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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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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 a Royal Air Force competition in the 1980s, although this competition selected the Short 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]
Operational history
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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, replacing 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 retired its last T-37 in April 2008. The last active USAF T-37Bs were retired at Sheppard Air Force Base in the Summer of 2009.[4]
The T-6A also replaced all T-34Cs with Training Air Wing SIX at Naval Air Station Pensacola in early 2005. T-6Bs began replacing T-34Cs as the primary trainer with Training Air Wing FIVE at NAS Whiting Field in the late summer of 2009 and the installation will operate both aircraft as it transitions over the next few years.[5] Training Air Wing FOUR at NAS Corpus Christi will continue to operate the T-34C as the primary trainer, with the arrival of the T-6B scheduled for that location in 2012.[5]
The Texan II costs approximately 6 million dollars each, with almost a quarter of that for the two Martin-Baker zero-zero ejection seats.[6]
Greece
The Hellenic Air Force operates 25 T-6A and 20 T-6A NTA aircraft.[7][8]
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.[9] 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.
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.[10][11]
On 24 August 2008, Hawker Beechcraft Corporation (HBC) was awarded a contract to provide the T-6A trainer aircraft to the Israeli Air Force.[citation needed]
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.[12] The first four T-6As were delivered mid December 2009.[citation needed]
Morocco
In October 2009, Hawker Beechcraft announced the sale of 24 T-6Cs for the Royal Moroccan Air Force.[13]
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.[8]
- T-6B Texan II
- Upgraded version of the T-6A with a digital glass cockpit that includes a Head-Up Display (HUD), six multi-function displays (MFD) and Hands On Throttle And Stick (HOTAS).[14]
- 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.[8][15]
- T-6C Texan II
- Upgraded version of the T-6A with wing hard points.
- CT-156 Harvard II
- Version of the T-6A for NTFC with the Canadian Forces.[9] Cockpit layout based on that of the CT-155 Hawk.
Operators
- Iraqi Air Force 15 T-6As on order[17]
- Royal Moroccan Air Force 24 T-6Cs on order[13]
- United States Air Force
- Air Education and Training Command
- Air Force Reserve Command
- 340th Flying Training Group
- 5th Flying Training Squadron, Vance AFB, Oklahoma
- 43d Flying Training Squadron, Columbus AFB, Mississippi
- 96th Flying Training Squadron, Laughlin AFB, Texas
- 97th Flying Training Squadron, Sheppard AFB, Texas
- 100th Flying Training Squadron, Randolph AFB, Texas
- 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 Five, Naval Air Station Whiting Field, Florida
- Training Air Wing Six, Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida
- Naval Air Training Command
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.[18] The Accident Investigation Board determined that pilot error was the cause of the mishap.[19]
Specifications (T-6A)
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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)
See also
Related development
Comparable aircraft
Related lists
References
- ^ HawkerBeechcraft Production
- ^ a b Hawker Beechcraft - T-6 is not a PC-9 Article
- ^ Biz Yahoo Onex Acquires Hawker Beechcraft Article[dead link]
- ^ USAF (undated). "80th Flying Training Wing". http://www.sheppard.af.mil/units/80thflyingtrainingwing.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ Global Security T-6 Texan
- ^ Amynanet (undated). ">ΑΜΥΝΑ & ΔΙΠΛΩΜΑΤΙΑ 18. Εκπαιδευτικά αεροσκάφη". http://www.amynanet.gr/isoropia/18.htm. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ a b c Bertorelli, Paul (October 2009). "NBAA 2009 Video Series: Hawker Beechcraft's Turboprop Attack Aircraft". http://www.avweb.com/avwebflash/exclusivevids/NBAA2009_ExclusiveVideo_HawkerBeechcraft_T6LightAttackAircraft_201365-1.html. Retrieved 2009-10-15.
- ^ a b c Department of National Defence Public Affairs (March 2007). "CT-156 Harvard II". http://www.airforce.forces.gc.ca/v2/equip/ct156/index-eng.asp. Retrieved 2009-10-24.
- ^ 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
- ^ a b Hawker Beechcraft sells 24 trainers to Morocco
- ^ 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 2008-10-04.
- ^ T-6 Texan II, www.luftwaffe.de. Accessed July 11, 2009.
- ^ "The Penny Drops: Iraq Chooses its COIN Aircraft". Defense Industry Daily. August 12, 2009. http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/iraq-issues-rfp-for-coin-aircraft-03281/. Retrieved 14 August 2009.
- ^ Air Force Link (November 2007). "T-6 Texan IIs collide". http://www.af.mil/news/story.asp?id=123077354. Retrieved 2007-11-28.
- ^ USAF (undated). "Executive Summary Accident Investigation Board T-6A". http://usaf.aib.law.af.mil/T-6A_Columbus_28Nov07.pdf. Retrieved 2009-03-12.
- ^ a b gabrieldenny.com. T-6 Study Guide, T-6 Study Guide. Retrieved 10 Dec 2009.
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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