Warbird Information Exchange

None of em. A Swift doesn't fly like any other tail dragger. It doesn't fly like a Stearman, a BT-13, a T-6, or an O-1.

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If God had wanted man to fly behind a flat motor, Pratt Whitney would've built one.

The Parker Cramer T-6G was owned by John Vowinkle when I bought it in June of 1968. I owned and flew the airplane (N7197C) for 17 years before selling it and buying a Spanish D model from Ray Stutzman. I owned and flew this plane for 11 years before trading it in 1999. The above mentioned G model was also the first one re-manufactured s/n 49-2897 out of 2068 built.

Jake Fendermen
"Those were the days".

As I was reading through this, I was thinking how surprising no-one recommended the Swift. Then, by golly Ethen did.

The Swift has everything you need. It has retractible gear, a tailwheel, a hydraulic system, it is a piece of cake in calm wind and a devil in a left crosswind. What does that describe, T-6 or Swift? Both!

I did just what you are asking. Learned to fly in a C-152 through private license. Taildragger checkout in a Citabria. Since I could not afford a T-6 at the time, I bought a mangy Swift and enjoyed about 300 hours before I stepped up to the '6. It totally prepared me for the T-6, and all that retract tailwheel time meant my insurance rate for the T-6 was as low as anyone's I compared with.

I don't agee that the T-6 is an easy airplane to fly. Some guys are just Superman and don't know it. The workload is about as high as any single engine airplane built. Intentionally so. After all, it was designed to take a 100 hour tailwheel pilot and turn him into a P-40 pilot with 225 hours. It is the only airplane I have ever flown that tries to kill itself every landing. You have to stay on top of it.

In the latest NATA newsletter, there are three accidents with T-6s. All of them were avoidable. The fact that they weren't avoided gives you some clue that the airplane is not for everyone.

Just one man's opinion. I don't get on here much anymore but thought if you were serious about the T-6, having an opinion from another guy who is currently active on the '6 should help.

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Rob C

Historically, the claim of consensus has been the first refuge of scoundrels; it is a way to avoid debate by claiming that the matter is already settled. “

– Michael Crichton

my father has over 1000 hours in his 200 h.p. Swift and after all that time in his swift he was able to pretty much just jump in a T-28,T-6, and Sterman and instruct in them(flight review and phase check).
Two other reasons are why it's like a warbirds are
1. It was designed as high performance sport plane for fighter pilots returning for world war two.
2. It was designed by the same enginers who the P-51 and P-40.

Several years ago I thought because all my tailwheel time was in a J-3 and Citabria, I wouldn't be adequately prepared for a T-6. However, flying the Cub exclusively from the back seat and instructing in both seemed to have set me up well for larger warbirds. I only had about 5 hours or so in a PT-19 and an O-1 before I checked in the T-6. I did have about 250 hours of T-34 time, and about 100 in Pawnees towing gliders.

I've heard several people say training from the backseat of a Citabria sets you up pretty well for bigger planes. I know that after instructing from the back and students contiually trying to kill me, the T-6 wasn't a huge leap forward.

Mike-

They say that it is a poor man's Mustang. Try flying a C-140A in a X-wind landing. The biggest thing I have seen so far in my short career in a T-6 in when you put the tail down on the landing and that is when the rodeo starts. If one goes down to fly with Chuck Gardner, I'm sure he'll fix that, as that's on my my list of things to do...

Lynn

With a new Private ticket and 100 hours in the log book my dad and I went and bought a T-6G, N7197C for a whooping $2800.00. After lots of taxi time at the Parker Cramer Airport in Clarion, PA. I launched into the air at Dubois DUJ airport with Bill Andresevic in the back seat to handle the screw ups. After 9.5 hours of dual, I soloed on January 21st 1969. Would I do it again, sure why not, it worked the first time and after 2 airplanes and 31 years of consecutive ownership it was a great ride.

Jake Fendermen
"I see stupid people...they're everywhere....they walk around like everyone else...they don't even know that they're stupid."

Come on down, Buddy! Lets go fly.

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Live to fly, Fly to live.....