Temco T - 35 Buckaroo The Temco T - 35 Buckaroo ( company designation TE - 1 ) was designed in the late 1940s as an extremely low - cost trainer for commercial and military markets . Temco ' s failure to secure a USAF order for the Buckaroo forced it to turn to non - US governments to keep the production lines going , yet only a few export orders materialized . Design and development . Early in 1948 , Temco ’ s President , Robert McCulloch , received an inquiry from the Philippine Government expressing an interest in a tandem trainer version of the Swift . The first TE - 1A was a modification of the Swift GC - 1B , hand - built to rough layout drawings , the major difference in appearance being the tandem seating arrangement which resulted in a narrow windshield and an elongated two - piece canopy with a fixed bubble at the rear . This TE - 1A prototype was completed late in 1948 . After initial flight tests a 145 hp Continental engine replaced the original 125 hp installation . Early in 1949 , Temco ’ s management received word that the United States Air Force ( USAF ) planned to hold a competition for a new primary / basic trainer . Temco built two additional prototypes for this competition , adding some minor improvements as time permitted . The three aircraft were designated the YT - 35 by the air force . Temco was competing with two other training aircraft , namely the Fairchild XNQ - 1 / T - 31 and the Beechcraft Model 45 . On 24 February 1949 , the Air Force trainer evaluation board chose the Beech Model 45 by a four - to - one vote with Temco ’ s TE - 1A a distant third . Due to budget cuts , the USAF program was ultimately cancelled that year . Although the USAF had decided against the TE - 1A , interest had increased on the part of foreign governments , particularly the Republic of the Philippines . After a study of the competition evaluation , Temco decided to proceed with a program to improve the TE - 1A . Some of the redesign included : Concurrent with all this redesign Temco had decided to build , on speculation , 10 of these production models powered by 145 - hp engines . Operational history . Late in 1949 with the engineering and tooling about 75 % complete , three of the TE - 1As redesigned YT - 35 were entered in the revived USAF trainer competition commencing in 1950 . An evaluation program using students flying competing aircraft would be held at Randolph Air Force Base . Following receipt of the USAF order , Temco decided that in addition to the extensive changes that had been made to the TE - 1A , a 165 hp Franklin engine would be installed . The USAF agreed to the change , with this model designated the TE - 1B and given the name “ Buckaroo ” . Development of the TE - 1A and the TE - 1B continued concurrently . The TE - 1A was designated for export , and the TE - 1B was for the USAF . One TE - 1A was bought by the Israeli Air Force and a second one was bought by the Greek Air Force . In July 1950 , the three YT - 35 Buckaroos were delivered to Randolph AFB to compete with the YT - 34 Mentor , the Fairchild T - 31 , Boulton Paul Balliol , and the de Havilland DHC - 1B Chipmunk trainers . Later in 1950 , the Korean War disrupted many U . S . military programs , including the YT - 35 evaluation . The aircraft ended up at James Connally Air Force Base , now called TSTC Waco Airport near Waco , Texas . After 10 months of rigorous testing , the three YT - 35s were returned to Temco in late July 1951 , for factory overhaul . They then were assigned to Goodfellow Air Force Base where later all three were sold as surplus . The majority of the TE - 1Bs were sold to Saudi Arabia ( designated T - 35A ) through the USAF under the Mutual Defense Aid Plan . Temco ’ s contract with the Saudis called for 10 T - 35A aircraft and enough spares to keep them flying for years . The Saudi Arabian T - 35A aircraft included two 30 - caliber machine gun s , one mounted inside each wing and ten 2 . 75 - inch rocket s , five mounted under each wing . Both Italy and Israel bought a single TE - 1B Buckaroo in 1948 . In 1950 , the Israeli aircraft was evaluated against the Fokker Instructor and the DHC - 1 Chipmunk for possible use as a trainer with the IAF flight school . Losing the competition , the single Buckaroo was retired in late 1950 or early 1951 . Survivors . One T - 35A is on display in Riyadh , Saudi Arabia . Two T - 35As recovered from a Saudi desert " boneyard " are owned by The International Swift Association in Athens , Tennessee , USA . Currently five Buckaroos are registered in the United States .