-6 information page Accessed 5 Oct 2007
- Canadian Forces Air Command CT-156 page
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