North American
SNJ-5 Texan

In 1937 North American won the Air Corp design competition to produce the new combat trainer that developed into the AT-6. The most universally used trainer in the allied air forces. Known as the AT-6 by the USAAF, the T-6 after 1948, was produced well into the 1950’s.

Cadet training consisted of 26 weeks of pre-fl ight, 11 weeks primary training in the N3N and 22 weeks advanced training in the SNJ. Carrier landings, gunnery, bombing and rocket attack were completed and fi nally the reserve offi cer was moved to a combat training team.

The attack on Pearl Harbor found the Navy with only 4,000 combat pilots. By the end of the war there were 60,747 Navy aviators. Over 2,000 AT-6 remained in service after WWII also serving abroad as the famous T-6F Harvard. This powerful trainer was very successful in prepping pilots for fi ghter aircraft.

Purchased and restored in 1976 by Stan Hoefl er, Yanks’ former curator. Acquired by Yanks in 1999.