Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Two-seat advanced military trainer

Power Plant:

One 597 kw (800 hp) Wright R-1300-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

(T-28D) six underwing hardpoints for carriage of bombs, machine-gun packs, napalm and rockets

History:

The T-28 series of aircraft was designed by North American Aviation as a replacement for that Company’s very successful T-6 series as a standard basic trainer for the US military services, but in the event it was not particularly successful in that role and was developed into a counter insurgency aircraft.

The prototype of the series, known initially as the XBT-28, then the XT-28, and later as the T-28 (48-1371), flew for the first time on 26 September 1949 and, during the years 1950 – 1953, 1,193 examples were built for the USAF and the US Navy. The initial USAF order was for 266 aircraft, known as the T-28A Trojan, entering service with the Air Training Command.  Part of the way through production extra fuel tanks were installed increasing fuel capacity to 700 litres (154 Imp gals) to increase range.  Initial production was at Inglewood, California, but in 1951 production moved to Dallas, Texas.

For armament training a number of weapons could be installed under the wings, this including gun pods or weapon racks, machine guns of 7.62 mm (0.3 in) or 12.7 mm (0.50 in) calibre being fitted; and for bomb and rocket training, racks which could carry up to 227 kg (500 lb) were mounted under each wing.  Some T-28As later were configured for photographic work.

In the 1950s the US Navy sought a replacement for the SNJ Texas series, and evaluated the T-28A, the Navy deciding it would obtain a re-engined T-28A, this becoming the T-28B with a 1,063 kw (1,425 hp) Wright R-1820-9H Cyclone engine, the larger engine requiring some re-design of the nose. It had a max speed of 557 km/h (346 mph) and a service ceiling of 11,278 m (37,000 ft). From 1954 to 1955 489 T-28Bs were supplied to the US Navy and they were mostly used in the training role at Pensacola, Florida, and Meridian, Mississippi. They could carry bombs, rockets or flares. As well, target towing equipment, smoke generators and other loads could be carried on the underwing racks. Six were used as drones at the Navy Missile Test Centre at Point Mugu, California, these being known as the T-28BD.

In 1961 a number of T-28s were modified by strengthening the wings to carry four underwing ordnance pylons in addition to the machine-gun pods, these being supplied to the South Vietnamese Air Force and Royal Thai Air Force. The US Navy then had a T-28B airframe converted to T-28C configuration with a tail hook for carrier operations, with some re-design to deal with the stress of arrested landings. The first flight of this model took place on 19 September 1955.  This increased empty weight to 2,914 kg (6,424 lb).

A total of 299 T-28Cs was obtained for the US Navy from North American between 1955 and 1957, and 72 T-28As were converted to T-28C standard at Columbus, Ohio. They served on the US Navy training carrier, USS Antietam, later on board the USS Lexington and USS Kittyhawk. They were retired in 1984.  In the event it was found not to completely fulfil its design role and was later replaced by the Cessna T-37. Surplus aircraft were then supplied to a number of foreign air forces, including Argentina, Ecuador, Mexico, The Philippines, South Korea, Ethiopia, Brazil, Laos, Bolivia, The Congo, Iran, and Thailand.

In 1952 a new variant appeared fitted with the 1,063 kw (1,425 hp) Wright R-1820-86 engine, and 489 examples were built for the US Navy as the T-28B.  Later, 299 Model T-28Cs were built, these differing only in having an arrester hook fitted.  Maximum speed of the T-28B was 552 km/h (343 mph).

In the 1960s the USAF Tactical Command sought a counter insurgency aircraft for operations against guerrilla forces around the world. At that time large numbers of T-28As were in storage at Davis Monthan Air Force Base in Arizona, and these were rebuilt and fitted with the 1,063 kw (1,425 hp) Wright Cyclone R-1820-56S engine and, like the earlier models, carried machine gun pods and bombs, the T-28-D5 model having six underwing stores stations. A total of 321 T-28As was converted to T-28D configuration by North America, and 72 by Hiller.

During operation Farm Gate in Vietnam the T-28 was extensively used in operations but, as the Viet Cong obtained more sophisticated anti-aircraft capabilities, it was withdrawn.  Also in the Vietnam War it was used by Special Operations Units in the fighter-bomber role, flying missions over Laos and Cambodia. In Africa the T-28 was used in the Congo (later Zaire) and examples saw service in the war between Honduras and El Salvador. France also needed an aircraft for close-air-support, patrol and reconnaissance, particularly in Algeria.  In order to deal with the problem, France obtained 148 T-28As from Davis Monthan Airbase in 1958 and these were converted by Pacific Airmotive of Burbank, California, to take the 1,063 kw (1,425 hp) Wright R-1820-76A engine, the first aircraft converted being 51-3593. These were known as the Fennec. The T-28D was found to be a good gun and bomb platform, being able to withstand an amount of battle damage, and was well liked by its crews.

Final variant in the series was the YAT-28E, this being developed by the Columbus Division of North American as a counter insurgency aircraft with a 1,828 kw (2,450 shp) Lycoming T-55 turboprop, twelve hardpoints for bombs etc, and two gun pods. The first of these aircraft flew on 15 February 1963 and three were converted but no production was undertaken.

In recent years the T-28 series has been of great interest to warbird enthusiasts and a number have been registered in the USA and around the world. Examples are registered in Europe and the United Kingdom. Sixteen examples were located in Cambodia in the late 1980s and shipped to Australia where they were on-sold within Australia and most were restored, although a couple were sold overseas. A number have been registered in Australia, and others are under restoration or in storage. These include: T-28A VH-VBT (ex N221LH, N3336G, 50-221); T-28B VH-NAW (c/n 200-349 – ex N138NA) and VH-SHT (c/n 200-330 – ex 55-138259); and T-28D VH-PFM (c/n 174-126 – ex 51-3588) and VH-XVT (c/n 171-78 – ex 50-91584) which was in November 2011 exported to South Africa where it became ZU-FOY.

Further aircraft have been: T-28D VH-MEO (c/n 159-236 – ex 49-1724, LAF 91724, N2884G); VH-DPT (c/n 200-303 – ex 55-138232, LAF 3416); VH-ZUK (c/n 174-374 – ex 51-7521); VH-AVC (c/n 159-31 – ex 49-1519); VH -ZUC (c/n 174-429 – ex 51-7576); VH-CIA (c/n 159-96 – ex 49-1584, LAF 3410); VH -EFU (c/n 174-238 – ex 51-3700); VH-TRO (c/n 174-260 – ex 51-3722); and VH-LAO (c/n 20-389 – ex 53-138320) which was destroyed in an accident at Launceston, TAS on 20 February 1995.

A T-28B arrived in 2012 and, after assembly, became VH-DUD (Bu 137801 – ex N6255). Further T-28Bs have been VH-FNO (Bu 138122); VH-KAN (Bu 140016); VH-RNT (Bu 138340); and VH-ZSH (Bu 137743) which had its registration changed to VH-RPX and is operated by Warplanes Pty Ltd of Brookfield, QLD.

One T-28C was registered in New Zealand ZK-JGS (c/n 226-140 – ex N583GH, 51-40563), this being imported from the USA in 1989 and being registered in November that year. A further example, a T-28B, was imported in 2014, becoming ZK-TGN (c/n 138218 – ex N1283G) to its owner in Christchurch in December that year.