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Photo by Max Haynes -
MaxAir2Air.com
History:
When the United States Air Force
set out to replace its aging
T-6 Texan
trainers, North American was hired to complete the task.
What they presented was the Model NA-159
piston-engine trainer; a design that was so successful
that it was responsible for gaining a contract for two
XT-28 prototypes. After an
evaluation of these prototypes and an initial flight on
September 26, 1949, the Air Force was so impressed that
it ordered production to begin on the newly designated
T-28A.
The Trojan, as
it became known, had a frameless canopy and a Wright
R-1300 engine that, when combined, gave it a top speed
that often exceeded 280 mph. First orders of 266 planes
in 1950 eventually grew to 1,194. After it became
evident that the Air Force had found a very successful
design, the United Sates Navy and Marine Corps adopted
it as well. Two years later, 489 standardized versions (T-28Bs)
were ordered by the Navy, mainly differing from the
T-28A in its use of the more-powerful Wright R-1820-86
engine. Following this, 299 T-28Cs
were produced, which were fitted with an arrester gear
for carrier-deck landing training.
In 1962, North American
began supplying T-28Ds for the
counter-insurgency role. Six under wing hard-points were
added in order for the aircraft to accept a variety of
weapons. The T-28 saw action in both Southeast Asia and
North Africa. The attack trainer version of the T-28D
was called the AT-28D.
France's Sud-Aviation converted over 240 T-28Ds
into Fennecs and used them as
replacements for their Algerian-based T-6s. Fennecs
performed admirably in the close-support, reconnaissance
and patrol roles.
The T-28's service
career, though long, was finally ended by the
introduction of the
T-34
turboprop trainer, but the T-28 lives on as one of the
most popular piston-powered Warbirds in the USA, as well
as several other countries.
[History by
Kimberly
Workman]
Specifications (T-28B):
Engine: One1,425-hp Wright Cyclone R-1820-86 radial
piston engine
Weight: Empty 6,424 lbs., Max Takeoff
8,500 lbs.
Wing Span: 40ft. 1in.
Length: 33ft. 0in.
Height: 12ft. 8in.
Performance:
Maximum Speed: 343 mph
Ceiling: 35,500 ft.
Range: 1,060 miles
Armament: None |
