Temco Aircraft Corporation occupies a distinctive place in American aviation history — a Dallas, Texas company that rose from modest post-war origins to become a significant force in military trainer and utility aircraft production before merging into the corporate giant that would become Ling-Temco-Vought. Though less celebrated than some of its contemporaries, Temco's engineering output was both varied and technically accomplished, spanning single-engine trainers, twin-engine conversions, jet-powered instruction aircraft, and unmanned target drones.
At Online Aviation Library, we preserve the original technical documentation that tells Temco's story in the engineers' own words — flight manuals, maintenance handbooks, and systems descriptions that bring these aircraft back to life for historians, restorers, and aviation enthusiasts worldwide.
Temco F-24 — Utility Workhorse
The Temco F-24 was a single-engine utility aircraft produced in substantial numbers, with 280 examples built. Derived from the Fairchild F-24 lineage, the type served in a variety of liaison, communications, and light transport roles. Its straightforward construction and reliable performance made it a practical choice for operators requiring an economical and versatile light aircraft. The F-24 represents Temco's early production capability and its ability to manufacture proven designs efficiently at its Dallas facilities.
Temco T-35 Buckaroo — The Primary Trainer
First flown in 1948, the T-35 Buckaroo was Temco's purpose-designed primary trainer, built in a run of 26 aircraft. A conventional single-engine monoplane with side-by-side seating, the Buckaroo was intended to fill the post-war market for affordable, docile training aircraft suitable for both military and civilian flying schools. Its name evoked the Texas heritage of its manufacturer, and its straightforward handling characteristics made it well suited to introducing student pilots to the fundamentals of flight. Though produced in modest numbers, the T-35 established Temco's credentials as a trainer aircraft designer and laid the groundwork for more ambitious projects to follow.
Temco D-16 — Twin-Engine Navion Conversion
The D-16, first flown in 1952, was one of Temco's most commercially interesting projects — a twin-engine conversion of the Ryan Navion, a popular post-war four-seat touring aircraft. By replacing the Navion's single Continental or Lycoming engine with two smaller powerplants, Temco created a more capable and redundant aircraft suitable for instrument flight and light charter operations. With 110 examples converted, the D-16 demonstrated Temco's ability to add value to existing airframes through engineering modification — a skill that would serve the company well in its later corporate evolution. The D-16 remains a sought-after type among vintage aircraft collectors today.
Temco 33 Plebe — Experimental Trainer
The Temco 33 Plebe, which flew in 1953, was a single prototype developed as a low-cost primary trainer concept. Designed to be simple, inexpensive to build, and easy to maintain, the Plebe explored whether a purpose-built aircraft could undercut the cost of existing trainers without sacrificing essential flying qualities. Although only one example was constructed, the Plebe provided valuable data on minimum-cost trainer design and reflected the broader post-war interest in making flight training more economically accessible. Its existence illustrates Temco's willingness to invest in speculative development programmes alongside its production work.
Temco 58 — Single-Engine Development
The Temco 58, which flew in 1956, was another single-prototype single-engine aircraft that continued the company's exploration of the trainer and utility market. Details of the type remain relatively sparse in the open literature, which makes the original technical documentation held in specialist archives — and increasingly available through collections such as those at Online Aviation Library — particularly valuable for researchers seeking to understand the full scope of Temco's design activity during this period. The Model 58 represents the company's continued investment in piston-engine development even as the jet age was beginning to reshape military aviation requirements.
Temco TT Pinto — Into the Jet Age
The TT Pinto, first flown in 1956, was Temco's most significant step into jet-powered aviation. A single-engine jet trainer built in a run of 15 aircraft, the Pinto was designed to bridge the gap between piston-engine primary training and the high-performance jet aircraft that student military pilots would ultimately fly operationally. Powered by a Continental J69 turbojet — a licence-built version of the French Turbomeca Marboré — the Pinto offered genuine jet handling characteristics in a compact, economical package.
The TT Pinto competed in the market alongside other light jet trainers of the era and attracted interest from several air arms seeking an affordable introduction to jet operations. Although it did not achieve the large production runs of some competitors, the Pinto demonstrated that Temco possessed the engineering capability to design and build viable jet aircraft — a significant achievement for a company of its size. The type's documentation is of particular interest to historians of the early jet training era.
Temco XKDT Teal — Unmanned Pioneer
The XKDT Teal, which flew in 1957, represented Temco's entry into the rapidly expanding field of unmanned aerial vehicles. Developed as a target drone for naval use — the designation prefix reflecting its intended carrier-based or shipboard operation — the Teal was designed to provide realistic aerial targets for the training of anti-aircraft gunners and missile system operators. Target drones of this era played a critical role in the development and testing of the surface-to-air missile systems that were transforming naval air defence.
The XKDT Teal placed Temco at the forefront of unmanned systems development at a time when the technology was still in its infancy. The engineering challenges of building a reliable, controllable unmanned aircraft in the 1950s were considerable, and the experience gained on programmes such as the Teal contributed to the broader knowledge base that would eventually make modern unmanned aviation possible. Documentation from this programme offers a rare primary source perspective on early drone engineering.
The Road to Ling-Temco-Vought
Temco Aircraft Corporation's independent existence came to an end in 1960 when it merged with Ling Electronics and the Chance Vought Corporation to form Ling-Temco-Vought — LTV. The merger brought together complementary capabilities in electronics, airframe manufacturing, and advanced aircraft design, creating a defence contractor of considerably greater scale and ambition. Temco's Dallas facilities and its experienced engineering workforce became part of the foundation on which LTV built its subsequent programmes, including the celebrated A-7 Corsair II.
Understanding Temco's independent history is therefore essential to understanding LTV — and by extension, a significant chapter in American Cold War aerospace development. The company's progression from post-war utility aircraft through piston trainers, twin-engine conversions, jet trainers, and unmanned drones in little more than a decade reflects the extraordinary pace of technological change in mid-twentieth-century aviation.
At Online Aviation Library, we are committed to making the primary technical documentation of companies like Temco accessible to the researchers, restorers, and enthusiasts who need it. Explore our Temco collection to find the original manuals, handbooks, and technical publications that tell this story in the engineers' own words.