What is Happening with T-34C's?

wrote:

On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 01:11:57 GMT, Gord Beaman
wrote:

Jim Carriere wrote:
snip

I'm not sure buying an ex training command aircraft would be such a
great deal. Although the maintenance is great and keeps them going
in government service, they lead a hard life. Think of it like
getting a car at a police auction.

I gotta agree...aircraft used to train sprog crews have a hard
life...it's nothing that great maintenance can change either, the
basic airframe is often subjected to much greater stresses than
they are with more experienced handling...in my somewhat
experienced opinion at least...

A "B" would not be too much of a machine to operate for most folks,
but the "C" (with that fuel-swilling turboprop and all the t-prop
maintenance needs) would be a rich man's toy. This is assuming no
serious airframe issues! :-)

Didn't they ground all civil registered T-34s a couple of years back
when the wings started falling off of them again? IIRC, at least one
of the T-34s that crashed had already had the wing spar mods that
were supposed to fix the problem. That's not good.

It would be fun, but for that kind of money you could probably run a
T-28 and have more fun. And get lot's more "style points." ;-)

A T-28 is more like a jet than a recip inside. The electric and
hydraulic systems are Learjet complex. They're great airplanes, but
they're expensive to maintain.

--
Pete Stickney
Java Man knew nothing about coffee.

In article ,
"Bob McKellar" wrote:

wrote in message
...
On Thu, 01 Sep 2005 01:11:57 GMT, Gord Beaman
wrote:

Jim Carriere wrote:
snip

I'm not sure buying an ex training command aircraft would be such a
great deal. Although the maintenance is great and keeps them going
in government service, they lead a hard life. Think of it like
getting a car at a police auction.

I gotta agree...aircraft used to train sprog crews have a hard
life...it's nothing that great maintenance can change either, the
basic airframe is often subjected to much greater stresses than
they are with more experienced handling...in my somewhat
experienced opinion at least...

A "B" would not be too much of a machine to operate for most folks,
but the "C" (with that fuel-swilling turboprop and all the t-prop
maintenance needs) would be a rich man's toy. This is assuming no
serious airframe issues! :-)

It would be fun, but for that kind of money you could probably run a
T-28 and have more fun. And get lot's more "style points." ;-)

Bill Kambic

Years ago a T-34C showed up at my local airport, by coincidence during a
Bonanza fly-in.

I told the guys they may have had the ugliest Bonanza there, but at least it
was the fastest!

On a related topic, I read "somewhere" that Beech was concerned about
potential future liability issues, and that the contract stipulated that the
C's would never be allowed into civilian hands. I have no evidence other
than a conspicuously faulty memory, so this may be total BS. However, the
piston versions in civilian hands have had a number of fatal accidents
involving structural faulure, so I can see Beech's point.

Bob McKellar

The structural failures were all associated with "air combat"
operations, where the airframes were continually abused. (rolling,
high-G pullouts at or above redline, etc.)

Peter Stickney wrote:
A "B" would not be too much of a machine to operate for most folks,
but the "C" (with that fuel-swilling turboprop and all the t-prop
maintenance needs) would be a rich man's toy. This is assuming no
serious airframe issues! :-)


Didn't they ground all civil registered T-34s a couple of years back
when the wings started falling off of them again? IIRC, at least one
of the T-34s that crashed had already had the wing spar mods that
were supposed to fix the problem. That's not good.

IIRC, the wing spars in the B and C are different designs.

A pair of them in Navy livery stopped in AVL for fuel today. Guess they
aren't gone yet.

David Johnson

"ORVAL FAIRAIRN" wrote in message
news
I understand that the T-34C is now phased out of Naval service. I have
also heard rumors that the Navy, in their infinite wisdom, is going to
cut them all up, rather than sell them to willing civilian buyers.

Anybody out there know the truth?

[/i][/color][/i][/color]

Replaced by the T-6A

http://www.chinfo.navy.mil/navpalib/...t/air-t6a.html


Pugs[/quote]

The T-6A replaced the T-34C only for SNFO training (as of right now). SNA's still use the T-34C for their primary training and probably will for some years to come before it is replaced by the T-6.