T-6C Texan II

The T-6C Texan II aircraft will be used to train our Royal New Zealand Air Force pilots on their Pilot course. This new capability will deliver 15-20 appropriately trained pilots annually. Following completion of WINGS, pilots will move straight into either multi-engine conversion training (fixed-wing aircraft) or rotary-wing conversion training (helicopters).

The 11 T-6C Texan II aircraft will replace the CT-4E Air trainer while the B200 fleet will remain as the multi-engine conversion training aircraft. Two fixed base flight simulators and 12 avionics desktop trainers are also part of this complete training package.

The T-6C aircraft are purpose built for military training and have the latest technology including; ejection seats, collision-avoidance and ground awareness warning systems, a pressurised cockpit and personal locator beacons for each pilot.

All aircraft will be delivered by mid-2015 and the first new pilot training course will start in 2016. The T-6C Texan II aircraft are expected to remain in service with RNZAF for 30 years.

Aircraft: T-6C Texan II

Manufacturer: Beechcraft

Power Plant: 1x Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop (820kwh)

Length: 10.16m (33ft.4in)

Wingspan: 10.19m (33ft.5in)

Propellers: 4 bladed Hartzell Propeller

Gross weight: 2.858kg (6,300lb)

Cruise speed: 515km/h (278kts)

Max speed: 586km/h (316kts)

Max range: 1,667km