Designed to replace the World War II era T-6 trainer, the T-28 possessed higher performance than its forerunner and was easier to maintain.

The first T-28 flew in September 1949, and the T-28A entered production in 1950. An 800- hp engine powered the U.S. Air Force version (T-28A) while the later U.S. Navy versions (T-28B and C) were powered by a 1,425-hp engine. The Trojan’s tricycle landing gear taught pilots to take off and land in the same fashion as the high-performance aircraft they were training to fly. When production ended, North American had built a total of 1,948 T-28s. Beginning in 1962 the USAF modified more than 200 T-28As as tactical fighter-bombers for counterinsurgency warfare. Equipped with 1,425 hp engines, these airplanes (re-designated the T-28D “Nomad”) were effective weapons for close air support against enemy troops in Southeast Asia.

The USAF replaced the T-28 as a primary trainer in the mid-1950s with the piston-engined Beech T-34 Mentor and jet-powered Cessna T-37. Trojans, however, continued to be flown by the Air National Guard until the late 1950s, and by the U.S. Navy into the 1980s.