AF.mil - Fact Sheet (Printable) : T-6A TEXAN II

U.S. Air Force Fact Sheet

T-6A TEXAN II

Mission 

The T-6A Texan II is a single-engine, two-seat 

primary trainer designed to train Joint Primary 

Pilot Training, or JPPT, students in basic flying 

skills common to U.S. Air Force and Navy pilots. 

Features 

Produced by Raytheon Aircraft, the T-6A Texan 

II is a military trainer version of Raytheon's 

Beech/Pilatus PC-9 Mk II. 

Stepped-tandem seating in the single cockpit 

places one crewmember in front of the other, 

with the student and instructor positions being 

interchangeable. A pilot may also fly the aircraft 

alone from the front seat. Pilots enter the T-6A 

cockpit through a side-opening, one-piece 

canopy that has demonstrated resistance to bird 

strikes at speeds up to 270 knots. 

The T-6A has a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turbo-prop engine that delivers 1,100 horsepower. 

Because of its excellent thrust-to-weight ratio, the aircraft can perform an initial climb of 3,100 feet 

(944.8 meters) per minute and can reach 18,000 feet (5,486.4 meters) in less than six minutes. 

The aircraft is fully aerobatic and features a pressurized cockpit with an anti-G system, ejection seat 

and an advanced avionics package with sunlight-readable liquid crystal displays. 

Background 

Before being formally named in 1997, the T-6A was identified in a 1989 Department of Defense 

Trainer Aircraft Master Plan as the aircraft portion of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System, or 

JPATS. The system includes a suite of simulators, training devices and a training integration 

management system. 

On Feb. 5, 1996, Raytheon was awarded the JPATS acquisition and support contracts. The first 

operational T-6A arrived at Randolph Air Force Base, Texas, in May 2000. The full rate production 

contract awarded in December 2001. 

The T-6A will be used to train JPPT students, providing the basic skills necessary to progress to one 

of four training tracks: the Air Force bomber-fighter or the Navy strike track, the Air Force airlift-tanker 

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AF.mil - Fact Sheet (Printable) : T-6A TEXAN II

or Navy maritime track, the Air Force or Navy turboprop track and the Air Force-Navy helicopter track. 

Instructor pilot training in the T-6A began at Randolph in 2000. JPPT began in October 2001 at 

Moody Air Force Base, Ga. 

General Characteristics 

Primary Function: Entry-level trainer in joint primary pilot training 

Builder: Raytheon Aircraft Co. 

Powerplant: 1,100 horsepower Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turbo-prop engine 

Wingspan: 33.5 feet (10.19 meters) 

Length: 33.4 feet (10.16 meters) 

Height: 10.7 feet (3.23 meters) 

Speed: 320 miles per hour 

Standard Basic Empty Weight: 6,500 pounds (2,955 kilograms) 

Ceiling: 31,000 feet (9448.8 meters) 

Range: 900 nautical miles (1,667 kilometers) 

Crew: Two, student pilot and instructor pilot 

Armament: None 

Date Deployed: May 2000 

Unit Cost: $4.272 million 

Inventory: Active force, 454 aircraft by 2010 (current acquisition plans)

Point of Contact

Air Education and Training Command, Public Affairs Office; 100 H Street, Suite 3; Randolph AFB, 

Texas 78150-4330; DSN 487-4400 or (210) 652-4400.

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