(Click on photo for original version)
The North American T-28 Trojan began life in 1949 as the NA-159/XT-28. There are nine variants that have been used by twenty-eight different countries. It is a single engine trainer that was designed to replace the venerable T-6 Texan. It was used by the USAF until the early 1960’s, and by the Navy (Marine Corps/Coast Guard) into the early 1980’s. A T-28 was the first fixed wing attack aircraft lost in South Vietnam (a total of 23 were lost).
While it is common knowledge that T-28’s were used in combat in Vietnam, it is not generally known that the T-28 was the first fighter aircraft employed by the North Vietnamese Air Force. This happened after a Laotian T-28 pilot defected to North Vietnam in 1963. The North Vietnamese refurbished the airplane and put it into service as a fighter.
The T-28A was equipped with an 800 hp engine, but the later versions were upgraded to the 1,425 hp engine. One other unique conversion deserves attention: a civilian conversion, the T-28R-2 transformed the two-seater into a five seat cabin for general aviation use.
The last T-28 training flight took place at NAS Corpus Christi, Texas in early 1984. The T-28 was replaced by the T-34C turboprop.
- Powerplant: 1 x Wright R-1820-86 Cyclone radial engine, 1,425 hp
- Cruise Speed: 230 mph
- Maximum Speed: 343-346 mph
- Range: 1,060 miles
- Service Ceiling: 37,000-39,000 feet
- First Flight: 24 September 1949
- Number Produced: 1,948 from 1950-1957. T-28B (489) and T-28C (266) for the US Navy
- Armament: 2 X .50 cal. machine guns, plus 1,800 lbs of bombs or rockets.
Our T-28:
N70743
- (Click on photos for larger version)
- Manufacturer: North American
- Model: T-28A
- Year built: 1949
- Construction Number: 49-1646
- Engine Manufacturer and Model: Wright R-1300-1B
