Veterans Airlift Command's North American T-28C Trojan

Veterans Airlift Command (VAC) is the owner and operator of this North American T-28C (Super) Trojan, which is available for airshows, flybys, acro and film.

The VAC T-28C was donated to the foundation by Walt Fricke and is used in support of the mission of the Veterans Airlift Command thru airshows with the Trojan Horsemen. The Veterans Airlift Command provides free air transportation to wounded warriors for medical or other compassionate purposes thru a national network of volunteer aircraft owners and pilots.

The Trojan Horsemen are the only six ship T-28 formation/acro team in the world. They demonstrate the aircraft with a stirring patriotic "Salute to the Armed Forces" airshow in venues from West Texas to the Midwest and East Coast of the US (www.trojanhorsemen.com to see a video).

With the advent  of jet aviation, higher powered training aircraft were needed to train new pilots. After WWII, North American Aviation began to develop the next generation, high performance, advanced trainer to replace the T-6 Texan. The T-28 Trojan entered production in 1950. There were three versions of this trainer aircraft that were initially produced by NAA. The Air Force version (T-28A) was powered by an 800 hp engine. The Navy and Marine Corps version (T-28B) was powered by a 1,425 hp engine. The T-28C was created with the larger engine and a tailhook to allow it to be used for carrier training. When production ended in 1957, a total of 1,948 of the three versions had been built.

Given its high performance and durability, the T-28 was also pressed into service as an attack plane. In 1959, Sud Aviation in France purchased several hundred surplus "A" models for
upgrade. Once the larger R-1830 engine and weapons carriage was added, these aircraft were used in Algeria during the early 1960s.

Beginning in 1962, the Air Force began modifying T-28A's into T-28D Nomad tactical fighter-bombers. The T-28D had the larger engine and other modifications. The T-28D proved to be very effective in counter-insurgency warfare and close air support in the Vietnam war, and was used by both U.S. forces and the South Vietnamese Air Force (VNAF).

The T-28 was used by the various branches of the U.S. Military from 1950 into the 1970's and last saw service in 1984 at NAS Corpus Cristi.

Photo Gallery

Contact