American Muscle; the T-28 Trojan.
Its big, brash, noisy and has heaps of horsepower; yes, the T-28 is an ugly brute, but one packed with merit.To operate, I've been told, it's cheaper than a high performance warbird, but offers the same performance and thrills at low level and has more interior space to share the fun. With its tricycle undercarriage, it's easier to land and with those big barn door flaps can get in and out of tight fields. That big air brake under the belly slows it down in the air real quick, too. The two aeroplanes added to my site are different versions of the type, the T-28A was used almost exclusively as a primary trainer; this one being exported to the Republic of Korea and is on display at the Korean War Memorial in downtown Seoul. The second is a T-28C, with a bigger engine, a hook at the back and extra attitude that befits a trainer that can land on an aircraft carrier. ZK-JGS has been a staple of the New Zealand warbirds scene for a number of years, and its debut at this year's Warbirds over Wanaka airshow after a refit and repaint was widely welcomed. I would like to thank the guy who spoke to me about the aeroplane and kindly opened the cockpit to allow me to take photos - it feels a lot bigger standing on that generous wing. First flying on 28 September 1949, the T-28 was ordered to a competition to replace the T-6 Texan. Powered by the 800hp Wright R-1300-1 radial, 1,194 T-28As were built. In 1952 the US Navy introduced the T-28 into its training syllabus following a decision to standardise equipment between the forces. Powered by a 1,425hp Wright R-1820-86A, 429 T-28Bs were delivered to the navy, with 72 of those being converted to the T-28C model, with the ability to simulate aircraft carrier ops. Some 299 'Cs were delivered, including ZK-JGS, Bu No.147563, powered by the Lycoming built R-1820-86B engine and currently displayed in the markings of a VA-22 operated example. Click on the image below to go to the T-28 pages.
