American training aircraft Beechcraft T-6 Texan II COBI-26624 Action Town 1:48

Did you know:

• The T-6 aircraft is the successor to the equally famous Pilatus PC-9.
• When the US Air Force was looking for a new training aircraft for novice pilots, it announced the "Joint Primary Aircraft Training System" competition in May 1994.  
• The winning aircraft had to meet a wide range of requirements, such as high agility to simulate combat and stressful conditions, instrument compatibility with training simulators, low operating costs, and, colloquially speaking, "foolproofing" that protects the crew from fatal mistakes made by a beginning pilot.
• The first machines were delivered to air training centers and schools in the year 2000.
• Production is ongoing and so far more than 800 units have been produced in several versions.
• Operators of Beechcraft are not only in the United States, but also in Canada, Greece, Israel, Iraq, Morocco, and Thailand.
• Over the years, several accidents have occurred. The cause was definitely not the quality of the aircraft. In every instance, the accident was due to pilot error during training. 
• If you live in areas over which training aircraft fly, we would advise you not to leave your home during training—but this advice is ineffective. In the summer of 2018, near the Laughlin base, an aircraft crashed into a house due to pilot error. The aircraft and the house's garage were destroyed. The crew fortunately ejected and survived the accident without injuries.

Technical Specifications:

• Dimensions: wingspan 10.2 m, length 10.2 m, height 3.3 m
• Maximum takeoff weight 3765 kg
• Fuel tank capacity 544 kg
• Propulsion unit: Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 with 809 kW of power
• Maximum speed 586 km/h
• Maximum operating altitude 9,400 m
• Range 1368 km
• Rate of climb 19.5 m/s
• Maximum allowable g-forces +7.0 / -3.5 G
• Crew 2

Instructor Captain Brian O’Connor (85th Training Squadron):

Every time I get into the cockpit, I ask myself, "What could go wrong today?" It is absolutely essential, because it forces you to think about all the eventualities and situations that might occur during a training flight. You should never approach a flight with routine, ever.