T-28A TROJAN USAF MODEL

When the United States Air Force (USAF) set out to replace the aging T-6 Texan trainer, North American Aviation (NAA) was hired to do the job. The design presented by NAA was so successful that a contract for two prototypes was awarded. The USAF was impressed with the prototypes after an evaluation and an initial flight on September 24, 1949. The new aircraft, designated the T-28 Trojan, entered prodution the following year, becoming the first all-new post World War II trainer. It had a frameless canopy and piston engine, with a top speed that often exceeded 280 mph. It was the first trainer designed to transition pilots to jet aircraft. However, plans to utilize it for both basic and advanced training had to be changed when it turned out that the speed and power of the Trojan challenged new cadets too soon.

After it became evident that the Air Force had found a very successful design, the US Navy and the US Marine Corps adopted the T-28 military trainer aircraft as well. It was used by the US armed forces from the 1950s to the 1980s.

The Air Force has supplied T-28 planes to the Vietnam Air Force, the Royal Laotian Air Force and the Royal Thai Air Force. The Trojan served with the USAF as a tactical fighter-bomber for counter insurgency warfare in Southeast Asia, particularly in Vietnam and Laos, and proved to be an effective close air support weapon against enemy ground forces. The T-28 was the first US attack fixed wing aircraft that was lost in South Vietnam during the Vietnam War. Captain Robert L. Simpson and Lieutenant Hoa were shot down by ground fire on August 28, 1962 while flying close air support; neither survived. The USAF lost 23 Trojans to all causes during the war, with the last two losses occurring in 1968.