Warbird Information Exchange

I've been flying aerobatics for about a year in a Super Decathlon. The place I rent from just aquired a T-6. Looking for some pros/cons from people who have flown a T-6 before I decide. Thanks

Do it. The T-6 is one of the reasons we won the war. Its still one of the best trainers ever. Good pirep here:

http://www.airbum.com/pireps/PirepT-6.html


Steve G

Ifin I was in a postion to buy any single engine aircraft it would be a North American T-6. reliable/dependable possibly easy to maintain, Parts are still available, great to look at, and sounds so, so, so sweet.

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Bill,

Having owned a T-6G now for about 3 years, I have nothing but great things to say about the airplane. One word of caution, however, if you plan to do aerbatics in the airplane, make sure the instructor is highly qualified in aerobatics in T-6s specifically.

Just my two cents.

Mike

Get a top instructor in TYPE. Start in the back seat and go up high to do your airwork and stalls. High means warbird high, about 8000 AGL. Don't fly it with the average Cessna pilots, it is an Advanced trainer.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Amen

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Kind Regards,
Gary Lewis
J.A.F.O.

Thanks all, I'll certainly check out the instructor/owners quals. Sounds like the plane itself will be worth the investment of time/money.

Under your name it says Redding, CA. One of the guys who flys with me at the Condor Squadron lives in Redding and is T-6 instructor.

As far as the airplane goes, if you have tailwheel time you will have no trouble with the T-6. Just keep ahead of it, keep flying it untill it is in the chocks and don't loose respect for it (thats when it gets you). When doing your air work keep plenty of altitude because it is a heavy airplane that gains speed and looses altitude fast.

The T6 is a great aircraft. I've been flying one with a friend for almost 10 years now and we've done formation and aerobatics. My main bit of advice - find out about the qualifications of the pilot before you fly with him/her. The T6 is not a plane for the inexperienced or cocky pilot. I'm familiar with many T6 pilots around and know several who are qualified to train others. If you want to PM me with the name of the pilot, I will let you know if I know anything about his/her qualifications.

T-6, great plane, real warbird, and a great trainer. Start in the back seat, don't let the instructor talk you out of it. Why? With the Decathalon and lot's of others, Supercub, Husky, you get basic tailwheel handling, BUT you solo from the front and you can see over the nose. If you get in a fighter like a Spitfire, Corsair etc. you may be subconsciously pushing the nose down to try to see over it. Start in the rear of the 6, learn to do 3 point landings and you will get comfortable with it. One of the smartest/luckiest things I did when I started was go in the back and before I flew a fighter I could make 3pt no flap T-6 landings, and that is blind. Should you learn 3pt. or wheel landings? Both, be a complete pilot, and it seems to me the 6 can do either.
Next tip, airwork. Remember this is an Advanced trainer. It is NOT a lowest common denominator, forgive any student error like a C172. It is heavy, has higher wing loading, some torque, and a powerful elevator, even a bit of a swept wing, a real stall. Get a TOP instructor in TYPE, dosn't matter how good he is in a Learjet. Get chutes and go up high, about 8000 AGL to do the airwork. Nose high, power on, stall with the ball out of center and the 6 will talk to you in warbird language; "Don't do this shiit turning base to final if you want to live". And don't screw around with high g or acro at low level unless you are real good.
Some say the 6 is hard to land. I have not found it so, but I have also not tried it in more than about 10 knot crosswind. It is easy just to fly, the only real downside is it is Really Noisy and not real fast in cruise.
3 hours of T-6 time is worth 10 times that in a Cessna.

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Bill Greenwood
Spitfire N308WK

Thanks again. Cindy and Stumac I do have questions and will PM you later, at work now.

Yeah, not just any Mustang or Spitfire pilot will do. "They" say that once you have mastered the Mustang you are ready to transition into the T-6.

Bill Greenwood wrote:

Well, not really, but it makes a good story.

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."

Out of curosity Eric,
How does the AT-6 compare with the Yale other than the obivious differences?

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Don't touch my junk!!

The Yale actually has very little in common with the T6. First of all, it is much more challenging to fly than the T6. It has a Wright 975-E3, at 440hp and @400lbs lighter than the T6 it is under powered. It has a different wing than the T6, the wing span is slightly shorter, more dihedral and stronger ailerons. Much better roll rate. The stall charesteristics are viscious. Clean it stalls just like a T6, dirty the flaps blank out the tail and it snaps over on it's back every time. The gear is two feet narrower than the T6 and the Vertical CG is a little higher so it's also challenging to land well. Crosswinds are also challenging.

In his book, Ragwing to Heavy Iron, by Martin Caidin, there is a passage interviewing Tom Crevase about which of the WWII era airplanes were the most challenging to fly. He said he thought the Yale was. He restored my Yale for himself and flew it quite a bit.

With everything written above, one might question why I enjoy flying it. In the air it handles as well as any airplane I have ever flown. Seldom have I found anything in life that gives me as much satisfaction as flying the Yale well. I learned to fly tailwheel in it, and can't imagine ever selling it.

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Eric

"I spent most of my money on alcohol, women and skyraiders....and the rest of it I just wasted."