North American T-28 Trojan

North American Aviation · United States · first flew 1949 · light aircraft

The North American T-28 Trojan was the production trainer that replaced the T-6 Texan in United States Air Force and Navy service, providing advanced piston-engine training to thousands of American and allied aircrew through the 1950s and 1960s.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — WingsLow-mounted, tapered
E — Engines1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage10.06 m fuselage
T — TailConventional

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Spot it by:

Robust low-wing monoplane with a large radial engine, long greenhouse canopy over tandem cockpits, a tricycle undercarriage, and a clean tapered wing; larger and heavier-looking than the T-6 it replaced.

Specifications

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

Following acceptance of the 1949 XT-28 prototype, the USAF ordered the type into production as the T-28A. The US Navy adopted the more powerful T-28B and T-28C variants with the Wright R-1820 engine. During the Vietnam era, armed T-28D Nomads equipped South Vietnamese and other allied light attack squadrons.

Variants

Principal variants are the T-28A for the USAF with the Wright R-1300, the T-28B and T-28C for the US Navy with the R-1820, and the T-28D Nomad counterinsurgency aircraft with underwing weapons stations.

Where you'll see it

Served with the USAF, US Navy, and numerous allied air forces from the early 1950s; the T-28D saw combat in South-East Asia and several African conflicts; examples remain airworthy in private hands.

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