North American T-2 Buckeye

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 initial service in 1959, and was replaced by the T-45 Goshawk in 2008.

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 . 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 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-9J ) 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 . While it has no built-in armament, the T-2 has two underwing hardpoints for .50 in gun pods, 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 .

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 career spanning four decades. In the Naval Aviator strike pipeline syllabus and the Naval Flight Officer strike and strike fighter pipeline syllabi, the T-2 has been replaced by the near-sonic T-45 Goshawk (the US Navy version of the BAE Hawk ), which is more comparable to other high performance subsonic trainers, or the supersonic 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

Two-seat intermediate jet training aircraft, powered by a 3,400-lb (1542-kg) thrust Westinghouse J34-WE-46/48 turbojet. Original designation T2J-1 Buckeye. 217 built.

YT-2B

Two T-2As were converted into T-2B prototype aircraft.

T-2B

Improved version, powered by two 3,000-lb (1360-kg) thrust Pratt & Whitney J60-P-1 turbojets. 97 built.

YT-2C

One T-2B was converted into a T-2C prototype aircraft.

T-2C

Final production version for the US Navy, powered by two 2,950-lbf thrust General Electric J85-GE-4 turbojets. 231 built.

DT-2B and DT-2C

Small numbers of T-2Bs and T-2Cs were converted into drone directors.

T-2D

Export version for Venezuela. 12 built.

T-2E

Export version for Greece. 40 built.

Operators

GRE

* Hellenic Air Force

USA

* United States Navy

VEN

* Venezuelan Air Force