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T-6 Texan II
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Photo: Robert Deering 10/12/2008 Alliance Airport (AFW) Fort Worth, Texas |
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The
Beechcraft T-6
Texan II is
a single-engined turboprop aircraft built by
the Raytheon Aircraft Company (now Hawker
Beechcraft). Based on the Pilatus PC-9, the
T-6 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 Combat Systems Officer (CSO) 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 Royal Canadian Air Force
(CT-156 Harvard II), the German Air Force,
the Greek Air Force, the Israeli Air Force (Efroni),
and the Iraqi Air Force. 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. The T-6A also replaced all T-34Cs with Training Air Wing SIX at Naval Air Station Pensacola in early 2005. T-6Bs have replaced all T-34Cs as the primary trainer with Training Air Wing FIVE at NAS Whiting Field. Training Air Wing FOUR at NAS Corpus Christi will continue to operate the T-34C as the primary trainer, with the arrival of their first T-6B in 2012. The Navy's T-6B variant differs from the original A-model with its digital all-glass cockpit. Three multifunction screens, one backup flight instrument, an alphanumerical data entry pad, and a heads-up display replace the more traditional gauges and instruments found in the original T-6A. In additional the propeller shaft was made slightly more robust to handle certain stresses encountered during aerobatic maneuvering. |
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