T-6 Texan
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T-6_Texan.jpg
T-6 Texan
The T-6 Texan was a single-engine, advanced trainer aircraft designed by North American Aviation and used to train fighter pilots of the USAAF, US Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II. The Texan is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force. The USAAF called it the "AT-6", the US Navy, the "SNJ", and the Commonwealth air forces, the Harvard. It remains a popular war birds aircraft.
The Texan originated from the North American NA-16 prototype (first flown on April 1, 1935) which, modified as the NA-26, was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat" aircraft competition in March, 1937. The first model went in to production and 180 were supplied to the USAAC as the BC-1 and 400 to the RAF as the Harvard I. The US Navy received 16 modified aircraft, designated the SNJ-1, and a further 61 as the SNJ-2 with a different engine.
A further 92 BC-1A and three BC-2 aircraft were built before the shift to the "advanced trainer" designation, AT-6, which was equivalent to the BC-1A. The differences between the AT-6 and the BC-1 were new squared-off wingtips and a straight-edged rudder, producing the definitive Texan appearance. The AT-6 was designated the Harvard II for RAF orders and 1,173 were supplied by purchase or Lend Lease, mostly operating in Canada as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme.
T-6_cockpit.jpg
Next came the AT-6A which was based on the NA-77 design and was powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine. The USAAF received 1,549 and the US Navy 270 (as the SNJ-3). The AT-6B was built for gunnery training and could mount a .30 in machine gun on the forward fuselage. It utilised the R-1340-AN-1 engine which was to become the standard for the remaining Texan production. Canada's Noorduyn Aviation built a R-1349-AN-1 powered version of the AT-6A which was supplied to the USAAF as the AT-16 (1,500 aircraft) and the RAF as the Harvard IIB (2,485 aircraft), some of which also served with the Fleet Air Arm.
The NA-88 design resulted in 2,970 AT-6C Texans and 2,400 as the SNJ-4. The RAF received 726 of the AT-6C as the Harvard IIA. Modifications to the electrical system produced the AT-6D (3,713 produced) and SNJ-5 (1,357 produced). The AT-6D, redesignated the Harvard III, was supplied to the RAF (351 aircraft) and Fleet Air Arm (564 aircraft). Finally the NA-121 design gave rise to 25 AT-6F Texans for the USAAF and 931, as the SNJ-6 for the US Navy.
A total of 15,495 Texans of all variants were built.
Since the Second World War, the Texan has been a regular participant at air shows, and was used in movies. For example, in Tora! Tora! Tora! the Texan is painted in Japanese markings to represent a Mitsubishi Zero.
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Specifications (AT-6D / Harvard III)
General characteristics
- Crew: 2, student & instructor
- Length: 29 ft (8.84 m)
- Wingspan: 42 ft (12.81 m)
- Height: 11 ft 8 in (3.57 m)
- Wing area: ft² ( m²)
- Empty: lb ( kg)
- Loaded: 5,617 lb (2,548 kg)
- Powerplant: 1 x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp radial engine, 600 hp ( kW)
Performance
- Maximum speed: 208 mph at 5,000 ft (335 km/h at 1,524 m)
- Cruising speed: 145 mph ( km/h)
- Range: 730 miles (1,175 km)
- Service ceiling: 24,200 ft (7,376 m)
- Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
- Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
- Power/mass: hp/lb ( kW/kg)
Armament
- provision for 1 x .30-in machine gun
Related content
Related development: None
Comparable aircraft: Miles Master
Designation series: T-2 - T-6 - T-28
See also
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