Mitsubishi T-2
The Mitsubishi T-2 is a Japanese training aircraft, which was created by a supersonic trainer because of the demands of the JASDF. What is striking is the resemblance to the SEPECAT Jaguar, which has probably been inspired.
History
Beginning of the 1960s investigated the JASDF replacement for their aging F- 86F Sabre for advanced training. In question was the licensed production of the SEPECAT Jaguar and the import of the Northrop T -38. To gather for political reasons and to experience with supersonic jets, but a self-development was favored. The beginning of 1966 called for the Japanese Defence Agency (now the Ministry of Defense of Japan) to submit the three companies Fuji, Kawasaki and Mitsubishi on designs for the TX -called program. On February 8, 1967 Fuji and Mitsubishi presented their designs after Kawasaki had already withdrawn from the program. On September 5, 1967, the design of Mitsubishi was officially selected as the best design and development group of several companies, formed under the direction of Kenji Ikeda, the chief engineer from Mitsubishi. This Mitsubishi was responsible for the front and center hull and the final assembly, Fuji took over the rear area and the wings, Nihon Hikoki the pylon and Shin Meiwa the auxiliary tanks. When driving the Adour engine used in the Jaguar was selected on 15 February 1968, which was produced after twelve imported from Europe copies Ishikawajima - Harima Heavy Industries at under license. On April 24, 1968, the first mockup was shown and on March 28 ordered the JASDF two XT -2 -called prototypes as well as a cell for load testing. The first prototype had its maiden flight on July 20, 1971 in Nagoya Airport with Kenshiro Endo and Mitsuo Sato on board. The plane rose in the 38 -minute flight to an altitude of 6000 m and reached a speed of 851 km / h At the 30th flight on 19 November 1971, the aircraft reached the first Japanese -house development at Mach 1.03 in 9100 m altitude supersonic speed. After three more prototypes, which had its maiden flight on December 2, 1971 April 28, 1972, and on July 20, 1972, quickly followed by the series production, as revealed few problems in testing. So had improved in their effectiveness and the wing root fairing modification based on longitudinal instabilities for the series only the spoiler. The only serious problem was the cost increase from 3.5 to 5 million U.S. dollars per piece, which would have led in times of economic crisis and inflation almost terminating the program. On March 31, 1973, the MoD ordered 20 aircraft and January 21, 1974, the purchase of a further 22 aircraft has been approved by Parliament, of which eleven as T -2A - fight trainer with 20 -mm M61 Vulcan cannon as armament. A pure combat version was developed under the designation F -1, which differed by a metal trim of the rear cockpit and additional avionics from the coach. On 1 October 1976, T-2 was declared operational and gradually several squadrons equipped with the aircraft. On November 14, 1982, a machine of the aerobatic team crashed in a presentation in Hamamatsu, where the pilot was killed and twelve spectators were injured. A total of four jets were lost in accidents. Of the 96 aircraft built 28 T-2 machines for advanced training, 62 T- 2A for weapons training, and two were used as a test vehicle. The two test vehicles resulted then in the series machine Mitsubishi F-1. The aircraft was from 1995 gradually replaced by the T -4, the F- 2B and F- 15. One of them was from August 1983 used as a test vehicle for a fly-by- wire control (T-2 CCV) and equipped with duck wings and a fin under the hull. Then the last machine was decommissioned on 14 March 2004, with individual aircraft flew until 2006 in Gifu and Tsuiki of the flight test center for testing purposes. Overall, the aircraft reached 307,000 flight hours and there were 1450 pilots trained on the data.
Construction
The T- 2 was a high-wing monoplane, whose hull was made in half-shell construction and seven fuel tank contained with a combined capacity of 3820 liters. The wings had an anhedral of 9 ° up, had a sawtooth leading edge and no ailerons, but only a large flap with two spoilers before.