Start here
A few places to begin, from the aircraft’s story to the people who fly it.
Meet the aircraft
The T-28 entered US Air Force and Navy training service in the 1950s. It was also adapted for counter-insurgency operations, including Vietnam War service. Surviving Trojans later entered civilian display and aerobatic flying. The simulator represents the T-28C.
Aircraft background
Wikipedia contributors · Read more ↗A trainer that made naval flying feel real
Liebman remembers the move from the small T-34B into the Trojan as a physical event: climbing onto a much larger aircraft, arranging the parachute and harness, then settling beneath a canopy with a remarkably open view. His affection includes the sound and smell of the radial starting, but also the habits his instructors insisted on.
Personal memoir · August 2013. Navy training in the T-28B and carrier qualification in the T-28C after primary training in 1968.
Marc Liebman · Read more ↗Into the cockpit
YouTube Warbirds · 1 min ·
Flying the North American T-28 Trojan — Cockpit POV Aerobatics at Hahnweide Airshow! ✈️🔥
A short cockpit sequence from a T-28 aerobatic display at Hahnweide.
Real aircraft · North American T-28 Trojan
Watch on YouTube ↗Preview images are served by AirframeDB. Videos open on YouTube only when you choose to watch.
Meet North American T-28 Trojan
The T-28 entered US Air Force and Navy training service in the 1950s. It was also adapted for counter-insurgency operations, including Vietnam War service. Surviving Trojans later entered civilian display and aerobatic flying. The simulator represents the T-28C.
North American T-28 Trojan
North American → · Explore the family →
North American T-28 Trojan
Wikipedia contributors · North American T-28 Trojan ↗Aircraft type designators
Use the code for the model you are flying. The linked authority lists the applicable aircraft.
History & design
A piston trainer for the jet age
The T-28 followed the T-6 with tricycle landing gear and a layout intended to prepare students for newer high-performance aircraft. The prototype flew in September 1949, with T-28A production beginning in 1950. The Air Force moved to the T-34 and T-37 during the following decade, while naval training kept the Trojan in service into the 1980s.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force · North American T-28A Trojan ↗National Museum of the U.S. Air Force · training role
The variants had different power and purposes
The museum distinguishes the Air Force T-28A’s 800-hp engine from the 1,425-hp installation in Navy B and C models. The T-28D Nomad adapted surplus A-model airframes for counterinsurgency work with the more powerful engine. The accounts and performance figures identify the version flown.
National Museum of the U.S. Air Force · North American T-28A Trojan ↗National Museum of the U.S. Air Force · A, B/C and D variants
Development milestones
First flight: 24 September 1949
Developed from: North American XSN2J
Wikipedia contributors · North American T-28 Trojan ↗North American T-28 Trojan · family/variant named by the source · Wikipedia revision 1373875662
Pilot accounts
A trainer that made naval flying feel real
Liebman remembers the move from the small T-34B into the Trojan as a physical event: climbing onto a much larger aircraft, arranging the parachute and harness, then settling beneath a canopy with a remarkably open view. His affection includes the sound and smell of the radial starting, but also the habits his instructors insisted on. A consistent seating position and careful trimming helped him manage the aircraft without continually fighting it.
Aerobatics became a favourite part of flying the T-28, and he enjoyed returning to it after earning his wings. His strongest training memory is the first arrested landing aboard USS Lexington. The abrupt stop immediately gave way to following the deck crew’s signals and preparing to leave again. Those carrier landings felt like an arrival in naval aviation, even though his training was still unfinished.
Personal memoir · August 2013. Navy training in the T-28B and carrier qualification in the T-28C after primary training in 1968.
Read the full account · Marc Liebman ↗An unexpected invitation over lunch
Peters’s first warbird flight began with lunch at Sebring. A conversation with a visiting T-28 pilot named Bob turned into an invitation to fly. Peters had only a few hundred hours at the time, and the chance was especially meaningful because his father, a wartime pilot, had passed on an affection for older military aircraft. His father preferred the T-6 and teased that the tricycle-gear Trojan made things too easy.
With Bob coaching, Peters took the front seat and experienced the big radial aircraft for himself. The lasting memory is not a detailed evaluation of its handling: he openly admits that the excitement overwhelmed much of his recollection. What remained was time spent among the clouds, the thrill of being at the controls and the pleasure of an opportunity that had appeared without any planning.
Plane & Pilot · July 2019. Civilian familiarisation flight arranged after meeting a T-28 pilot at Sebring; variant and flight date are not stated.
Read the full account · Plane & Pilot ↗A first lesson that stayed with him
James had recently completed primary training in the T-34 when he moved into the T-28. He remembers the number of adjustments needed as power, speed and configuration changed, and the effort of keeping up with them. His instructor arranged a simulated approach high above the ground, followed by a go-around intended to expose how easily a student could overlook the rudder trim.
A glance at the instructor bracing himself made James cautious. Even so, the aircraft rolled sharply when he added power, and he lost considerable height before restoring level flight. A second attempt went more smoothly. Back on the ground, the reactions of instructors and fellow students revealed that others already knew about this unsettling introduction.
Personal memoir · October 2021. First T-28 training flight from Whiting Field; recollection of an instructor-supervised exercise at altitude, with no variant or flight date established.
Read the full account · EZChron ↗In your simulator
No released simulator product is listed for this aircraft in the developers reviewed. Announced products are excluded.
Aircraft specifications
Published figures for the named real-aircraft variant. Simulator equipment and performance can differ.
| Specification | Published value |
|---|---|
| Length | 33 ft 0 in (10.06 m) |
| Wingspan | 40 ft 1 in (12.22 m) |
| Height | 12 ft 8 in (3.86 m) |
| Wing area | 268.0 sq ft (24.90 m² ) |
| Empty weight | 6,424 lb (2,914 kg) (equipped) |
| Max takeoff weight | 8,500 lb (3,856 kg) |
| Powerplant | 1 × Wright R-1820 -86 Cyclone 9-cylinder air-cooled radial engine , 1,425 hp (1,063 kW) |
| Maximum speed | 343 mph (552 km/h, 298 kn) at 10,000 ft (3,000 m) |
| Service ceiling | 35,500 ft (10,800 m) |
| Rate of climb | 3,540 ft/min (18.0 m/s) |
Manuals & resources
Find your next read
Choose a topic for a short introduction and a link to the original source. Simulator references identify the developer and edition they cover.
Pilot account
A trainer that made naval flying feel realPersonal memoir · August 2013. Navy training in the T-28B and carrier qualification in the T-28C after primary training in 1968.
Liebman remembers the move from the small T-34B into the Trojan as a physical event: climbing onto a much larger aircraft, arranging the parachute and harness, then settling beneath a canopy with a remarkably open view. His affection includes the sound and smell of the radial starting, but also the habits his instructors insisted on. A consistent seating position and careful trimming helped him manage the aircraft without continually fighting it.
Marc Liebman
Marc Liebman · Read the source ↗An unexpected invitation over lunchPlane & Pilot · July 2019. Civilian familiarisation flight arranged after meeting a T-28 pilot at Sebring; variant and flight date are not stated.
Peters’s first warbird flight began with lunch at Sebring. A conversation with a visiting T-28 pilot named Bob turned into an invitation to fly. Peters had only a few hundred hours at the time, and the chance was especially meaningful because his father, a wartime pilot, had passed on an affection for older military aircraft. His father preferred the T-6 and teased that the tricycle-gear Trojan made things too easy.
Roger Peters
Plane & Pilot · Read the source ↗Read the original documentation from the people who created it. Manuals open on their publisher’s website.
Aircraft background
North American T-28 TrojanWikipedia contributors · Research background · retrieved 2026-09-12 North American T-28A TrojanNational Museum of the U.S. Air Force · Trainer development and variant distinctionsProduct
T-28C TrojanKhamsin · Official developer / designated store catalogue · checked 2026-09-12Type designator
ICAO Doc 8643 — aircraft type designatorsInternational Civil Aviation Organization · Public search data retrieved 2026-09-14; authority update 2026-09-03Built-in force-feedback profiles
Read the documentary basis, editable starting settings and remaining questions for the aircraft you fly. Each explanation refers to the exact profile revision shown.
Catalogue programme-20261022-v1 · 1 profile choice
North American T-28 Trojan
Free and Pro · Revision 1 · Partial review
Aircraft reference · Manual starting point
North American T-28 Trojan: The selected spring and load supply the trainer’s stick resistance.
North American T-28 Trojan
North American T-28 Trojan: The selected spring and load supply the trainer’s stick resistance.
Aircraft and manual starting-point scope
- North American T-28 Trojan · Aircraft reference
Reference-only airframe identity; no released simulator implementation assigned.
The simulator model and controls
The T-28 entered US Air Force and Navy training service in the 1950s. It was also adapted for counter-insurgency operations, including Vietnam War service. Surviving Trojans later entered civilian display and aerobatic flying. The simulator represents the T-28C.
This starting point selects North American T-28 Trojan. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
How this profile feels
The selected spring and load supply the trainer’s stick resistance. Spring resistance builds with the selected airspeed response. A separate aerodynamic term adds speed-dependent control load.
Pitch trim relief remains scoped to the represented Trojan. Valid trim provides the configured pressure relief. Autopilot following is off.
Controls and trim
The Trojan served Air Force and Navy training before several variants entered counter-insurgency roles. The T-28C rendition retains its specific naval-trainer configuration within that piston-aircraft family.
About the values
The gains are normalized profile settings. They describe the chosen effect balance; hand force depends on the device and its output limits. IAS references are tuning values rather than operating limits. Physical acceptance of this revision remains pending.
What the documentation establishes
Khamsin identifies T-28C Trojan and marks the model work in progress. The generic T-28 row remains reference-only; no released implementation is inferred.
Documentary review and sources
These decisions describe the documentary basis and remaining gaps for this revision. Aircraft documentation and a starting setting describe different kinds of evidence.
Aircraft and variant
ReviewedThis starting point selects North American T-28 Trojan. Its aircraft-level settings do not select a particular developer’s custom systems.
Flight controls
Not yet reviewedThe Trojan served Air Force and Navy training before several variants entered counter-insurgency roles. The T-28C rendition retains its specific naval-trainer configuration within that piston-aircraft family.
Trim
Not yet reviewedPitch trim relief remains scoped to the represented Trojan. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.12.
Autopilot and stability
Not yet reviewedAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel.
Equipment
Not yet reviewedGear, flap and ground cues follow the selected settings and available simulator-reported states.
Speeds and limits
Not yet reviewedThe indicated-speed references set the profile response scale; they are separate from aircraft operating limits.
Simulator integration
Not yet reviewedThe profile targets . Add-on-specific controls use only the supported references configured by this profile.
Force-feedback settings
Not yet reviewedThe settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
Starting settings and their rationale
These configured values are starting estimates. The explanations describe what each setting controls; physical validation appears separately below.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe selected spring and load supply the trainer’s stick resistance. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 85 KIAS. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.95 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.95 with an indicated-speed reference of 170 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value170.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value85.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
All 44 starting settings and their rationale
The settings define the profile’s effect balance. Device output limits affect physical hand force.
| Setting | Starting value | What it controls and why |
|---|---|---|
| Spring strength | Starting value0.74 | What it controls and whyThe selected spring and load supply the trainer’s stick resistance. The baseline spring is 0.74. Its low-speed blend reaches baseline strength at 85 KIAS. |
| Spring deadband | Starting value0.045 | What it controls and whySets travel around the centre before the baseline spring resists. Smaller values engage it sooner. |
| Profile force gain | Starting value0.95 | What it controls and whyThe aerodynamic-load gain is 0.95 with an indicated-speed reference of 170 KIAS. This supplies speed-dependent loading alongside the spring. |
| Master force gain | Starting value0.85 | What it controls and whyScales overall profile strength while preserving effect balance, subject to device and output limits. |
| QBlend Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows baseline spring strength to rise with indicated airspeed where the control law permits it. |
| QSpring Minimum Factor | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets low-speed spring strength as a fraction of baseline when blending is enabled. One keeps full strength. |
| QSpring Start Knots | Starting value20 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed spring blend starts rising. This is a feel threshold, not a flight limit. |
| Spring response reference speed | Starting value85.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS where the low-speed blend reaches baseline strength; high-speed stiffening also uses it. |
| Force tuning speed/reference | Starting value170.0 kt | What it controls and whySets the IAS reference for aerodynamic loading. It is an estimate, not published cruise TAS or a flight limit. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening gain | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whyThe high-speed spring-stiffening gain is 0.1. It strengthens the permitted spring response above 85 KIAS, with the squared-speed ratio capped at 5. |
| Airspeed spring stiffening limit | Starting value5 | What it controls and whyLimits the squared airspeed ratio used for high-speed spring stiffening; it is not a device-force cap. |
| Aileron force scale | Starting value0.72 | What it controls and whyRoll and pitch aerodynamic scales are 0.72 and 1, respectively. They set the aerodynamic axis balance. No custom spring-travel curve is enabled. |
| Elevator force scale | Starting value1.0 | What it controls and whyScales pitch aerodynamic loading; pitch spring travel and trim responses are separate settings. |
| Output force limit | Starting value0.55 | What it controls and whyCaps directed-force output. Native spring effects and device limits remain separate. |
| Trim feel | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyRetained for compatibility and group membership. Trim relief, rather than this flag, controls centre movement. |
| Trim relief | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows trim relief with supported control law and valid telemetry. Axis authorities set its amount. |
| Elevator Authority | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whyPitch trim relief remains scoped to the represented Trojan. Pitch authority 0.3 provides load relief and permitted centre movement; roll authority is 0.12. |
| Aileron Authority | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whyScales supported roll-trim relief and permitted centre movement. Zero removes roll response. |
| Force Trim Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyEnables local force trim, separate from aircraft-owned trim and add-on integration qualification. |
| GLoad Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyAllows load-factor changes to modify permitted spring laws. Passive fly-by-wire feel can suppress it. |
| Rate Damping Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables rate damping with the configured coefficients and control law. |
| Autopilot follow | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyAutopilot following is off; the configured spring and load retain the hardware feel. |
| Autopilot follow authority | Starting value0.05 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP-follow gain, not a percentage of travel. Runtime ownership and input limits still apply. |
| Autopilot neutral hold | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits centering hold during a supported AP state, separate from following a moving target. |
| Autopilot neutral hold strength | Starting value0.6 | What it controls and whySets admitted AP neutral-hold strength; inactive while neutral hold is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables aerodynamic cues; each still needs nonzero strength and its simulator conditions. |
| Gain | Starting value0.35 | What it controls and whySets stall-buffet strength. Zero removes the cue without changing simulator stalls or warnings. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets high-Mach buffet strength; onset and full-strength thresholds are separate. |
| Gain | Starting value0.14 | What it controls and whySets flap buffet at the configured position and speed gates. Flap movement texture is separate. |
| Maximum flap index | Starting value3 | What it controls and whySets the final flap index for detent normalization. UP plus three detents uses maximum index3. |
| Minimum flap index | Starting value2 | What it controls and whySets the first flap detent that admits buffet; this is a handle index, not degrees. |
| Gain | Starting value0.1 | What it controls and whySets gear aerodynamic buffet; movement and ground-contact cues are separate. |
| Shaker Enabled | Starting valueDisabled | What it controls and whyPermits shaker at supported warning conditions; the switch does not establish aircraft equipment. |
| Stick shaker amplitude | Starting value0.5 | What it controls and whySets triggered shaker strength; inactive while the shaker feature is disabled. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables ground effects; each still needs its own strength and contact or motion telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.42 | What it controls and whySets rolling texture strength, modified by speed, surface and undercarriage configuration. |
| Gain | Starting value0.3 | What it controls and whySets gear-bump texture during ground motion, separate from touchdown impact. |
| Gain | Starting value0.75 | What it controls and whySets landing-impact strength; landing telemetry and response shape determine the pulse. |
| Gain | Starting value0 | What it controls and whySets reverse-thrust vibration with valid reverser and engine conditions. Zero removes the cue. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables engine cues with nonzero settings and valid running-engine telemetry. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets estimated engine vibration using configured telemetry and response, not measured cockpit vibration. |
| Enabled | Starting valueEnabled | What it controls and whyEnables accessory cues with configured strengths and observed accessory movement. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed flap movement; a command without movement does not establish the cue. |
| Gain | Starting value0.12 | What it controls and whySets texture from observed gear movement, separate from aerodynamic and touchdown effects. |
Limits and open questions
- Controls, trim, autopilot, equipment details, speeds and force calibration remain unreviewed.
Physical validation
No physical force validation is recorded in this public catalogue for this revision. Documentary review and software checks do not establish how a particular device feels.
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