Bacon Super T-6

The Bacon Super T-6 was a North American AT-6F Texan that was modified during the mid 1950s by the Erle L. Bacon Corporation in an attempt to interest foreign air forces in an upgrade for their T-6 fleets. The aircraft did not receive sufficient interest for production, and only the single conversion was produced.

Super T-6
The Super T-6
Role Trainer aircraft
National origin United States
Manufacturer Erle L. Bacon Corporation
First flight April 1957
Number built 1
Developed from North American T-6 Texan

History

Produced in 1944 and operated by the United States Army Air Forces alongside its brethren, following the end of World War II AT-6F Texan 44-82028 was sold on the civilian market, operating in Iceland for a time before being acquired by Bacon for conversion. Described as appearing "like an illicit hangar affair between a T-33 and a T-6",[1] the conversion consisted of adding the canopy, tip tanks, and tricycle landing gear from a Lockheed T-33 Shooting Star;[1] streamlining of the cowl and wings including jet stack exhaust, augmenter cooling, and a 4-foot (1.2 m) reduction in wingspan compared to the standard T-6; in addition, the cockpit was upgraded with a revised instrument panel and modernized avionics, and the aircraft's brakes were upgraded.[2]

Bacon hoped to sell the conversion to foreign air forces, many of which operated large fleets of T-6 aircraft;[2] after taxi trials at the end of 1956, it first flew in April 1957, and flight testing was considered generally successful.[2] No interest from its intended customers materialized and the aircraft was sold on the civilian market; it eventually received a paint scheme, believed to have been intended for a role in a movie, resembling that of a Russian fighter aircraft.[1] It was stored at Whiteman Air Park in California, and allowed to deteriorate in the elements, with its registration being cancelled in 2013.[3][4]

Specifications

Data from Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1958–59[2]

General characteristics

  • Crew: 2
  • Length: 29 ft 6 in (8.99 m)
  • Wingspan: 38 ft 6 in (11.73 m)
  • Height: 11 ft 8.5 in (3.569 m)
  • Fuel capacity: 100 US gal (83 imp gal; 379 L) in two tip tanks
  • Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp 9-cylinder air-cooled radial piston engine, 600 hp (450 kW)
  • Propellers: 2-bladed variable-pitch propeller

Performance

  • Maximum speed: 225 mph (362 km/h, 196 kn)
  • Cruise speed: 215 mph (346 km/h, 187 kn) at 64% power
  • Rate of climb: 1,750 ft/min (8.9 m/s) at sea level

Armament

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

References
  1. Hagedorn, Dan (2009). North American's T-6: A Definitive History of the World's Most Famous Trainer. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. p. 169. ISBN 978-1-58007-124-6.
  2. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1958). Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1958-59. London: Jane's All the World's Aircraft Publishing Co. Ltd. p. 253.
  3. "1944 USAAF Serial Numbers (44-70255 to 44-83885)". USASC-USAAS-USAAC-USAAF-USAF Military Aircraft Serial Numbers. Joe Baugher. 17 October 2017. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
  4. "N-Number Inquiry Results: N66J". FAA Registry. Federal Aviation Administration. Retrieved 2017-12-01.
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