In 1956, the U.S. Navy awarded a contract to North American Aviation to design and build a new jet trainer aircraft, which would come to be known as the T-2 Buckeye. The T-2 was to be used for basic and advanced air combat and carrier operations training. Over the years there would be two major modifications to the original T-2A design, the T-2B, and the T-2C.

The early model T2-J1s (or T-2A's) entered service in July of 1959. The first cadets to carrier qualify in a T-2A did so aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Antietam (CV-36) on June 2, 1960.

The first of the upgraded T-2B's, now equipped with two engines to have their performance match more closely with the jet fighters of the day, entered service in December of 1965. The first T-2B carrier landing by a student was on September 2, 1966 on the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Lexingtion (CV-16).

The third and final major modification came as the T-2C was introduced in 1968 with General Electric J85-GE-4 engines.

The last T-2 carrier landing was that of a T-2C on July 25, 2003, aboard the aircraft carrier U.S.S. Harry S. Truman (CVN 75).

A total of 609 T-2 aircraft were built. The T-2, although an excellent training aircraft, has a completely analog cockpit, and as such it has been phased out by the U.S. Navy in favor of the T-45 Goshawk, which has a state-of-the-art digital cockpit and has perfomance that closely matches modern fighter aircraft. The T-2 is stil in service with the Hellenic (Greek) Air Force and possibly the FAV (Venezuelan Air Force).

The known history of the Warbird Heritage Foundation T-2B is listed below. If you have any other information relating to the history of this specific aircraft, and wish to provide it to us free of charge, please see the 'Contact Us' page for information on how to reach us.