Black Prop Planes in Mexico

Glen · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:32 pm

Greetings
I just got back from a wonderful 7 day cruise to See some Sun Shine (texas thing) While I was in Cosamel Mexico their was a Gaggle of at least five Black prop driven Air Planes that landed and took off from the local Airport . One of the locals told me that they were part of the Mexican Air force. I could not ID them any got idea of what type they might of been ?

mennie · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:38 pm

Pilatus PC-7 ?

Glen · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 1:50 pm

No these had Rotor type Engines in them. From a Distance (About 1 mile ) they look like a F4U from the Side But No Gull Wings Did the Russians ever sell them any type of training Aircraft that would fit that Descripton ?

dmx · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 2:51 pm

Sukhoi Su 26 maybe ?

mennie · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:19 pm

I don't think Mexico ever bought any Russian stuff, only American. :roll:

They also had AT-6 and T-28A.

skip spafford · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 3:43 pm

There is a Mexican Air Force training unit located at Cozumel that operates the Pilatus.........i have seen them a number of times while out diving and they have a hangar on the sw end of the airport where i have been able to get a couple of pictures while taxiing out for takeoff.

RareBear · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 6:39 pm

The Valmet L-90TP sort of looks like a Corsair if you stretch a little. The Mexican Naval Air Forces operates several of them.

http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/waf/americas/mexico/mex-naval-airforce.htm

Walt

Obergrafeter · **Posted:** Mon Jul 16, 2007 7:46 pm

We got the last of the 28s' out of Cozumel in the early nineties. The T-6s' were pretty much all gone by then also. T-33s' replaced the Trojans, don't know if they are still around. Tulio?

Tulio · **Joined:** Mon May 03, 2004 1:05 am **Posts:** 3236

Guys, the airplanes are probably Pilatus PC-7s (some are painted black) and Mexico has acquired I believe, 72 examples. It is a trainer, but it has been used in combat (first in Chiapas) not only in Mexico, but Guatemala for example, has used them in combat since the late 1970s.

The Swiss manufacturer did not like their airplanes to be used in combat, and there was an investigation on this regard.

Mexico has also recently purchased a few PC-9s.

I don't know of any single round engine aicraft (trainers or combat) being used by the F.A.M.; they used to operate T-28s but these have -as it was pointed out above- been withdrawn from use. A few T-33s still soldier on, together with F-5s.

Saludos,

Tulio

wendovertom · **Posted:** Tue Jul 17, 2007 5:29 pm

good call Tulio,

I was going to say are they Tucanos? or Super Tucanos?

Tom P.

jaldo · **Joined:** Tue Sep 13, 2005 4:33 pm **Posts:** 175

PC-7s used as armed-trainers

tinbender2 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:04 am **Posts:** 212

There are AG Tractors, some painted a very dark blue, operating in Mexico and South America, trying to eradicate drug crops. 2-seat trainers have operated out of KABQ for the last few years. Actual ownership is a bit of a mystery.

I have only seen the turbine powered versions, but I believe there are also radial engine versions as well.

Some of them have been shot up quite a bit. The last three I looked at had more than 50 bullet holes each. :shock:

Randy Haskin · **Posted:** Wed Jul 18, 2007 2:25 am

tinbender2 wrote:

There are AG Tractors, some painted a very dark blue, operating in Mexico and South America, trying to eradicate drug crops. 2-seat trainers have operated out of KABQ for the last few years. Actual ownership is a bit of a mystery.

I have only seen the turbine powered versions, but I believe there are also radial engine versions as well.

Some of them have been shot up quite a bit. The last three I looked at had more than 50 bullet holes each. :shock:

Are you referring to the militarized version of the Ayres Thrush called the 'Vigilante'?

http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n3 ... ayres.html

tinbender2 · **Joined:** Fri Jun 01, 2007 12:04 am **Posts:** 212

Randy Haskin wrote:

tinbender2 wrote:

There are AG Tractors, some painted a very dark blue, operating in Mexico and South America, trying to eradicate drug crops. 2-seat trainers have operated out of KABQ for the last few years. Actual ownership is a bit of a mystery.

I have only seen the turbine powered versions, but I believe there are also radial engine versions as well.

Some of them have been shot up quite a bit. The last three I looked at had more than 50 bullet holes each. :shock:

Are you referring to the militarized version of the Ayres Thrush called the 'Vigilante'?

http://worldatwar.net/chandelle/v3/v3n3 ... ayres.html

Yep,

that is the aircraft. They are an interesting study in the difficulty of shooting down a small aircraft.

EXPAT0149 · **Joined:** Fri Nov 18, 2005 9:44 am **Posts:** 163

They had those cropsprayer types in Belize when i was there , they used to come back with extra holes in them from time to time , funny thing was that the pilots couldnt understand why we didnt want to go flying with them

Brave blokes !!!!!!!!

Warbird Information Exchange

Black Prop Planes in Mexico

Who is online