https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/North_American_T-2_Buckeye
The North American T-2 Buckeye was the United States Navy's intermediate
training aircraft, intended to introduce U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps student
naval aviators and student naval flight officers to jets. It entered service in
1959, and was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk in 2008.
The first version of the aircraft entered service in 1959 as the T2J-1. It was
redesignated the T-2A in 1962 under the joint aircraft designation system. The
two-seat trainer was powered by one Westinghouse J34-WE-46/48 turbojet. The
aircraft was subsequently redesigned, and the single engine was replaced with
two 3,000 lbf (13,000 N) Pratt & Whitney J60-P-6 turbojets in the T-2B. The T-2C
was fitted with two 2,950 lbf (13,100 N) thrust General Electric J85-GE-4
turbojets. The T-2D and T-2E were export versions for the Venezuelan Air Force
and Hellenic Air Force, respectively. The T-2 Buckeye (along with the TF-9J)
replaced the T2V-1/T-1A SeaStar, though the T-1 continued in some uses into the
1970s.
The Buckeye was designed as a low-cost, multistage trainer. Its straight wing
was similar to that used on the FJ-1 Fury and its cockpit controls were similar
to the propeller-driven T-28C Trojan. The T-2's performance was between that of
the U.S. Air Force's Cessna T-37 Tweet and the U.S. Navy's TA-4J Skyhawk. While
it had no built-in armament, the T-2 could accommodate two .50-inch gun pods,
100 lb (45 kg) practice bombs, or 2.75-inch rockets beneath the wings.
All T-2 Buckeyes were manufactured by North American at Air Force Plant 85,
located just south of Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. A total of 609
aircraft were built during the production run. The name Buckeye refers to the
state tree of Ohio, as well as the mascot of The Ohio State University.
Role
Jet trainer
National origin
United States
Manufacturer
North American Aviation
North American Rockwell
First flight
31 January 1958
Introduction
November 1959
Retired
United States Navy 2008
Status
Active service with Hellenic Air Force
Primary users
United States Navy (historical)
Hellenic Air Force
Venezuelan Air Force (historical)
Produced
Number built
529
Every jet-qualified Naval Aviator and virtually every Naval Flight Officer from
the late 1950s until 2004 received training in the T-2 Buckeye, a length of
service spanning four decades. The aircraft first exited the Naval Aviator
strike pipeline (where it saw its final carrier landings) in 2004, and the Naval
Flight Officer tactical jet pipeline in 2008. In the Naval Aviator strike
pipeline syllabus and the Naval Flight Officer strike and strike fighter
pipeline syllabi, the T-2 has been replaced by the near-sonic McDonnell Douglas
T-45 Goshawk (the U.S. Navy version of the BAE Systems Hawk), which is more
comparable to other high-performance, subsonic trainers, or the supersonic U.S.
Air Force Northrop T-38 Talon. More recently, the T-2 has been used as a
director aircraft for aerial drones. Several T-2 Buckeyes, although still
retaining their USN markings, are now registered as civilian-owned aircraft with
FAA "N" numbers; they regularly appear at airshows.
Specifications (T-2C Buckeye)
General characteristics
Crew: 2
Length: 38 ft 3 1/2 in (11.671 m)
Wingspan: 38 ft 1 1/2 in (11.621 m) (over tip tanks)
Height: 14 ft 9 1/2 in (4.509 m)
Wing area: 255 sq ft (23.7 m2)
Airfoil: NACA 64A212
Empty weight: 8,115 lb (3,681 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 13,179 lb (5,978 kg)
Fuel capacity: 691 US gal (575 imp gal; 2,620 L) total
each
Performance
Maximum speed: 453 kn (521 mph, 839 km/h) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Stall speed: 86.6 kn (99.7 mph, 160.4 km/h)
Range: 909 nmi (1,046 mi, 1,683 km)
Service ceiling: 40,400 ft (12,300 m)
Rate of climb: 6,200 ft/min (31 m/s)
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