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From left: CDR Thad Withers, commanding officer, Training Squadron Two, Naval Air Station Whiting Field and Russ Bartlett, president, Beechcraft Defense Company, marking the 900th T-6 delivery. Beechcraft Photo
Beechcraft Defense Company, LLC, a Textron Inc. company, has delivered its 900th Beechcraft T-6 military training aircraft. The milestone aircraft was delivered to the United States Navy’s Training Air Wing 5 based at Whiting Field in Milton, Florida, during a ceremony today at the company’s headquarters in Wichita, Kansas. The aircraft represents the 224th T-6B military trainer delivered to the U.S. Navy as part of the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) program.
“Building the most efficient and effective military flight trainer is of utmost importance to us,” said Russ Bartlett, president, Beechcraft Defense Company. “Having logged more than 2.5 million flight hours globally – and now delivering 900 aircraft – the Beechcraft T-6 continues to prove it is one of the most utilized and trusted aircraft training platforms in the world.”
The Beechcraft T-6B features an integrated glass cockpit and an advanced Esterline CMC Cockpit 4000 avionics suite that greatly expands advanced training opportunities. The systems are integrated with a Hands-On Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) technology, providing the student pilot and instructor with a simpler interface to the digital cockpit. The avionics suite is the first in its class to incorporate a fully integrated and FAA-certified dual FMS/GPS navigation suite that meets the required navigation performance standards for current worldwide airspace equipment. The open architecture design of the cockpit provides the flexibility to expand capabilities and continuously meet current and future training needs.
The Beechcraft T-6 delivers world-class training capability and is ideally suited for teaching the most basic introductory flight training tasks through the more challenging and complex advanced training missions that could previously only be accomplished in far more expensive jet aircraft. The T-6 is being used in more than 20 countries around the world to train pilots, navigators, and weapons systems operators.
