NORTH AMERICAN T-2 BUCKEYE


T-2C Buckeye of Training Squadron (VT) 23, sporting a Bicentennial paint scheme, at Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska (US Navy)


These actually weighed less combined than the original J 34, giving the aircraft a much improved power to weight ratio and a performance on a par with the jet fighters of its day.


Pensacola received two


YT-2Bs for evaluation in April 1964, and the first of 97 production T-2Bs made its initial flight in May 1965 entering service with VT-4 in May of that year.


In 1968 a single T-2B was


fitted with two General Electric J85-GE-4 engines. Designated YT-2C, this was the first of 231 T-2Cs delivered.


The Buckeye was able to


carry a wide rangle of weapons and stores for ground-attack training sorties, bombs, air-to- air and air-to-ground rockets, gun pods, and aerial tow targets. An armament accessory


kit was available that provided six store stations instead of two, thus making the Buckeye an excellent light-attack aircraft in addition to its training role.


Export users included Greece


and Venezuela. The Venezualians ordered 12 aircraft, which were designated T-2D, while in HAF service, the 40 aircraft built were designated T-2E.


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 The aircraft has been replaced by the T-45 Goshawk, which is more comparable to modern high performance trainers, or the supersonic USAF T-38 Talon.


Variants


T-2A - single Westinghouse J34- WE-46/48 turbojet


T-2B - two Pratt & Whitney J60- P-1 turbojets


T-2C - two General Electric J85- GE-4 turbojets


DT-2B and DT-2C - some T-2Bs and T-2Cs were converted into drone directors.


T-2D - Export version for Venezuela


T-2E - Export version for Greece


Specifications (T-2C)


Length: 38 ft 31⁄2 in (11.67 m)


Wingspan: 38 ft 11⁄2 in[6] (11.62 m)


Height: 14 ft 91⁄2 in (4.51 m)


Maximum speed: 453 knots (522 mph, 840 km/h) at 25,000 feet (7,600 m)


Service ceiling: 40,400 ft (12,315 m)


Rate of climb: 6,200 ft/min (31.5 m/s)


North American T-2A Buckeye trainer BuNo 148155 from Training Squadron VT-7 shows its single engined configuration to good advantage (US Navy)


North American T-2C Buckeye BuNo 156712 and a North Amercian T-39D Sabreliner BuNo 150980, both of Training Squadron (VT) 10, in flight near Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida


FEBRUARY 2015 • VOLUME 36 • ISSUE 12 39


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