Wings Of Flight Foundation

Specifications
Wing Span	42 feet
Length	29 feet
Gross Weight	5,800 pounds
Engine Mfg	Pratt & Whitney
Type	9 cylinder super charged radial
Displacement	1,340 cu. in.
Power	600 HP @ 2,250 RPM / 36" MP
Fuel Capacity	110 US gallons
Oil Capacity	10 US gallons
Performance
Top Speed	240 mph
Cruise Speed	155 mph
Stall Speed	56 mph
Fuel Consumption	30 gph at normal cruise power
Range	700 miles

The North American T-6 Texan two-place advanced trainer was one of the most widely used trainer aircraft for Allied pilots who flew in World War II. The Navy referred to it as the SNJ, the British Royal Air Force called it the Harvard, and the Army Air Corps referred to it as the AT-6. The AT-6 (advanced trainer) was designed to train pilots who were transitioning from the basic trainer to first-line tactical aircraft (fighter aircraft). Several hundred thousand pilots from 34 different countries have trained in the T-6 over a period of 25 years. When the AT, BT, and PT designations were dropped, they simply referred to the Texan as the T-6.

The T-6 was designed to give the pilot the best training for all types of military flying, from ground strafing to aerial dog fighting. It was outfitted with equipment such as bomb racks, cameras, guns,and instruments. The T-6 has been involved in World War II, Korea, and Vietnam.

With the war still raging in Europe, the U.S. Army Air Corps began to place large orders for the North American AT-6. A plant in Inglewood was only producing between 10 and 75 aircraft per order. Now they had to face the dilemma of producing a thousand or more per order. A new plant was needed to relieve some of the demands on the Inglewood plant. Dallas, Texas was the site chosen, and this is where the AT-6 got the nickname "Texan." In December of 1940, the Dallas site began production of the "Texan", and produced the largest number of AT-6's than any other North American plant.

Several different modifications were done to the AT-6 during its production. The AT-6A was powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine. For gunnery training, they built the AT-6B, which was powered by an R-1340-AN-1. A .30 calibermachine gun was mounted on the forward fuselage. The R-1340-AN-1 became the standard engine used for the remaining production of T-6's.

During the Korean War, the T-6 was used as a forward air controller. An observer occupied the rear seat, and the aircraft was equipped with smoke rockets that were used to mark enemy targets for bombers.

After World War II, many T-6's were used in air shows, and in movies. In The Final Countdown and Tora! Tora! Tora!, the T-6 was converted to a single seat and painted with Japanese markings to represent the Mitsubishi Zeroes. They have also been used as pylon racers, and mail carriers.

The AT-6 Texan is one of the most important aircraft of all time; because of the many roles it has played in our history. A total of 15,495 T-6's were built in the nine-year production that ran until 1944.