T-34 Surprise

Graueradler

Graueradler

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Graueradler
I saw a plane yesterday that I didn't know existed. A turbine powered T-34 factory built with turbine power. I thought that they were all piston engined. Second surprise was that it was still in military service with the Navy. I thought that they has all been phased out of service. When it taxied in, I thought it was a civilian warbird with a military paint scheme and a retrofitted turbine flown by a couple of guys in quasi military flight suits. Not so!!!
 
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Graueradler said:
I saw a plane yesterday that I didn't know existed. A turbine powered T-34 factory built with turbine power. I thought that they were all piston engined. Second surprise was that it was still in military service with the Navy. I thought that they has all been phased out of service. When it taxied in, I thought it was a civilian warbird with a military paint scheme and a retrofitted turbine flown by a couple of guys in quasi military flight suits. Not so!!!
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The T-34C Turbo Mentor is scheduled to be withdrawn from USN flight training this year.
 
This one was assigned to some sort of support role for a fighter squadron (F-18s?). They explained it to me but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I think it was something like a spotter for bombing practice.
 
Graueradler said:
This one was assigned to some sort of support role for a fighter squadron (F-18s?). They explained it to me but I guess I wasn't paying enough attention. I think it was something like a spotter for bombing practice.
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They use them in various rolls. I believe all the C models were built as turbines as part of the Navy's conversion to a "One Fuel Navy" even though Uranium is a a fuel...:rolleyes::D
 
The T-34C is a great little airplane. 1300 hours in it and loved almost every minute. PT6 engine rated at 425 hp if I remember correctly. Spins and aerobatics were fun with a 210 TAS cruise. Adequate airconditioner but you could fly with canopy open. Lots of fun. Mostly replaced by the T-6 but as stated earlier there are still some in support roles. Saw one in Austin last week with the orange and white paint job with MARINES and the E tail flash from TRAWING 5. Could have been the same aircraft.
 
They're also using a couple of C-models at the Test Pilot School at Pax River -- they come over to Salisbury to fly patterns and T&G's.
 
I dunno, wasn't there an issue with wings flying off T-34s a while ago? First it was just one, then another, and an emergency AD grounded them all. They were piston powered, but the same basic airframe, isn't it? Not sure if I want to bet on it.
 
zaitcev said:
I dunno, wasn't there an issue with wings flying off T-34s a while ago? First it was just one, then another, and an emergency AD grounded them all. They were piston powered, but the same basic airframe, isn't it? Not sure if I want to bet on it.
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I don't believe the wing spar issues with the piston-powered T34A/B's apply to the turboprop T34C's.
 
zaitcev said:
I dunno, wasn't there an issue with wings flying off T-34s a while ago? First it was just one, then another, and an emergency AD grounded them all. They were piston powered, but the same basic airframe, isn't it? Not sure if I want to bet on it.
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I'm pretty sure that's just the As & Bs and there is a repair that deals with that AD and I think most of them are back up and flying now. I don't think the Cs are effected as IIRC they beefed them up a bit when they gave them 425 horsepower. That's pretty sporty for that weight.
 
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This one was Navy blue with a toothy mouth painted on the front something like the Flying Tiger scheme.
 
Graueradler said:
This one was Navy blue with a toothy mouth painted on the front something like the Flying Tiger scheme.
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2011 is the 100 year anniversary of Naval aviation. To celebrate, some current aircraft have been repainted in earlier schemes.
 
I only have 1100 in the T34c and I thought I flew a lot (VT2, early '80s.) I fun machine to fly, although 3 adays got a bit long.
 
deltafox said:
I only have 1100 in the T34c and I thought I flew a lot (VT2, early '80s.) I fun machine to fly, although 3 adays got a bit long.
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3 a days over LA (Lower Alabama) in the summer definitely got old but looking back on it, it was some of the funnest flying I ever did. Spent most of '96, '97 and '98 at VT4.

The Navy limited the C model to 4.5 Gs if I remember correctly so the spars should be pretty good as long as there is no corrosion. I think Beech/Raytheon doesn't want any more T-34s on the civilian market for liability reasons so I don't know if you you will see many in private hands. Plus maintaining and feeding the PT6 would not be cheap.
 
I was at Artesia today, and they have one of them parked at the ramp. It is a Navy brid, based out the airport for some reason. Here's a picture:



-- Pete
 
RyanShort1 said:
There are LOTS of 'em out towards Corpus Christi, TX...

Ryan
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Yep. They represent probably 80% of the air traffic we deal with down here, during the week. They do touch and goes on the island all the time.

Well, actually, they rarely "touch" -- they just do a low approaches.
 
Well now THAT was bizarre. Two minutes after posting the response, above, three guys walked in, ready to check into the inn.

All three are Naval aviators, looking for all the world like Mav, Ice, and Hollywood. Two fly T-34Cs out Kingsville. One has already transitioned to the T-45 Goshawk. Next step -- the F/A-18.

They never mentioned any of this when they booked.

The room they booked? The Piper Room. There, they can enjoy a poster-sized photo of me landing Atlas at the Cherokee Pilots Association fly-in, back in 2005. It's hanging right over one of the beds... :rolleyes:

Pretty lame, for these guys, I'm sure... :lol:
 
Years ago these guys used to do cross-countries up to KDWH also. I assume they still do. Lots of training going on down there back then.

Some of my family used to live near KDWH so it was convenient for me to fly in there to visit. Now the only family still down there is over near Beaumont.
 
denverpilot said:
Years ago these guys used to do cross-countries up to KDWH also. I assume they still do. Lots of training going on down there back then.

Some of my family used to live near KDWH so it was convenient for me to fly in there to visit. Now the only family still down there is over near Beaumont.
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Yup. Two weeks ago I was at DWH. Parked to our right was an Air Force T-1. To our left, a Coast Guard HU-25. Next to them was a Marine UC-35 (long way from home), and two Navy T-34s. And ALL of their respective crew members were eating lunch in the restaurant at Gill.

Saw a very random T-34 two days later in Telluride, of all places.
 
Ahh I'd forgotten about the restaurant. No wonder everyone ends up there!

The tower there was cool to me one night -- they close at 22:00 local (or did back then).

On one flight down there we had to divert further and further into west Texas all day around a line of boomers. Took all darn day to get into Houston in a Skyhawk. T-storm lines would form, break up, form again. One of those, "Why didn't I just drive the truck down here?" kinda days.

By the time I was arriving at DWH it was getting close to 22:00. Thought they'd close up shop before I arrived, but when Houston handed me off to 'em they knew I didn't have the airport in sight yet, so they turned the lights up to "disco". (That's one notch above "high", by the way. Haha!)

Spotted the field, as I was flaring the lights went back to low mode for after-hours and the controller announced the tower was closed. He told me to taxi to parking, and gave a friendly "Good night!" after I thanked him for his help.

He put in five minutes of (probably unpaid) OT for me and got home a few minutes late to his family and maybe a late supper. Nice of him. ;)
 
Pretty cool they still fly them, at least for a little longer. Nice pics!

I used to see T-45's and T-6's down at Pueblo, and Colorado Springs doing refueling for cross countries. Never saw a T-34 though, except at Centennial as there used to be an air combat type of outfit that used piston T-34's. I think the wing spar issue killed that though.
 
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