T-28's at war? ...

[Mark Allen M]

But who and where? Why no markings? Vietnam I'm assuming or somewhere else? Never-the-less there's some real interesting photos here to spend some time with.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29643524@ ... 249891093/

[John Dupre]

Vietnam war. Specifically Laos. At some point we were not supposed to be operating there so the military commanders created a secret air force that operated T-28s and other aircraft without markings. Some of the T-28s had special brackets on the fuselage and a panel with a national marking could be slid into the brackets and secured with a screw or two if they wanted to pretend to be part of some local air force. There is a book "My Secret War" by Drury that explains it a lot better.

[L-4Pilot]

But who and where? Why no markings? Vietnam I'm assuming or somewhere else? Never-the-less there's some real interesting photos here to spend some time with.

https://www.flickr.com/photos/29643524@ ... 249891093/

Laos, the secret war, aircraft in service there painted overall gray no markings except black tail number. O-1, U-17, U-6, T-41B/D. All of the aircraft were flown to Udorn to the Air America facility for maintenance. Note the T-28s loaded with armament parked behind the T-41B aircraft.

[flightsimer]

Those are either Fairchild AT-28D's or Pac-Aero T-28D Nomads, both of which were used in SEA by the USAF, NZAF and CIA. I'm leaning towards the AT-28D as they all have six hard points which I know the AT did, but I have not been able to confirm if the T-28D would have ever had any more than the original two hard points.

Its funny that you posted this as I recently have been researching both the T-28D and AT-28D. T-28's are a dime a dozen on the air show circuit mostly in training colors and I have been pondering the idea of suggesting we finish our T-28 as a T-28D/AT-28D due to our rather large Vietnam era collection we have and to make it more unique.

[Mark Allen M]

I get a good laugh when some folks ask me how I know so much about old airplanes. Me? Not a chance! It's you's boys who know the good stuff. Fun to learn around here. Thx a bundle.

[JohnB]

Note the bottom photo shows post 1968 172s...different rear side windows than the USAF/USA T-41A-Cs.
If they have the larger side windows (and my eyes aren't playing tricks) they'd be T-41Ds.

[Dan K]

Mark, this should give you a little nighttime reading.

http://www.utdallas.edu/library/special ... ft/t28.pdf

In a few days, you'll be the expert.

[Jesper]

. . . . . . . . There is a book "My Secret War" by Drury that explains it a lot better.

And is highly recommendable. More info here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2472529.My_Secret_War

Long time since I read it, but I'm sure that 'The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In America's Secret War In Laos' will be a good, additional read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1104712.The_Ravens

[Snake45]

. . . . . . . . There is a book "My Secret War" by Drury that explains it a lot better.

And is highly recommendable. More info here:

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/2472529.My_Secret_War

Long time since I read it, but I'm sure that 'The Ravens: The Men Who Flew In America's Secret War In Laos' will be a good, additional read.

https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/1104712.The_Ravens

You beat me to it. My Secret War is one of my alltime favorite books, but The Ravens has more T-28 stuff.

[Jesper]

. . . . . . My Secret War is one of my alltime favorite books . . . . .

Mine too. Some passages even quite poetic

[L-4Pilot]

Note the bottom photo shows post 1968 172s...different rear side windows than the USAF/USA T-41A-Cs.
If they have the larger side windows (and my eyes aren't playing tricks) they'd be T-41Ds.

That is correct John, of the seven "T-41D" aircraft delivered during 1970/1971 four were T-41Ds and three were T-41Bs renamed D by the AF. The B and D aircraft had the 210 hp engine, large nose gear and constant speed props.. The T-41A had the 145 hp engine, small nose gear and fixed pitch prop. The three T-41B aircraft renamed T-41D by the AF were 67-15066, 67-15067, and 67-15163.

Photo of 67-15163 at Lao People´s Army History Museum, in Vientiane.
http://www.airliners.net/photo/Laos---A ... 1474183/L/

[Mark Allen M]

In a few days, you'll be the expert.

Thx Dan, but I've been at this 'old airplane' thing for so many years now and find that the more I learn the less I know. Not sure how that works.

Honestly the 'Vietnam Experience' for lack of better words, has always been a sort of distant subject to me. My brother-in-law flew Huey's over there. He left the states a happy go lucky energetic young man and came back a somewhat hollow shell of myself. I never knew him again. I was just a small kid in those years but I can remember the difference in him clearly. Tragic.

Of course I just explained what happens to so many young people that go to war anywhere at anytime. I sometimes find it perplexing and hypicritical that I enjoy old machines designed to be used in times of war and hate the thought of those machines actually being used in times of war. Something I could debate all day but never seems to result in anything satisfactory. At least not to me.

I've always been a dreamer ... To think that war is not the answer.