On this day in aviation history, January 31, 1958, the first prototype of the North American T-2 Buckeye made its first flight. Developed as a carrier-capable training aircraft for the US Navy, the Buckeye would have a long and successful career that would last for over 40 years.
During the 1950s, the US Navy saw the need to replace the piston-engined North American T-28 Trojan with a jet-powered basic trainer, as part of the second phase of flight training. In light of this, the US Navy issued a requirement in 1956 for such a jet aircraft among US aircraft manufacturers. North American Aviation came up with a concept for a new design called the NA-241 that incorporated a tandem configuration cockpit for a trainee and an instructor, a straight wing similar to the 1940s-era FJ-1 Fury, and a single Westinghouse J34 turbojet engine with two intakes under the cockpit. The aircraft could also be fitted with underwing racks for gun pods, 100 lb. practice bombs, or rockets. It was to be designated by the USN as the T2J-1.
On January 31, 1958, the first YT2J-1 prototype, Bureau Number 144217, made its first flight. By November 1959, the T2J-1 entered training service with Basic Training Group Seven (BTG-7; now Training Squadron Seven (VT-7)) at Naval Air Station Meridian, Mississippi. In 1962, the Department of Defense introduced a joint designation system between the US armed forces, which saw the T2J-1 become the T-2A. Because the T-2 was produced at Air Force Plant 85 in Columbus, Ohio, the aircraft received the name Buckeye in honor the state tree of Ohio.
In addition to the T-2A variant, the US Navy and US Marine Corps also flew the T-2B, equipped with two Pratt & Whitney J60 turbojets and the T-2C, with two General Electric J85 turbojet engines. The Buckeyes were flown out of naval air stations across the US but were also used to initiate naval aviators into the art of taking off and landing from aircraft carriers at sea, such as the WWII combat veteran Essex-class carrier USS Lexington (CV-16).
When the T-2 Buckeye was introduced into service, the USN was already jet trainers, namely the Lockheed T2V Sea Star (redesignated as the T-1A after 1962) and the Grumman F9F-8T Cougar (later the TF-9J Cougar) but would outlast these designs that were retired from service by the 1970s.
Besides its service to the United States, the T-2 Buckeye also received export orders, with the T-2D being developed for the Venezuelan Air Force (now called Bolivarian Military Aviation of Venezuela), and the T-2E was built for Greece’s Hellenic Air Force. While the Venezuelans have since retired their T-2s, the Hellenic Air Force examples remain in use, but are already in their final days of service, as they will be replaced by the Aermacchi M-346 Master jet trainer/light combat aircraft from Italy.
With the start of the new millennium, however, new aircraft presented themselves to the US Navy and Marines. Among these was the McDonnell Douglas (Boeing) T-45 Goshawk, a modified US development of the BAE Systems Hawk British trainer. As the Goshawks began entering service during the 1990s and 2000s, the T-2 Buckeye made its last carrier landings in 2004, and was officially retired from the US Navy through its discontinuation of being part of the Naval Flight Officer tactical jet pipeline in 2008. While many Buckeyes were placed in storage in the Boneyard at Davis-Monthan Air Force Base, others found their way to being on display in various museums across the United States, and a couple are still flown by private individuals wearing FAA N-numbers along with their historical USN schemes.
Today the legacy of the North American T-2 Buckeye remains as a historic trainer that played an often unsung, yet vital role in training American naval aviators for the challenges and exhilaration of carrier flight operations. Though most T-2s may be retired from service, if you’re lucky, you might still get the case to see one fly as a private aircraft.
Today in Aviation History is a series highlighting the achievements, innovations, and milestones that have shaped the skies. All the previous anniversaries are available HERE
