Country of origin:

United States of America

Description:

Two-seat advanced military training monoplane

Power Plant:

One 410 kw (550 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 nine-cylinder air-cooled radial engine

Specifications:

Armament:

One fixed 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine gun in starboard engine cowl; one 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine gun on flexible mount in rear cockpit

History:

When production ceased, some 15,000 North American NA-16s in a variety of versions had been built in the USA, or under licence in the Netherlands, Sweden, Japan, Canada, and in Australia, in much modified form, as the Wirraway. Commonly known as the Harvard or Texan, the type was one of the most important aircraft of World War II, as it was to train many thousands of pilots for active military service.

In 1935 North American designed a trainer, known as the NA-16, of steel tube construction and fabric covering, the aircraft being built in sub-assemblies, the engine area, cockpit, upper rear fuselage and lower rear fuselage all being separate assemblies bolted together.  Access panels were fabric covered for ease of maintenance, and power was provided by a 298 kw (400 hp) Wright R-975-E7 Whirlwind engine. The wing was of all metal flush-riveted stressed-skin construction and was built in three sections, and the undercarriage was fixed.  It was flown for the first time on 1 April 1935, was submitted to the US Army Basic Trainer Competition at Wright Field, Ohio, and won.

In 1937, to meet a requirement for a basic combat aircraft, North American built a variant of the NA-16 fitted with a 448 kw (600 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine with provision for forward and rear armament, and navigation and engine instruments representative of a combat type. However, the main difference between the subsequent production aircraft and those built up to then was a retractable undercarriage. Several designations were allotted as different contracts were fulfilled.  Provision was made for two 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine guns in the engine cowling, and a single 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine gun on a flexible mounting in the rear cockpit, this aircraft becoming the NA-18.

In production it became the NA-19 or BT-9, the first production aircraft flying on 15 April 1936. An initial order was placed by the US Army for 42 aircraft, followed by an order for 40 BT-9As, which had a 12.7 cm (5 in) fuselage extension, although there was only one machine gun firing forward. The BT-9B was purchased in 1937, 117 being delivered, followed by 67 BT-9Cs. At this time the US Navy had a requirement for a high-performance trainer with an enclosed cockpit and selected the BT-9C airframe fitted with a 373 kw (500 hp) Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, these becoming the NJ-1, deliveries commencing in July 1937 to the US Navy training facility at Corry Field, Florida.

The next model was the BT-9D, which had the fuselage wing covering replaced with metal and some other minor changes, 251 being ordered with the designation BT-14 in 1941, these having the Pratt & Whitney R-985-25 Wasp Junior engine. North American was attempting to sell the aircraft to overseas customers and the first contract received was for France for 230 aircraft, known as the NA-57, these being basically the BT-9B with French equipment, reversed throttles, and Wright R-975-E3 engines. By the time France fell to German forces in June 1940 all but 16 had been delivered, the remainder being diverted to the RCAF where they became the Yale Mk 1. France also ordered 230 NA-64s, which were basically the BT-14 with Pratt & Whitney R-985-25 engines but 119 had not been delivered at the time of the fall of France and these were also diverted to Canada.  Those that survived the German onslaught in France were used by the Vichy French Air Force and the Luftwaffe.

Early in the war North American proposed to the US military an improved trainer based on the NA-16, the BC-1 which, although similar to the BT-9 with a fabric covered fuselage, differed mainly in having a fully retractable undercarriage, the centre-section increased in length, and a re-design of the outer wing panels. Armament consisted of one 7.62 mm (0.3 in) machine gun in the starboard side of the engine cowling and a 7.62 mm (0.30 in) machine gun in the rear cockpit.  The prototype flew on 11 February 1938 with a 410 kw (550 hp) Pratt & Whitney R-1340-47 Wasp engine and was immediately placed in production for the US Army, 180 aircraft being ordered, a number being delivered as instrument trainers.

In 1938 the US Navy sought a trainer for pilots proceeding on to aircraft like the Dauntless and issued a specification for the SNJ-1. This aircraft had the all-metal fuselage of the BT-14, the retractable undercarriage of the BC-1 and a 373 kw (500 hp) R-1340-6 engine. The first SNJ-1 was delivered to Naval Air Station Anacostia, Washington DC on 19 May 1939.

Development of the series continued and eventually the BC-2 appeared with the lengthened BT-14 semi monocoque all metal fuselage attached to the BC-1 wing with a retractable undercarriage. Power was supplied by a 448 kw (600 hp) R-1340-45 engine driving a three-blade propeller; but the latter was deleted from production aircraft as it was not found to increase performance. The designation was changed to BC-1A and the first production aircraft were delivered to the National Guard and the US Army Reserve. Further aircraft were ordered for the US Army as the AT-6, most being assigned to gunnery training schools.

As production proceeded new models appeared, being the AT-6A for the Army with the 448 kw (600 hp) R-1340-49 engine, and the SNJ-3 for the Navy with the R-1340-AN-1, the engines being virtually identical except for some equipment changes required by the US Navy. Both could, if required, be fitted with a machine-gun in the engine cowling and a flexible machine gun in the rear cockpit. Introduced in March 1941, production increased and North American needed to expand production, a second plant being set up at Dallas, Texas to supplement production at the Inglewood plant in California. The Dallas plant became the prime contractor for the T-6 series, with a ratio of 7 to 1 airframes being completed at Inglewood.

The AT-6C / SNJ-4 was similar to the AT-6B and was built in the event that there was a problem with the supply of aluminium to the United States due to action of German submarines against shipping.  A number of wooden parts were used, including the horizontal stabiliser, control columns, and various sections of the floor. The rear fuselage had plywood covering and the longerons were changed to spruce. Production of the AT-6C was 2,222 aircraft. A total of 85 SNJ-4s was fitted with arrester hooks for carrier operations and became the SNJ-4C.  The T-6G / SNJ-7 series were re-manufactured aircraft, the work being carried out at the North American plants at Downey, Fresno and Long Beach in California; and Columbus in Ohio. The Harvard was a variant of the BC-1 built to British specifications for the Empire Air Training Scheme and had the R-1340-S3H1 engine.

The T-6 series was used for forward air control in Korea, and saw combat in the Israel 1948 War of Independence. RAF Harvards saw operational use against Communist terrorists in Malaya in 1948-1951 and against Mau Mau terrorists in Kenya in 1952-1960.

The NA-16 Harvard II was an advanced trainer variant for the RAF and Commonwealth countries.  Similar to the NA-59, which was known as the AT-6 by the USAAC, the NA-16 had a new rudder and blunt tipped wings. Six-hundred of this model were built, of which 202 were supplied to the RNZAF, comprising: 105 Mk II (serials NZ901 to NZ1005); 52 Mk IIa (NZ1006 to NZ1057); three Mk IIb (NZ1100 to NZ1102); and 42 Mk III (NZ1058 to NZ1099). The type entered RNZAF service in 1941 and remained in service until the late 1970s, when the survivors were sold to museums, enthusiasts, and scrap metal merchants.

More than fifty examples have been registered as private aircraft in Australia and New Zealand, many of these being former RNZAF aircraft, but others have been imported from the USA, Europe and South America. Others are held in museums or are under restoration. The type has become very popular with the warbird movement.  Only a few survive in military service but many hundreds are privately owned all around the world.