T-34 distance records

[NavAir42]

A couple buddies and I were talking about our cross country flights back in the T-34C, not that long ago I realize, and the subject of how far we'd been able to fly came up. So far, on one bag of gas in the T-34C, I hold the record among the guys I know for furthest distance flown: 766 miles, according to google earth, between Chicago Midway and Whiting. I guess that's the beauty of having a 75 knot tailwind blowing due south.

Anyone ever come close to that in the T-34? I wouldn't be surprised if anyone has flown farther on a single tank, we just couldn't find anyone that had.

 

[FLY_USMC]

I did 767 miles.

 

[skotc9]

hey fly,
nice wings! but i thought that you weren't winging until next friday. snap.

 

[e6bflyer]

That Midway to NSE leg (if it is the same one that I am thinking of, flown at VT-2 within the last year or so) was legendary and is by far the longest single leg I have heard of anyone flying the the T-34. I am sure there is some sort of west-east leg with a freakish tailwind that has to be further, though.

 

[FLYTPAY]

768....but we tanked over Kentucky.

 

[bandit]

Made it to Abilene from San Diego...

 

[insanebikerboy]

Don't know if it's true or if the sim instructor was just trying to blow smoke but the story he told me was he went from Seattle to Denver, which is about a 900-ish mile leg.

 

[kmac]

Here's an excerpt from an e-mail I received. It's from my first OIC who used to fly the T-34 at VT-3.

"As far as a long flight .... my longest was Grand Junction to Spirit of St Louis - 860nm. It took us about 3+45 and we weren't in much of a hurry, that's how to accomplish it. remember that max range power setting is 580 ft lbs torque (less with a tail wind) .... we had 45 knots on tail. The T-34 gets 230 TAS at altitude if you want, but we powered back to 185 TAS and used the 45 knots on the tail at F250 and F230 to scoot us along. December 2001 Colorado OAT was -37 C up high. Planets were aligned. And we landed way above 200 lb SOP .... We had 260 in the tanks."

 

[NavAir42]

Damn. That's pretty impressive.

 

[MIDNJAC]

So what kinds of x-countries do you do in the T-34? Solo? Any specified distance(s)?

 

[NavAir42]

So what kinds of x-countries do you do in the T-34? Solo? Any specified distance(s)?

As far as the instructor wants to go. I've heard of guys going to San Diego from Milton. Vegas happens every now and then. Pretty much the only place I've never heard of a Whiting T-34 going is the northwest. Some of the T-34 instructors can probably shed more light on it than I can though.

 

[e6bflyer]

So what kinds of x-countries do you do in the T-34? Solo? Any specified distance(s)?

It depends on the season, the number of flights a student has left, and your willingness to endure the ass pain of cross country flights in the T-34.

Solo? No....you have to wait until advanced for any chance of a CCX solo, and then only for jet bubbas.

Past mid-October, it is not advisable to go anywhere north of the Mason-Dixon line. As far as distance, San Diego used to be fairly common but you don't see it too much anymore. Vegas every now and then, we had one go to Canada last year. I personally would rather go somewhere within about 1000 miles and enjoy myself.

 

[scoober78]

No....you have to wait until advanced for any chance of a CCX solo, and then only for jet bubbas.

Sorta...In maritime you get a student and student CCX solo. Not really a solo...but definitely just you and a buddy taking the airplane.

 

[BACONATOR]

Would a corpus to palm springs (29 palms) be out of the question?

 

[ChunksJR]

Solo? No....and then only for jet bubbas.

Not true. Based on timing and if one of you two have been to the destination before, you can CCX solo a helo (~200 miles max range) over the weekend. We've had studs go to New Orleans and Talladega for a weekend.