The Texan II Hits 5M Flight Hours

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II hit a major milestone in the last few months: five million flight hours! This is an extraordinary achievement that few airframes ever achieve, so the Texan II has certainly proved its mettle well by hitting this one. Of course, milestones like this don’t happen by accident; they happen through careful and meticulous planning, precise engineering, and choosing the very best components and systems for the job. The PT6A engine is the heart and soul of the T-6 Texan II, delivering 1,100shp to turn a massive Hartzell propellor. 

Let’s take a look at how the Beechcraft T-6 Texan II has gotten where it is today and where it is going. Also, we’ll take a peek at how Greenwood Aerospace supports this mission. 

A squadron of Texan IIs do the Elephant Walk.

Textron Aviation Defense delivers the 1,000th Beechcraft T-6 Texan II

Textron Aviation Defense has delivered the 1,000th Beechcraft T-6 Texan II, a single-engine, turboprop aircraft used to train U.S. Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps pilots. The Texan II is also used by the air forces of several other countries, including Canada, Mexico, and Turkey.

The T-6 Texan II was designed over two decades ago to replace the aging T-37 Tweet in the Air Force and the T-34 Mentor, which was used to train Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard pilots.   

The T-6 Texan II has been in production since 2001 and has been used to train more than 20,000 pilots. The aircraft has a proven safety record, and pilots have praised it for its handling and performance.

The delivery of the 1,000th T-6 Texan II is a significant milestone for Textron Aviation Defense. The company is committed to providing the best possible training aircraft to the U.S. military and its allies, and the Texan II is a key part of that mission.

A T-6 Texan II taxiing.

Greenwood Aerospace is a leading provider of support services for the T-6 Texan II. The company provides a wide range of airframe services, directly and indirectly supporting the mission.

Global Texan II Fleet Surpasses 5-Million Flight Hours

The 1,000th T-6 Texan II delivery was delivered last October to the Colombian Air Force, and the global fleet has surpassed the five million flight hour mark, which averages out to roughly 5,000 flight hours per aircraft. 

The T-6’s Impressive Safety Record

The Beechcraft T-6 Texan II has an excellent safety record. As of 2023, the aircraft has accumulated over 5 million flight hours with only a handful of fatalities (globally, the count is six total fatalities). This is a remarkable achievement and a testament to the safety features and design of the T-6 Texan II. The aircraft is used by the United States Air Force, Navy, and Marine Corps and by air forces of several other countries. It is a highly capable and reliable training aircraft, and it has played a vital role in the training of thousands of pilots around the world.

Very few aircraft can even begin to boast these kinds of numbers. Six fatalities in a fleet of one thousand that have flown over five million hours averages out to one fatality per ~833,000 flight hours. Truly magnificent. 

Certainly, one of the driving forces for these terrific stats is the maintenance program and protocols that keep the Texan II in peak condition. While they still look modern and new, many of these aircraft are already getting close to a quarter-century in age, with 5,000 hours or more under their belts. While far from being obsolete (recall, the B-52 and KC-135 airframes soldier on daily with the oldest aircraft produced in 1957), they are not a new aircraft, either. 

It takes a lot of time, effort, and focus to keep a fleet of aircraft, especially those used exclusively for primary training, in the air and reliable. There is a lot of stress put on these airplanes, with countless bumpy landings, Gs pulled during contact training, and inexperienced pilots flying through weather and flying cross-country. It has to be sturdy, and the maintenance on point. Along with this is the supply chain of parts for the Texan II. 

Greenwood Aerospace procures parts and services for the T-6 Texan II through a variety of channels, including:

  • Direct purchase from Textron Aviation Defense, the manufacturer of the T-6 Texan II.
  • Purchase from authorized distributors and resellers.

Greenwood Aerospace is committed to providing its customers with the highest quality parts and services at competitive prices. The company has a long history of supporting the T-6 Texan II, and its team of experts is available to answer questions and assist. 

Tunisian Air Force Acquires T-6 Texan IIs 

The list of countries adopting the T-6 Texan II as a primary trainer is now at 13, with Tunisia now in ownership of eight Texan IIs. These aircraft were procured through the Foreign Military Sales program, which is the standard by which all machines, parts, and services are sourced to other countries. 

In addition to the 13 countries that are currently operating the T-6 Texan II, Vietnam has expressed interest in acquiring T-6s to supplement its training program. The U.S. had imposed an embargo on Vietnam for decades after the Vietnam conflict, but that was rescinded in 2016, opening up the potential for trade, including military assets. 

Parting Thoughts

With more and more Texans in the air, both at home and abroad, demand for high-quality parts and support services has never been higher. Greenwood Aerospace is your number-one source of OEM parts procurement, component procurement, and more. 

Beechcraft T-6 Texan IIs fly in formation.

Contact Greenwood Aerospace Today for Your Aircraft Parts Needs

Are you looking for a trusted name in the aerospace industry to handle all your contract needs? Contact Greenwood Aerospace today, and discover what our over 40 years of experience can bring to your flight program, including:

Our experts are ready and willing to fill all your government procurement needs. Request a quote, and one of our representatives will respond within one business day! Have a large list of parts you need to be quoted? Email us at sales@governmentprocurement.com, and we’ll get started fulfilling your order quickly! 

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