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, onepiece 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 or Navy maritime track, the Air Force or Navy turboprop track and the Air ForceNavy 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

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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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