Thinking about a T-6

StraightnLevel said:
What's the useful range of a T-6? I would have thought it would be too short for that sort of travel....?
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Normal cruise gives you about 2.5 hours with a 30 minute reserve. One more reason it isn't worth certifying for IFR. With IFR alternate requirements, you have very little range. I would only pursue an IFR T6 if I was based in coastal CA.

But VFR it works fine. Hand flying the whole time, 2.5 hours is a good point to get out and walk around. My airplane is a little faster than the average T6 - I get 150 KTAS at 32 gph. Going coast to coast takes about 15-16 hours. I break that up over 2 days. Shorter trips still work out better than airlines for me time-wise since I can avoid connections.
 
StraightnLevel said:
What's the useful range of a T-6? I would have thought it would be too short for that sort of travel....?
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it depends on the model. T-6G’s have 133 gallons. SNJ-2’s (don’t even think about buying one) have 180 gallons. Pretty much everything else has 110 gallons. I plan on 145ktas at around 28gph for the ones I fly often. 2.5 hours is a good max time to be airborne for regular tanks and VFR flying IMO.
 
Ed Haywood said:
I'm an acro guy with a Decathlon, so a good crowd for me. Get some tips from Koontz.


Will do. Where is the closest clinic? I seem to recall seeing one in Ocala FL once upon a time.

On it. My buddy has a C-45 and C-47. He plans to have the C-45 in flying order for Oshkosh next year, so we'll take it up and camp in the Warbird area.

I live 15 minutes from SnF, so I go to the showevery year, but don't participate in camper activities. How does one meet the Warbird crowd there, other than ambushing at their planes?
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Williston is probably your closest clinic but once you join NATA you’ll see all the ones available.

There’s always a NATA tent at Osh/SnF so that’s a good place to meet/greet.
 
EvilEagle said:
it depends on the model. T-6G’s have 133 gallons. SNJ-2’s (don’t even think about buying one) have 180 gallons. Pretty much everything else has 110 gallons. I plan on 145ktas at around 28gph for the ones I fly often. 2.5 hours is a good max time to be airborne for regular tanks and VFR flying IMO.
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Until the SkyTypers shut down, you couldn't even get an SNJ-2. Anytime one came up for sale the SkyTypers would snag it.

We have an SNJ-2 at the museum. It's a decent airplane. AFAIK aside from the rudder, the main difference is fuel bladders vs tanks and shorter distance between mains and tailwheel.
 
kyleb said:
Out of ignorance and curiosity... I have to ask why?
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I'm curious too. Only reason I can think is the fuel system is a little different. The SNJ-2 I occasionally fly at the museum flies just like any other T6.
 
If you really want a hot rod.....try a P-64 replica (T-6 with a Wright 1820 on it and shorter wings)
 
When only one thing is left, no matter how unlikely, must be the truth.

Gonna have to say it’s Navy, and clearly superior…?
 
EvilEagle said:
Williston is probably your closest clinic but once you join NATA you’ll see all the ones available.

There’s always a NATA tent at Osh/SnF so that’s a good place to meet/greet.
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Williston would be perfect! Quick hop from my home drome.

I'll look for NATA at the next event.
 
kyleb said:
Out of ignorance and curiosity... I have to ask why?
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The sky typer pilots love them. The Mx guys I know say they are a corrosion disaster waiting to happen.

Anything that makes one more susceptible to poor ground handling (shorter wheel base = more squirrelly & higher deck angle in a 3 point stance) is an easy no way from me.
 
EvilEagle said:
The sky typer pilots love them. The Mx guys I know say they are a corrosion disaster waiting to happen.

Anything that makes one more susceptible to poor ground handling (shorter wheel base = more squirrelly & higher deck angle in a 3 point stance) is an easy no way from me.
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I don't know of anything in the design that makes SNJ-2's more susceptible to corrosion than other models.

I suspect it has more to do with the fact that the majority of remaining SNJ-2s spent a lot of time sitting outdoors on the ramp at FRG off season....

I know of two former SkyTyper SNJs now based in the Hampton Roads area and both have had corrosion issues. That said, the issues just required a fair amount of work after the SkyTypers. Not anywhere near hull-writeoff stuff.

As far as the shorter tailwheel distance, I haven't noticed a significant difference in ground handling between the museum's -2 and my airplane.
 
Fearless Tower said:
I don't know of anything in the design that makes SNJ-2's more susceptible to corrosion than other models.

I suspect it has more to do with the fact that the majority of remaining SNJ-2s spent a lot of time sitting outdoors on the ramp at FRG off season....

I know of two former SkyTyper SNJs now based in the Hampton Roads area and both have had corrosion issues. That said, the issues just required a fair amount of work after the SkyTypers. Not anywhere near hull-writeoff stuff.

As far as the shorter tailwheel distance, I haven't noticed a significant difference in ground handling between the museum's -2 and my airplane.
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Could it be they spent their early years at Navy bases?
 
Ed Haywood said:
Could it be they spent their early years at Navy bases?
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A number of T6/SNJs were built with aluminum that had a heat treat issue and some developed intergranular corrosion on various structural parts. So it wasn't a design or location problem per se but a manufacturing issue as not all aircraft had problems. I believe there still is an active AD from 1947 or 1950 that requires additional corrosion inspections every annual inspection. And when the AD came out for the wing angle fatigue crack check in the mid-2000s(?) additional corrosion issues were found giving more fuel to the T6 corrosion discussion.
 
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