North American SNJ-4 Texan
World War II Navy Trainer

The AT-6 is an airplane used by more air forces than any other. A brilliant concept developed and modified through a decade and resulting in more than 17,000 flying machines, many of which are still flying 50 years later. This adaptable aircraft has performed in the unexpected roles of fighter, dive-bomber, ground attack machine, observation aircraft, and on extensive anti-guerilla suppression roles. It is the best loved single-engine training aircraft of all time.

In World War II, if you had learned to fly in combat, odds are you learned in a Texan. To Americans it was the Texan or SNJ4, to the British, the Harvard, the Australians, the Wirraway, but all came from the same illustrious line.

This particular aircraft was delivered to the United States Navy on January 25, 1943. The following month it was briefly operated by VJ-7 at the Naval Air Station in San Diego. It was then reassigned to Station Operations at Dutch Harbor in the Aleutian Islands of Alaska. At that time, this was a combat area because of the Japanese invasion of the islands. The plane probably was used as a utility aircraft by the local Naval Flight officers. On July 4, 1946, the aircraft was officially stricken from Naval records.

After the war, this aircraft was provided to South Africa to train its pilots. The SAAF was also a major user of the aircraft in the ground-attack role particularly against SWAPO guerilla forces in South-West Africa and against Mozambique incursions across their frontiers.

The airplane was surplused from active duty with the South African Air Force in November 1995, where they had for all this time taken wonderful care of this T-6. At auction in late 1996 with 22 other T-6's, the aircraft was purchased and shipped back to the United States.

Arriving in Virginia, the plane was reassembled over three months time by the Fighter Factory. To prepare the aircraft for a U.S. air worthiness certificate, some minor alterations had to be made to bring the aircraft up to today's standards.

1943 North American
SNJ-4 Texan aircraft Photos

For more information on the Texan,
check out the USAF Museum