Serial Number:
Registration:
Markings: US Army Air Corps Transport
Museum Condition: Flying
The beautiful SNJ sitting pretty in the Arizona Sun on the ramp of the AZ Wing CAF.
The SNJ, by North American Aviation, a two-place advanced trainer, was the classroom for most of the Allied pilots who flew in World War II. Called the T-6 Texan by the Army Aircorp, the Harvard by the RAF, and affectionately known as "the pilot maker" by its crews, the SNJ was designed as a transition trainer between basic trainers and first-line tactical aircraft. You a can take a flight in our SNJ today by calling the Arizona Wing at 480-924-1940 ext 209.
In all, the SNJ trained several hundred thousand pilots in 34 different countries. A total of 15,495 of the planes were made. Though most famous as a trainer, the SNJ also won honors in World War II and in the early days of the Korean War.
This remarkable and versatile aircraft was an evolution of the company's BC-1 basic combat trainer, which was first produced for the U.S. Army Air Corps with fixed landing gear in 1937 under a contract that called for 174 planes. It was designed by North American as a low-cost trainer with all the characteristics of a high-speed fighter. Although not as fast as a fighter, it was easy to maintain and repair, had more maneuverability and was easier to handle. A pilot's airplane, it could roll, Immelmann, loop, spin, snap, and vertical roll. It was designed to give the best possible training in all types of tactics, from ground strafing to bombardment and aerial dog-fighting, and contained such versatile equipment as bomb racks, blind flying instrumentation, gun and standard cameras, fixed and flexible guns, and just about every other device that military pilots had to operate.
| Type |
Trainer |
| Manufacturer |
North American |
| Maiden Flight |
01 April 1935 |
| Introduced |
1937 |
| Theatre of War |
World War II, Korean, Vietnam |
| Number Produced |
15,495 |
| Status |
Retired |
| Crew |
2
Instructor/Student |
| Wingspan |
42 ft 0 in |
| Length |
29 ft 6 in |
| Height |
11 ft 8 in |
| Empty Weight |
4,158 lbs |
| Max Takeoff Weight |
5,617 lbs |
| Power Plant |
(1) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp Radial |
| Horsepower |
600 hp |
| Maximum Speed |
181 knots (208 mph) |
| Service Ceiling |
24,200 ft |
| Rate of Climb |
1,200 ft/min |
| Range |
634 nm (730 mi) |
| Guns |
Up to (3) 0.30in (7.62mm) Machine Guns |
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