EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014: Cold War Revisited

Fred Harl and Carmelo Turdo

The Aero Experience picks up our year-round coverage of EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2014, sponsored by Air Associates of Missouri and Air Associates of Kansas, with a look at military trainers (now warbirds) from the Cold War era.  The yellow Temco TT-1 Pinto is one of only 14 produced and used briefly by the U.S. Navy after having failed to attain a contract from the U.S. Air Force for a primary jet trainer that was won by the Cessna T-37 "Tweet."  The Pinto was underpowered and lacked the safety margin of performance that would later come in the currently modified civilian Super Pinto with the more powerful J-85 engine.  Other trainers included here, used by the then-Soviet and eastern European air forces, include the Yakovlev Yak-52, Nanchang CJ-6 and Aero L-39 Albatros.  These and other aircraft used by America's Cold War adversaries can now be seen at many airports around the U.S., now replaced by newer types by these now former Soviet-bloc nations.  Also included are the U.S. and British aircraft used to maintain the Cold War balance of power - the former Royal Navy Fairey Gannet anti-submarine patrol/strike aircraft and the now-NASA Martin WB-57F high-altitude research aircraft.