Mission
The T-6A
Texan II is a single-engine, two-seat primary trainer designed to train
joint specialized undergraduate pilot training students in basic flying
skills common to all military pilots.
Features
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 pilot in the front seat and the
instructor pilot in the rear. 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 3,300 feet (1,006 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 and an advanced avionics package with sunlight-readable liquid
crystal displays.
Background
Before being
formally named in 1997, the T-6A was first identified in a 1989 Department
of Defense Trainer Aircraft Master Plan as the aircraft portion of the
Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, or JPATS. The system includes an
integrated suite of simulators, training devices and computer management
system.
On Feb. 5,
1996, Raytheon was awarded the JPATS acquisition and support contracts.
The first operational T-6A arrived at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in
May 2000.
The T-6A will
be used to train joint specialized undergraduate pilot training students
in their primary training phase, providing the basic skills necessary to
progress to one of four training tracks: the Air Force bomber-fighter
track, the Air Force airlift-tanker or Navy maritime track, the Navy
strike track or the Air Force-Navy helicopter track.
The U.S. Air
Force is currently training the initial instructor pilot force to phase in
the T-6A, replacing the Air Force’s T-37 and the Navy’s T-34C.
General
Characteristics
Primary Function: Primary trainer in joint specialized
undergraduate pilot training
Builder: Raytheon Aircraft
Power Plant: 1,708 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada
PT6A-68 turbo-prop engine
Wingspan: 33.5 feet (10.19 meters)
Length: 33.4 feet (10.16 meters)
Height: 10.7 feet (3.23 meters)
Speed: 350 miles per hour
Standard Basic Empty Weight: 4,900 pounds (2,222.6
kilograms)
Ceiling: 35,000 feet (10,668 meters)
Range: 900 nautical miles (1,667 kilometers)
Crew: Two, student pilot and instructor pilot
Armament: None
Date Deployed: May 2000
Unit Cost: $4.5 million
Inventory: Active force, 372 aircraft by 2010 (current
acquisition plans)
 T-6
Photos + Study Material
T-6
Aircraft Spec Sheet
T-6
Article and More Photos
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