T-6A Texan II

The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine, two-seat primary trainer designed to train Joint Primary Pilot Training, or JPPT, students in basic flying skills common to U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots.

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History

The T-6A entered development flight test in July 1998. The FAA approved type and production certification for the T-6A aircraft and production line on 30 July 1999. A successful flight test program and a successful Milestone III full rate production decision followed in December 2001. Both the U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy have since entered into a full rate production contract with Raytheon for aircraft. To date the U.S. Air Force has received approximately 100 aircraft and the U.S. Navy has received 4 aircraft. The system will be operational at 13 Air Force and Navy bases when fully fielded. The T-6A achieved initial operating capability (IOC) with the Air Force in 2001 at Moody AFB and the U.S. Navy's IOC is in 2003 at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Fla.

Description

Produced by Raytheon Aircraft, the T-6A Texan II is a military trainer version of Raytheon's Beech/Pilatus PC-9 Mk II. Stepped-tandem seating in the single cockpit places one crewmember in front of the other, with the student and instructor positions being interchangeable. A pilot may also fly the aircraft alone from the front seat. Pilots enter the T-6A cockpit through a side-opening, one-piece canopy that has demonstrated resistance to bird strikes at speeds up to 270 knots.

The T-6A has a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turbo-prop engine that delivers 1,100 horsepower. Because of its excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, the aircraft can perform an initial climb of 3,100 feet (944.8 meters) per minute and can reach 18,000 feet (5,486.4 meters) in less than six minutes. The aircraft is fully aerobatic and features a pressurized cockpit with an anti-G system, ejection seat and an advanced avionics package with sunlight-readable liquid crystal displays.