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diversdream [2006-09-23 07:03:30 +0000 UTC]

North American Harvad (or Texan) (Aircraft in pick)

T-6 Texan/SNJ/Harvard

T-6 Texan

The T-6 was a single-engine advanced trainer aircraft designed by North American Aviation, used to train fighter pilots of the United States Army Air Forces, United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Australian Air Force and other Empire Air Foirces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and also Post war in some cases.
The T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force.
The USAAC called it the "AT-6", the US Navy, the "SNJ", and the Commonwealth air forces, the Harvard.

It remains a popular warbird aircraft post war.

Development

The T-6 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 etc 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/RCAF/RAAF orders and 1,173 were supplied by purchase or Lend Lease, mostly operating in Canada/Australia as part of the Empire Air Training Scheme.

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 T-6 production.
Canada's Noorduyn Aviation built a R-1340-AN-1 powered version of the
AT-6A which was supplied to the USAAF as the AT-16 (1,500 aircraft) and the RAF/RCAF/RAAF as the Harvard IIB (2,485 aircraft), some of which also served with the Fleet Air Arm of the RN/RCN.

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/RAAF
(351 aircraft) and Fleet Air Arm RN (564 aircraft).
Subsequently the NA-121 design gave rise to 25 AT-6F Texans for the USAAF and 931, as the SNJ-6 for the US Navy.

The ultimate version, the Harvard 4
(oftern erroneously referred to as the Harvard IV), was produced by
Canada Car and Foundry during the 1950s, and supplied to the
RCAF, USAF and Bundeswehr.

Production

The T-6 Texan formed the basis for the Australian Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation Wirraway, of which 755 were built between 1939 and 1946.
A total of 15,495 T-6s of all variants were built.

Service record

During the Korean War and to a lesser extent, the Vietnam war, T-6's were pressed into service as forward air control aircraft.
These aircraft were designated T-6 "Mosquito"s.
The RAF used the Harvard in Kenya against the Mau Mau in the 1950s where they operated with 20 lb bombs and machine guns against the gangs.
Some operations took place at altitudes around 20,000 ft.

Since the Second World War, the T-6 has been a regular participant at air shows, and was used in many movies.
For example, in Tora! Tora! Tora! and The Final Countdown, converted
single-seat T-6s painted in Japanese markings represent Mitsubishi Zeroes.

The New Zealand Warbirds "Roaring 40s" aerobatic team use
ex-Royal New Zealand Air Force Harvards.

Operators

Argentina, Australia,Belgium, Bolivia, Brazil, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Congo, Cuba, the Dominican Republic, El Salvador, France, Gabon, Honduras, Israel, Italy, Japan, Katanga Province, Mexico, Netherlands, Mozambique, New Zealand, Norway, Paraguay, Portugal, South Africa, Germany, Sweden, Tunisia, United Kingdom (Royal Air Force, Royal Navy), United States (Army Air Corps, Army Air Force, Air Force, Navy), Uruguay, Venezuela, Zaire, Yugoslavia.

Specifications (AT-6D / Harvard III)

General characteristics

Crew:
two (student and instructor)

Length:
29 ft (8.84 m)

Wingspan:
42 ft (12.81 m)

Height:
11 ft 8 in (3.57 m)

Wing area:
253.7 ft² (23.6 m²)

Empty weight:
4,158 lb (1,886 kg)

Loaded weight:
5,617 lb (2,548 kg)

Powerplant:
1× Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp radial engine, 600 hp (450 kW)

Performance

Maximum speed:
208 mph at 5,000 ft (335 km/h at 1,500 m)

Cruise speed:
145 mph (233 km/h)

Range:
730 miles (1,175 km)

Service ceiling:
24,200 ft (7,400 m)

Armament

Provision for 1× 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun

References

The North American Texan’
Bridgman, Leonard (ed.), Jane’s Fighting Aircraft of World War II (p. 251). (1946). London: Studio. ISBN 1-85170-493-0.

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diversdream [2006-09-23 06:23:15 +0000 UTC]

EATS Scheme

EATS - BCATP.

Empire Air Training Scheme & British Commonwealth Air Training Plan

At the start of the Second World War, the British Government looked to the Empire and Dominions for air training help because the United Kingdom did not have the space to accommodate training and operational facilities, and because aerodromes in the United Kingdom were vulnerable to enemy attack.

The Agreement was signed by Canada, the United Kingdom, Australia, and New Zealand on 17 December 1939, it listed the percentage of trainees each country would send, the percentage of costs each would take on, the training schedule, and the aerodrome opening schedule.

Between 1940 and 1945, some 151 schools had been established across Canada with a ground organization of 104,113 men and women.
By the end of the Second World War, the BCATP (Canada) and the
EATS (Australia/NZ) had produced 131,553 aircrew, including pilots,wireless operators, air gunners, and navigators for the Air Forces of Great Britain, Australia, New Zealand and Canada.

During the early war years the RAAF & RNZAF's primary task was to train aircrew for the RAF under the Empire Air Training Scheme, however when Japan entered the War both the RAAF and RNZAF turned their attentions increasingly to the protection of the Pacific and their own shores.

When the BCATP and EATS came to a close on 31 March 1945, the four participating governments had spent CAN $2.2 billion on the training plan, CAN $1.6 billion of which was Canada's proportion.

Elementary training took approximately eight weeks, which included at least 50 hours of flying.
Aircraft commonly used at Elementary Flying Training Schools were
de Havilland Tiger Moths, Fleet Finches, and Fairchild Cornells.
Successful trainees then progressed to Service Flying Training Schools for more advanced instruction.
The course length varied from 10 to 16 weeks, and flying time varied from
75 to 100 hours.
Potential fighter pilots trained on single-engine North American Harvards while pilots selected for bomber, coastal, and transport operations received training on twin-engine Avro Ansons, Cessna Cranes, or Airspeed Oxfords.

Nationality of BCATP Graduates (1940­1945)

Royal Navy Fleet Air Arm (FAA)
5,296

Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF)
9,606

Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF)
72,835

Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF)
7,002

Royal Air Force (RAF), including:
448 Poles

677 Norwegians

800 Belgian and Dutch

900 Czechs

2,600 Free French

42,110

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