Aircraft model
NORTH AMERICAN T-28A
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The T-28A Trojan is the Air Force version of North American's postwar primary and basic trainer: an 800 hp radial, tricycle retractable gear, tandem seats under a long canopy, and a size that surprises people who expect a trainer to be small. It replaced the T-6 Texan in USAF service.
It is a warbird and must be budgeted as one. The Wright R-1300 is the least common of the T-28 engines and the least well supported — the Navy's R-1820-powered B and C models have a larger parts base — which is the main practical difference between the variants and is worth knowing before buying an A. Fuel burn is around 40 gallons an hour. The tricycle gear makes it far easier to land than a T-6, which is much of its appeal. Insurance requires formal type-specific training.
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Put NORTH AMERICAN T-28A side by side with up to two other models.
- NORTH AMERICAN T-28A
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Wright R-1300-1 (radial) |
| Horsepower | 800 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | military-surplus |
| Production start | 1950 |
| Production end | 1953 |
| Endorsements required | complex;high-performance |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 165 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 800 nm |
| Service ceiling | 24,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,870 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 70 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 3,384 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 2,322 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 8,495 lb |
| Empty weight | 5,111 lb |
| Usable fuel | 177 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 44.8 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $150,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $250,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $80,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $145,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 272 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 55 |
| Median year built | 1949.5 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 54.55 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 36.36 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 14 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 25.45 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 55 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 55 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 55 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 2.5 of 103 |
| Support | 3.9 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 6.9 of 105 |
These record scores treat NORTH AMERICAN T-28A as one design with the same aircraft registered under other names: it includes 1 aircraft registered under NORTH AMERICAN-MARTIN; includes 1 aircraft registered under NORTH AMERICAN/WALKER; includes 1 aircraft registered under T-28A RESTORATIONS LLC. Prices are not combined.
- Accident record: class median 29.1 · 174 models in class.
- Severity: class median 9.09.
- Access: class median 974.
- Support: class median 81.
- Liquidity: class median 20.47.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.