T-6B Texan II US Flag Patch
Beechcraft T-6B Texan II Primary Training Aircraft
The Beechcraft T-6B Texan II stands as the primary training aircraft for the United States Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard, carrying on the proud legacy of the original North American T-6 Texan that trained hundreds of thousands of Allied pilots across 34 countries during and after World War II. The modern T-6 Texan II is based on the Swiss-designed Pilatus PC-9 and was selected as the Joint Primary Aircraft Training System (JPATS) when Raytheon Aircraft Company (now Textron Aviation) was awarded the contract in 1996 to replace the aging T-34C Turbo Mentor fleet.
The T-6B variant features a significant upgrade over the T-6A with an open-architecture, advanced digital glass cockpit including a Head-Up Display (HUD), six multi-function displays, and Hands on Throttle and Stick (HOTAS) controls that mirror the systems found in current frontline tactical aircraft. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-68 turboprop engine producing 1,100 shaft horsepower, the aircraft is fully aerobatic and equipped with Martin-Baker zero/zero ejection seats for maximum safety. The U.S. Navy received its first two T-6B aircraft on 3 September 2009, with the service procuring more than 260 T-6B aircraft for primary training operations at Naval Air Station Whiting Field and Naval Air Station Corpus Christi.
Every Navy, Marine Corps, and Coast Guard naval aviator begins their wings journey in the cockpit of a T-6B, making this aircraft the common thread connecting all naval aviation communities. The T-6B training system enables the introduction of advanced concepts and mission skills earlier in the training pipeline, extending the service life of more costly advanced trainers and producing better-prepared student aviators for fleet replacement squadrons.
Perfect For: Navy and Marine Corps student naval aviators, flight instructors, T-6B Texan II enthusiasts, JPATS program alumni, naval aviation training command personnel, and military aviation collectors who appreciate the aircraft that starts every naval aviator's career.
A patriotic tribute to the aircraft that forges America's next generation of naval aviators, one flight at a time.
