Rockwell T-2 Buckeye Projects & Variants

[RAP]

http://www.ebay.com/itm/mcdonnell-douglas-trainer-air-force-desk-top-topping-jet-model-/262414212866?hash=item3d191b1f02:g:2YEAAOSwaG9XJgMk

 

[Mark Nankivil]

NA-249 (Early Buckeye) Model in USAF Markings

Greetings All -

A nice looking display model of the NA-249 (T2J-1 single engine Buckeye) in USAF markings:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Topping-North-American-NA-249-Jet-Trainer-Display-Model-Mint-in-Box-/291922550084?hash=item43f7f09d44%3Ag%3AaJgAAOSwCGVX8si5

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[hesham]

Re: NA-249 (Early Buckeye) Model in USAF Markings

Nice find my dear Mark.

 

[Motocar]

Good for speculative cutaway drawing. Motocar

 

[Motocar]

Next cutaway drawing the Rockwell XT-2 four seats...!

 

[Motocar]

hesham...

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/motocars-cutaway-drawings.23005/page-11#post-368626

 

[hesham]

hesham...

https://www.secretprojects.co.uk/threads/motocars-cutaway-drawings.23005/page-11#post-368626

Thanks.

 

[hesham]

That was a model for it,right ?.

Free-spinning-tunnel investigation of a 1/20-scale model of an unswept-wing jet-propelled trainer airplane / by James S. Bowman and Frederick M. Healy ...

 

[Mark Nankivil]

That was a model for it,right ?.

Free-spinning-tunnel investigation of a 1/20-scale model of an unswept-wing jet-propelled trainer airplane / by James S. Bowman and Frederick M. Healy ...

Yes, for the single engine T2J-1 later T-2A.

Enjoy the Day! Mark

 

[fightingirish]

Greetings All -
Spent a fine day yesterday scanning photos from the Gerald Balzer collection at his home, a true gentleman and I enjoy spending time with him.
Found a number of photos of the 4 seat mock up in the files - here's the first scans. Note too what's in the background of #5....
Enjoy the Day! Mark

See Mark's first attached picture, this time in colour by fighterman35 @ deviantart.

YT-2A BuNo 144218
YT-2A BuNo 144218, note that it has a 4-seater cockpit section wood mock up installed on to the real airframe. not much is known about this concept, possibly a dedicated NFO trainer. circa 1973 . Also note the XFV-12A mockups in the back.

YT-2A BuNo 144218, 4-Seater Mockup by fighterman35 on DeviantArt

www.deviantart.com

 

[Jason Dykstra (Wyvern)]

These are not fitted with a supercritical wing, but they are rare pics in showing USN T-2Cs with the underwing gun pods:

Did the T-2 every have capability to carry other weapons besides gunpods? Also, what type of gunpods were these?

 

[hesham]

From Flying 1956/11.

 

[riggerrob]

A civilian, Unlimited Reno Air Racer - based on T-2 wings and tail was proposed during the late 20 th century. They planned to power it with a large, American radial engine. The plan was to start with flying surfaces designed for 500 mph, then build a new fuselage. I doubt if it got beyond the "collecting parts" stage and no sketches were published. It would have joined Tsunami and the Pond Racer as a new class of new-built unlimited racers. Money is the biggest limitation to all these projects.

 

[isayyo2]

A civilian, Unlimited Reno Air Racer - based on T-2 wings and tail was proposed during the late 20 th century. They planned to power it with a large, American radial engine. The plan was to start with flying surfaces designed for 500 mph, then build a new fuselage. I doubt if it got beyond the "collecting parts" stage and no sketches were published. It would have joined Tsunami and the Pond Racer as a new class of new-built unlimited racers. Money is the biggest limitation to all these projects.

I had to double check my calendar to make sure it wasn't April 1st...

Take straight-wing jet parts, design a custom fuselage, and profit from your race wins? Makes sense to me

 

[Richard N]

A Mustang with Lear Jet wings

Miss Ashley II - Wikiwand

Miss Ashley II was a custom-built racing aircraft based on the North American P-51 Mustang.

www.wikiwand.com

 

[Mugs914]

A civilian, Unlimited Reno Air Racer - based on T-2 wings and tail was proposed during the late 20 th century. They planned to power it with a large, American radial engine. The plan was to start with flying surfaces designed for 500 mph, then build a new fuselage. I doubt if it got beyond the "collecting parts" stage and no sketches were published. It would have joined Tsunami and the Pond Racer as a new class of new-built unlimited racers. Money is the biggest limitation to all these projects.

Greetings gents!

This is my first post, though I've been a member here for many years. I finally had something useful to add to the wonderful dialog on this forum! Thank you for having me!

The racer Riggerrob mentioned was known as the Cornell-Jackson American Spirit and not only were sketches posted and parts collected, they got fairly far along with construction!

The vagaries of the unlimited racing scene, and especially the funding thereof, conspired to end the project before completion, though it is believed that the airplane still exists in a hangar somewhere and might even be available for sale to anyone who would like to have a go at finishing it.

Not enough change down the back of my couch, I'm afraid!

Here it is...





The last update that I've seen was from 2003...

Mike

 

[Aeroweanie]

I did aero work on the "American Spirit" (which I called Rebuck), starting in 1994. I had known Dave Cornell after meeting him through mutual friends at Reno. He figured it would take $1m to complete the aircraft and had funding for half of that. Despite living in the Granada Hills, he had a rather large piece of property and constructed a hangar in this back yard to build the aircraft, partnered with Matt Jackson. When I got involved, Dave had already done a lot of the layout, working with Jim Chase.

They got a T-2C airframe from Wiley Sanders and began construction. Dave built up a R3350 using experience gained from having been crew chief on Rare Bear. He also put together a 3-bladed prop, using Electra/CV580 blades in a C-130A hub. The nose gear was from a F-100 and the horizontal stab was from a F-86. Contrary to the 3-view in the previous post, the horizontal stab was to be installed without sweep, using a wedge shaped stub at the root. The cowling was from a DC-7. The wings, aft fuselage and vertical tail were from the T-2C.

Along the way, Bruce Boland got involved after retiring from Lockheed. Bruce did the structural design of the new fuselage, but died in 1995. Dave and Matt's funding ran out soon thereafter, but they kept it going a bit longer with personal money. When the project dissolved, Matt got the engine, which he sold to the Dwelles, for use on Critical Mass. I can't remember the sequence of events, but the rest of the airframe ended up in the Sanders Brothers shop in Ione (where I took the photo at the end of the previous post in 2007).

After Rod Lewis acquired Rare Bear in 2006, he hired Dave as Crew Chief. Dave convinced Lewis to also acquire Rebuck and eventually (2012?) it was moved it to a hangar at Stead in Reno. Work started again on the airframe, on a low priority basis. Dave eventually left the Rare Bear crew and work ended then on Rebuck. Dave died suddenly in January 2019 and I think the dream died with him.

 

[NoBarrelRolls]

Here is a cool and recent article published in Spanish about the formal request made by the Argentinian Air Force for 50 T-2Cs in 1969.
The offer included 20 brand new examples directly from Rockwell, with 30 to be assembled in Argentina as knockdown kits.

Here is the link: https://avionesenargentina.com/el-b...erea-argentina-un-proyecto-frustrado-en-1970/

 

[fightingirish]

Greetings All -
A few more scans for you. Most definitely a mock up and there was no flying prototype. Shame as it looks pretty good to me.
Aerofranz, if you could, see if your friend might recognize any of the people in the photo.
Enjoy the Day! Mark

Here a picture showing the Rockwell T-2 four seater mockup without its wings outside on the tarmac.
I wouldn't be surprised, if this mockup was scrapped, shortly after this picture was taken.
Source (X fka twitter):

https://twitter.com/x/status/1865720963586793934

View: https://x.com/Destroye83/status/1865720963586793934