The North American T-2 Buckeye was an intermediate, general-purpose, jet trainer, which was used by the US Navy from 1959 to 2008. Originally called the T2J, this sturdy and reliable aircraft had begun its long career as a single-engine design but it would evolve into a twin-jet trainer in 1966. It is estimated that around 18,000 naval aviators received training on the Buckeye. It was fully carrier-capable as thousands of naval pilots made their first carrier landing flying it.
The T-2 prototype, the YT2J-1, made its maiden flight on January 31, 1958. It was flown by test pilot Richard Wenzell. Only minor technical difficulties with the landing gear were experienced. However, they were set right immediately. It was introduced into service the following year, on November 25, 1959. In 1962, the US Navy awarded North American a 3.3 million-dollar contract to modify its first version, the T-2A, to a twin-engine aircraft, which entered service in 1966. This was possible due to the emergence of modern, efficient, light-weight turbojets in 1960. More than 500 T-2 aircraft would be produced in different versions; T-2A, T-2B, T-2C, and T-2D.
Technical Description
The North American T-2 Buckeye was a two-seat, twin-engine, carrier-borne monoplane. It was fitted with cantilever mid-wing, which was of all-metal construction, with a two-spar structure. The wing had all-metal ailerons with hydraulic boost, and large trailing-edge flaps. The aircraft fuselage was also of all-metal construction, with semi-monocoque structure, which was divided into three main sections: forward fuselage, containing equipment bay and cockpit; center fuselage, housing power plant, fuel, and wing carry-through structure; rear fuselage, carrying the arrester hook and a hydraulically-actuated air-brake on each side.
The T-2 tail assembly was also all-metal, with a cantilever tail plane, whose elevators were boosted hydraulically. On the other hand, the tail fin rudder was manually controlled. It had retractable, tricycle landing gear, with oleopneumatic shock absorbers and hydraulic retraction; main units retract inwardly into wings, while nose wheel folded up forwardly into fuselage. The arrester hook was also retractable. Jet engine air intakes were located on belly of fuselage.
Specifications
Type: general-purpose jet trainer
Length: 11.67 m (38 feet, 4 inches)
Wing Span: 11.62 m (38 feet, 2 inches), with tip tanks.
Wing Area: 23.69 m2 (255 square feet)
Height: 4.51 m (14 feet, 9 inches)
Power Plant: two General Electric J85-GE-4 turbojet engines, each one delivering 2,948 pounds of thrust.
Maximum Speed: 840 km/h (521 mph)
Range: 1,685 km (1,045 miles)
Service Ceiling: 12,320 m (40,400 feet)
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| T-2C in flight |
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Above, the T2J-1 146001 on an early carrier flight deck landing trial.
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