This Day in Aviation History
January 31st, 1958
First flight of the North American T-2 Buckeye.
 
The North American T-2 Buckeye was the United States Navy’s intermediate training aircraft, intended to introduce U.S. Navy and U.S. Marine Corps Student Naval Aviators and Student Naval Flight Officers to jets. It entered initial service in 1959, and was replaced by the McDonnell Douglas T-45 Goshawk in 2008.
 
The first version of the aircraft entered service in 1959 as the T2J-1. It was redesignated 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 2,950 lbf (13,100 N) 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 Hellenic 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.
 
Source:
Wikipedia, North American T-2 Buckeye: http://gstv.us/1VykJWG
 
YouTube, T-2 Buckeye Taxi, Takeoff, and Flyby – Wings Over Waukegan Airshow 2014:
http://gstv.us/1VykKK1
 
YouTube, T-2 Buckeye Catches the Number Two Wire: http://gstv.us/1VykTx2
 
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Photo from: http://gstv.us/2jLryaV
 
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