T-6 Texan

VH-YVI      (coming to Gippsland soon)

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is a single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces(USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s. Designed by North American Aviation, the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6, the United States Navy the SNJ, and British Commonwealth air forces, the Harvard, the name it is best known by outside of the US. After 1962, US forces designated it the T-6. It remains a popular warbird aircraft used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate the Japanese Mitsubishi Zero in movies depicting World War II in the Pacific.

The warbird history of T-6 Texan YVI includes its service in 1951 by the USAF, one of more than two thousand Texans rebuilt from earlier AT-6 and SNJ models. YVI was allocated serial number 51-15202. It found its way to the Italian AF as MM53652, and was retired in 1979. In 1981 YVI was bought and shipped to the UK and stored until 1986 when shipped to Australia. Restoration work and  maintenance is carried out by Hazair in Albury.

T-6 Texan

Texan T-6G Specifications

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)
  • Rate of climb: 1200ft/min (6.1 m/s)
  • Wing loading: 22.2 lb/ft² (108 kg/m²)
  • Power/mass: 0.11 hp/lb (kW/kg)

Armament

  • Provision for up to 3× 0.30 in (7.62 mm) machine gun