In 1956, the U.S. Navy awarded a contract to North American Aviation to design and build a new
jet trainer aircraft, which would come to be known as the T-2 Buckeye. The T-2 was to be used for basic and
advanced air combat and carrier operations training. Over the years there would be two major
modifications to the original T-2A design, the T-2B, and the T-2C.
The early model T2-J1s (or T-2A's) entered service in July of 1959. The
first cadets to carrier qualify in a T-2A did so aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Antietam
(CV-36) on June 2, 1960.
The first of the upgraded T-2B's, now equipped with two engines to have their performance match more
closely with the jet fighters of the day, entered service in December of 1965. The first T-2B
carrier landing by a student was on September 2, 1966 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexingtion (CV-16).
The third and final major modification came as the T-2C was introduced in 1968 with General Electric
J85-GE-4 engines.
The last T-2 carrier landing was that of a T-2C on July 25, 2003, aboard the aircraft
carrier U.S.S. Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).
A total of 609 T-2 aircraft were built.
The T-2, although an excellent training aircraft, has a completely analog cockpit, and as such it has
been phased out by the U.S. Navy in favor of the T-45 Goshawk, which has a state-of-the-art digital cockpit
and has perfomance that closely matches modern fighter aircraft. The T-2 is stil in service
with the Hellenic (Greek) Air Force and possibly the FAV (Venezuelan Air Force).
For more information on the T-2 from the free 'Wikipedia' click
here
T-2B - S/N 155235
The known history of the Warbird Heritage Foundation T-2B is listed
below. If you have any other information relating to the history of
this specific aircraft, and wish to provide it to us free of charge,
please see the 'Contact Us'
page for information on how to reach us.
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