12/31/2024. Remarks by Johan Visschedijk: "With its NA-241 design, North Americans Columbus Division at Columbus, Ohio, was successful in meeting a USN requirement for a two-seat jet trainer. In common with many other Services around the world, the Navy was seeking a single aircraft capable of fulfilling a broad spectrum of training duties, taking students who had completed an ab initio course through all subsequent stages up to carrier qualification.
Design of the NA-241 was initiated in June 1956, for speed of development and low cost, North American adopted proven design features wherever possible, basing the NA-241 upon the wing of the FJ-1 Fury, with the control system based on that of the T-28C. The crew were seated in tandem on zero-level ejection seats specially developed for the aircraft by the Columbus Division. Bifurcated intakes were provided for a single 3,400 lb (1,542 kg) st Westinghouse J34-WE-36 jet engine located in the underside of the fuselage and the aircraft was designed for carrier operation and with capability to carry weapons under the wings for armament training.
The Navy backed the North American effort with a contract for six NA-249 YT2J-1 preproduction aircraft (redesignated YT-2A on September 18, 1962), first flight being made at Columbus by Dick Wenzell on January 31, 1958. Production orders for 211 T2J-1s followed and, after carrier qualification trials aboard the USS Antietam in May 1959, deliveries of T2J-1s began in July the same year. The name Buckeye, selected for the new trainer, is the nickname of the state of Ohio, where it was built. Squadrons of the Naval Air Basic Training Command became the primary users, VT-7 and VT-9 at Naval Air Station Meridian, Missouri, and VT-4 at NAS Pensacola, Florida. An ordered batch of 60 T2J-1s was cancelled, bringing the total of T2Js built to 217. The last T2J-1s were delivered in April 1961, the type was redesignated T-2A on September 18, 1962.
After production of the T2J-1 ended, North American developed a new version in which two 3,000 lb (1,361 kg) st Pratt & Whitney J60-P-6 engines replaced the single Westinghouse J34. One YT2J-1 (144218) and one T2J-1 (145997) were modified to YT2J-2 prototypes in this configuration as NA-280, the first flight being made on August 30, 1962. Only nineteen days later, September 18, the YT2J-2 prototypes were redesignated YT-2B. Production contracts for 112 T-2Bs followed, although 15 were cancelled, with the first flight on May 21, 1965 and deliveries to VT-7 and VT-9 starting one year later. After the first 33 T-2Bs had been built, a production change was made to add 100 gal (379 l) of fuel in wing leading edge tanks, and to fit longer undercarriage legs.
The third production series of Buckeyes resulted from substitution of 2,950 lb (1,338 kg) st General Electric J85 engines for the Pratt & Whitney J60s, the last three contracted T-2Bs were completed to this new T-2C standard. September 22, 1967, North American merged with Rockwell into North American Rockwell, April 17, 1968, the T-2C made its first flight. Production contracts for 264 followed (of which 36 were cancelled), with the first flight of a production T-2C being made on December 10, 1968 and production continuing into 1973.
During 1970, North American Rockwell received a contract from NASA to fit a supercritical wing on a T-2C. This project involved modifying a standard wing to have a thicker section with a flat top surface. Being the first aircraft to fly with a supercritical wing, it made its first flight with Ed.Gillespie at the controls at Columbus at the end of November 1970.
Later a small number of T-2B and T-2C trainers were converted to drone directors, redesignated DT-2B and DT-2C respectively. These aircraft, including two DT-2Bs (153551 c/n 294-14, 155238 c/n 310-33), were operated by the Pacific Missile Test Center for controlling target drones during missile testing.
Around 1970 North American Rockwell introduced an export version of the Buckeye. Designated T-2D, it was also promoted as the International Jet Trainer. Generally similar to T-2C, it differed only in new electronics equipment and by deletion of carrier landing capability. Twelve aircraft were supplied to the Venezuelan AF and these were used as advanced jet trainers for student pilots, delivery was completed during 1973. Subsequently North American Rockwell and the Rockwell Manufacturing Company merged to become Rockwell International. Under the name Rockwell an additional twelve aircraft, with an attack kit, had been delivered to Venezuela at the end of May 1977.
