T-2 Buckeye

infobox Aircraft
name = T-2 Buckeye
type = Trainer aircraft
manufacturer = North American

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caption = A T-2C Buckeye taking off from NAS Patuxent River
designer =
first flight =
introduced = 1959http://www.defensetech.org/archives/004362.html]
retired = 2008
status =
primary user = United States Navy
more users = Hellenic Air Force
produced =
number built =
unit cost =
developed from = FJ Fury
variants with their own articles =

The North American T-2 Buckeye was the United States Navy's intermediate training aircraft, intended to introduce Student Naval Aviators to jets. It entered service in 1959, and in 2008, was replaced by the T-45 Goshawk.

Design and development

The first version of the aircraft entered service in 1959 as the T2J-1. It was re-designated 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 engine. The aircraft was subsequently redesigned, and the single engine was replaced with two Pratt & Whitney J60-P-6 turbojets in the T-2B. The T-2C was fitted with two much more powerful convert|2950|lbf|abbr=on thrust General Electric J85-GE-4 turbojets. The T-2D was an export version which was sold to the Venezuelan air force, while the T-2E was sold to the Greek Air Force. The T-2 Buckeye (along with the TF-8J) replaced the T2V-1/T-1A Seastar, though the T-1 would continue in some uses into the 1970s.

The Buckeye was designed as a low-cost multi-stage trainer. Its straight wing is similar to that used in the original North American FJ-1 Fury. Its cockpit controls are similar to the T-28C trainer. The T-2's performance is between that of the Air Force's T-37 Tweet, and the TA-4J Skyhawk, which was used for advanced training, including carrier takeoffs and landings. While it has no built-in armament, the T-2 has two underwing hardpoints for .50 in gun pods, convert|100|lb|abbr=on practice bombs or 2.75 in rockets.

All T-2 Buckeyes were manufactured by North American at Air Force Plant 85, located just south of Port Columbus Airport in Columbus, Ohio. 273 aircraft were built during its production run. The name Buckeye refers to the state tree of Ohio, as well as the mascot of the Ohio State University.

Virtually every Naval aviator from the late 1950's until 2004 received training in the T-2 Buckeye, a career spanning four decades. In the Naval Aviator syllabus, the T-2 has been replaced by the near-sonic T-45 Goshawk (the US Navy version of the BAE Hawk), which is more comparable to other high performance subsonic trainers, or the USAF T-38 Talon. More recently, the T-2 has been used as a director aircraft for aerial drones. Several T-2 Buckeyes are now registered in civilian markings and regularly appear at airshows.

Variants

;T-2A Buckeye:Two-seat imtermediate jet training aircraft, powered by a 1542-kg (3,400-lb) thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-36 turbojet engine. Original designation T2J-1 Buckeye. 217 built.;YT-2B Buckeye:Two T-2As were converted into T-2B prototype aircraft.;T-2B Buckeye:Improved version, powered by two 131-kg (3,000-lb) thrust Pratt & Whitney J60-P-1 turbojet engines. 97 built.;YT-2C Buckeye:One T-2B was converted into a T-2C prototype aircraft.;T-2C Buckeye:Final production version for the US Navy, powered by two 2,950-lbf (13,100N) thrust General Electric J85-GE-4 turbojet engine. 231 built.;DT-2B and DT-2C Buckeye:Small numbers of T-2Bs and T-2Cs were converted into drone directors.;T-2D Buckeye:Export version for Venezuela. 12 built.;T-2E Buckeye:Export version for Greece. 30 built.

Operators

;GRE
* Hellenic Air Force;USA
* United States Navy ;VEN
* Venezuelan Air Force

pecifications (T-2C Buckeye)

Aircraft specification

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=jet
crew=2
length main=38 ft 8 in
length alt=11 m
span main=38 ft 2 in
span alt=10.3 m
height main=14 ft 9 in
height alt=4.5 m
area main=255 ft²
area alt=23.70 m²
empty weight main=8,115 lb
empty weight alt=3,652 kg
loaded weight main=
loaded weight alt=
max takeoff weight main=13,180 lb
max takeoff weight alt=5,931 kg

more general=
engine (jet)=General Electric J85-GE-4
type of jet=turbojets
number of jets=2
thrust main=2,950 lbf
thrust alt=13 kN
max speed main=521 mph
max speed alt=834 km/h
range main=910 mi
range alt=1,456 km
ceiling main=44,400 ft
ceiling alt=13,500 m
climb rate main=
climb rate alt=
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
more performance=
avionics=
armament=

ee also

aircontent
related=
* FJ Fury

similar aircraft=
* T2V SeaStar
* TA-4J Skyhawk
* Fouga Zéphyr
* T-45 Goshawk
* T-37 Tweet

sequence=

lists=

see also=

References

External links

* [http://www.history.navy.mil/planes/t-2c.html T-2 Buckeye page on U.S. Navy History site]
* [http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/systems/aircraft/t-2.htm T2J-l / T-2 Buckeye on GlobalSecurity.org]
* [http://www.amarcexperience.com/AMARCArticleT2Buckeye.asp Rockwell T-2 Buckeye page on AMARCExperience.com]
* [http://www.airliners.net/open.file/1033286/L/ T-2C Buckeye Photo]
* [http://www.immortalia.com/html/books-and-manuscripts/1970s/1971-72-VT4-world-famous-rubber-ducks-hymnal/index.htm VT-4 Rubber Duck Hymnal]