Here we are, you have found us on the internets! This is the story of this wing you are standing in front of: SAFETY FIRST, please do not get under the wing, you can peer under and touch it, but please mind your common sense and don't go under. This is a Navy North American T-28B Model wing Center Section, its made of a right and left of different years, the one on the right is newer than the left one. They are both NEW and were made in Columbus, Ohio around 1952. I bought them at an estate in... Continue reading

Happy Summer Everyone! I found this photo on Ebay and of all things, this photo was taken at Salem Airport in Salem, Oregon right outside where my hanger was for a couple years, now I am 20 minutes west at Independence Airpark. I am so grateful for the move, it was hard work, but I have made so many friends, lots of T-28 pilots and plenty of room to work. Hope you have a great summer, John Continue reading

White was the popular color on the A's last year. This was a clean airplane. N3313G with the updated and better balanced 23D40 Hamilton Standard prop. The new owner also refreshed the entire airplane, a great caretaker. Continue reading

When I was 6, in 1972, my best buddy was Tom Auray, we lived in Southport, Connecticut. I will never forget the day his dad Del flew over our house in a tight circle, sounded like a machine gun up there. I asked my dad, a Pilot for PanAm, he said it was a T-28. That did it for me, that was the plane I wanted. A few years ago, Tom, who is now living in Igor Sikorsky's old house of all places, sent this picture to me. I need to go back and visit Tom. He told me that... Continue reading

This fall I removed the engine from the can bottom mount, built a wood cradle, rented a forklift, a large pickup and took the corn cob engine core up to Anderson Aeromotive in Grangeville, Idaho. Talked with Ray and he agreed to let me help in the rebuild of my engine. I brought home a bunch of engine parts that I had in a crate there, just to organize them in case I needed one. Here I have just finished washing all my parts, many of the parts are new or very low time. I found a great core to... Continue reading

Here are a few 1960's photos of civilian A models, complete with the original Aeroproducts paddle blades. Continue reading

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NOS PN 9511135 $10 ea Continue reading

NOS Disconnect Assembly aileron(French for little wing) rear cockpit. $40 per Continue reading

NOS Gear Box Assembly Fuel Selector Valve. Two per Airplane. $50 a piece Continue reading

Using a common grease gun I can carefully remove or pressurize the cylinders off the engine. The grease isn't compressible and uncontrollable like air, it won't leak through the piston rings and valve seats like oil. I just unload the valves and turn the stems to rub the leaks out. I use a rod to support the heavy cylinders, keep the side load off the connection rods. 9000 psi will break the rusty rings and corroded aluminum pistons out of the steel barrels of the cylinder. It takes about 8 hours to get one off, its a lot of grease! Continue reading

North American Aviation will build 268 new T-28 Air Force all purpose trainers which will be used to prepare pilots for ultra-high speed jet aircraft. Shown here in an artist's sketch, the T-28 will have a top speed of 292 miles per hour and a service ceiling of 31,650 feet. The T-28 is the first United States trainer designed to have a tricycle landing gear. Continue reading

Tailored to train pilots for today's advanced high speed jet fighters and bombers, the Air Force's new North American Aviation T-28 trainer has successfully completed its maiden flight at Los Angeles. The plane is the first trainer designed and developed since VJ-day, and the first United States trainer with tricycle landing gear. 1949 North American Aviation, Inc. Los Angeles International Airport Los Angeles 45, California Continue reading

One of my projects in storage is 49-1505, the 5th production T-28 for the Air Force. I am always looking for pictures of the actual airplanes I am working on, and you would think I could find TL-505 in here, at the North American Aircraft factory in Los Angeles, now LAX. I don't see it, 504 and 506 are there, must be delivered or out for a test flight. You can see the F86's in the background. The T-28A was designed to train the pilot and maintenance for the F86, very similar flight characteristics and systems. Most of these airplanes... Continue reading

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This airplane was previously owned by a childhood friend's dad Del Auray. It must have made an impression on me, I was 6 when he would buzz our house in Southport. He would use it to go to sales meetings up and down the east coast. It was originally owned by Avco Lycomming at their Stratford, Connecticut plant, used as a photo ship. That plant built helicopter, tank and R1820 and the R1300 radial engine, engine that powers this airplane. Continue reading

I like these early colors and the Aeroproducts paddle prop, notice the crushed wingtip. Continue reading

Fun to find some pencil marking on a part from Fennec Number 26. This was the 26th A model fuselage modified for the larger engine by SUD Aviation(builder of the Caravelle that became the Concorde) in southern France. This airplane served in the French Air force over Algeria in the early 60's. Continue reading

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Ahhhh, something new is IN! Seems like all I have been doing on this project is removing so it's great when I get to put a piece back in. I am rebuilding the left front quarter, changing out the large engine systems including the oil cooler sheet metal for the original small engine setup. Sent from my iPhone Continue reading

> > I love taking these time capsules apart, thinking someone made this little factory part, 65 years ago. Started it's life in LA, flew to Texas, Arizona, New Jersey, France, Algeria NA, Argentina SA, Colorado, New Jersey then here to Oregon. > > > > > Sent from my iPhone Continue reading

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Aggressive take off, September of '74 Continue reading