Turbo prop conversion AT-6/SNJ/Harvard ever done?

[famvburg]

With all the various piston - to - turbo prop conversion done over the years, has a Texan or Harvard ever been done? With some of the conversions for various round motored cropdusters, I would think actually doing it would be fairly straightforward, disregarding of course the folks from the Friendly Aviators Association. Also considering some mods that have been done to various Texans, I wouldn't think this would be all that unusual either.

[JohnB]

I've never heard of one, but as you say, it would not be technically impossible (whether it would be nice...or safe... to fly is another question).
However, I'm not sure why anyone would do it. Turbopropa are expensive and I can't quite see a use for the aircraft to make a conversion practical.
Too out of date and limited payload for a ground attack aircraft, not enough payload for a AG ship, too expensive for a toy.

Frankly, I'm surprised there haven't been turbine T-28s, that might make some sense in a COIN role.

I've seen a tri-gear T-6 though. Not a pretty sight.

[famvburg]

Technically there have been turbo prop T-28s, the YAT-28E perviously discussed here on WIX, and the more numerous Taiwanese AIDC T-CH-!, which, while not really claimed a turbo T-28 I don't think, that's what it is. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/AIDC_T-CH-1 I've seen pics of the tri-gear Bacon Super 6 and that, among the Tora Zeroes and some super-modified Tora Zero out there along with a few other mods, is why I was thinking someone may have stuck a Garrett or a PT-6 or maybe even a Walther on one. Maybe I'll finish my 1/72 Turbo Texan model one day......

[bdk]

http://acmp.com/blog/north-american-yat-28.html

Never heard of a turboprop T-6 though.

[The Inspector]

The mods to get inside the weight and balance envelope would make the nose on a PILATUS PC-2 turbine look stubby, performance differences would be close to a push for a huge amount of dollars that would need to be invested.

[rcaf_100]

In Dan Hagedorn's newest T-6 book North American's T-6 there is a short snippet about the Centro Técnico de Aeronáutica (CTA) in Brazil starting a project in 1965 to install Turbomeca Bastan engines on their surviving T-6's, codenamed Projecto Fênix.
Wind tunnel tests were done which revealed that substantial weight and balance changes would have to be made (ie reeeally long nose ) as well as adding wingtip tanks to feed the thirsty turboprop.
The project was cancelled in 1966 to focus on the Neiva T-25 Universal.

Can't find anything online about it though. At least it's a start.

[JohnB]

Technically there have been turbo prop T-28s,

Yes, I knew about the "E"s..I meant to type "more" as in" more turbine T-28s."

But then again, a straight forward turbine conversion of the AD-1 Skyraider ended up with a largely new airframe (the A2D Skyshark)...so perhaps there's a lesson in there.

[famvburg]

The A2D was a long time ago and was a different airframe. There were 3 proposals for direct turbo prop mods to the AD using 3 different engines and they were fairly straightforward mods. I can't recall the book that shows them. There are too many recip - to - turbo prop conversions now to be much of an issue.

Technically there have been turbo prop T-28s,

Yes, I knew about the "E"s..I meant to type "more" as in" more turbine T-28s."

But then again, a straight forward turbine conversion of the AD-1 Skyraider ended up with a largely new airframe (the A2D Skyshark)...so perhaps there's a lesson in there.

[51fixer]

Swiss did it with their Schlep's going from a V-12 to a OV-1 FWF on a really extended nose. Another Fuggly creation.

[JohnB]

There are too many recip - to - turbo prop conversions now to be much of an issue.

Not in T-6 class aircraft.
The T-34 is the big exception...but it's more of a Bonanza than a dedicated military trainer/COIN type.