AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2018 - 42

PILOT BRIEFING
BUDGET BUY

|
VREF VALUE

$150,000 to $300,000
HOW MANY IN THE FLEET

More than 500 are registered
in the United States
INSURANCE COSTS

$5,100 per year
FINANCING

A $200,000 airplane with a 30
percent ($60,000) down payment will require a loan with a
monthly rate of about $1,200.
AIRWORTHINESS DIRECTIVES

T-6
The pilot maker

B Y D AV E H I R S C H M A N

In 2005, the FAA issued an
emergency AD requiring an
inspection of wing attach
angles after a catastrophic inflight failure.
BIGGEST PLUS

Tangible connection to history
BIGGEST MINUS

Loud and thirsty
THINGS TO WATCH OUT FOR

IT STRETCHES CREDULITY to call an airplane with a thirsty radial engine that requires buying oil by the barrel a "budget buy." But in the rarefied world of "heavy iron" warbirds, the
T-6 is a bargain in terms of what it costs to acquire, the connection to history it provides,
and the pilot skills it develops.
"I bought my first T-6 thinking it would be a stepping stone to a P-51 Mustang or another
higher-performance piston fighter," said David Peeler, of Memphis, Tennessee, who later
owned and flew a Hawker Sea Fury. "But one of the best bits of advice I ever got was from a
Mustang pilot who told me that, whatever else I did, to keep my T-6."
The T-6 is as demanding and enjoyable to fly as more mechanically complex and costly
warbirds. "The seating position, the panel layout, the control feel, and the flying qualities, are
remarkably similar," he said. "The only real difference is that the Mustang is 50 knots faster."
The prototype T-6 first flew in 1935, and it was one of the most successful military trainers in history with more than 17,000 built. The North American product was an advanced
trainer during World War II and the U.S. Army Air Corps used it for formation flying, aerobatics, tactics, and gunnery. The U.S. Navy used its version (the SNJ) for all that, as well as
initial aircraft carrier landings. In the 1950s, LT-6s were used for battlefield reconnaissance in
Korea, and the U.S. Air Force and Navy used them as primary and instrument trainers where
they were known as "pilot makers." The moniker is apt because the T-6 rewards proper pilot
technique and punishes sloppiness, both in the air and on the ground. If a pilot is too fast on
landing, a bounce is almost assured. A momentary loss of directional control can result in
an embarrassing and expensive ground loop. When maneuvering, the slightly swept wing
leading edges can lead to some lively departure characteristics.
Jimmy Gist, a veteran T-6 racer, said the airplane's rowdy nature comes from the fact
that, "it was made by 18-year-olds for 18-year-olds."
Many of the T-6s owned and flown by civilian U.S. pilots were sent overseas in the 1950s
and 1960s, then brought back. A huge lot of T-6s and parts came from Spain, and others from
South Africa. The airplanes are airshow mainstays where their prodigious smoke and noise
make them impossible to ignore. The Aeroshell Aerobatic Team does gorgeous day and night
routines with four airplanes, and the Geico Skytypers fly six. Overseas, the Flying Lions of

42 | AOPA PILOT April 2018

Proper repair of any previous
damage.
AND ONE MORE THING

Flying a T-6 is a sensory experience. The loping sound and
feel of a radial engine at idle, a
fresh breeze swirling through
the open canopy on takeoff,
the precise feel of the pushrod/
ball-bearing controls, and the
sense of accomplishment from
a good landing don't translate
into performance numbers.
The airplane challenges and
delights pilots of all experience
levels.

South Africa perform a breathtaking formation "water skiing" stunt in which they
skim their main wheels across the surface
of a lake in formation.
The T-6 is the gateway to other warbirds. When looking to fly piston fighters,
the first question any insurance company
is likely to ask is how much T-6 time a
pilot possesses. (Better yet is backseat
pilot-in-command time as an instructor.)
"The T-6 is the key to the kingdom
when it comes to warbirds," Peeler said.
"But you shouldn't forget it's an incredible airplane in its own right."
EMAIL dave.hirschman@aopa.org

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2018

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