Mike's rare Temco

Air Classics, Aug 2003 by O'Leary, Michael

Modified TT-1 is owned by Mike Coutches

In the hope of capturing a large Navy contract, the Texas-based firm of Temco decided to enter a private venture to create a jet trainer for the USN. The civil-registered prototype first flew on 26 March 1956 and was powered by the somewhat anemic Continental J69 turbojet that pumped out just 920-lb-st.

The Navy evaluated the prototype for the feasibility of using jet aircraft for primary training. They must have liked what they saw for 14 aircraft (BuNos 144223-144236) were ordered for further evaluation. However, no other orders were forthcoming. After limited testing, the planes were stored at NAF Litchfield Park in the Arizona desert and, in the late 1960s, a number of the aircraft were sold surplus and acquired civilian registrations. A few others went to an aviation trade school in Sacramento, California, and Mike Coutches purchased these aircraft when they were no longer useful to the school. Coutches, a well-known aircraft collector from Hayward, California, made two of the planes flyable but one, unfortunately, was destroyed in a crash.

This past May, Mike showed up at Minter Field in TT-1 N2695B which is now a Super Pinto and re-engined with a J85 which adds a tremendous increase in power to the sleek little design. A few other TT-1s are still flying and most have been modified with the J85 which makes the plane a real tiger.