The Harvard Story

The North American T-6 Texan was one of the most important aircraft designs of the Second World War era. With so many Texans built, it was inevitable that the T-6 would be used not only for its original design brief purpose as a trainer but also in a wide variety of other roles including advanced trainer, fighter, interceptor, fighter-bomber, forward control aircraft and counter insurgency aircraft. Sporting a variety of different names, it has served the air forces in over 55 countries; the type has seen action in three major conflicts - World War II, Korea and Vietnam and a proliferation of minor hostilities.

Starting life as a North American training aircraft with the designation NA-16, the type first flew on 1 April 1935. Deliveries began after some design modifications in the form of BT-9 (the BT standing for Basic Trainer) in the spring of 1936. Thus began a litany of models and variants which included the famous designation AT-6 (the AT standing for Advanced Trainer). Ultimately, this was changed to simply T-6 by the U.S. Air Force in 1947. Known as the Texan in the U.S. because initial production was undertaken in Dallas, Texas, the type was allotted a rich variety of different names in different countries and for different roles…Yale, Wirraway, J-Bird, Mosquito, SNJ and commonly, T-6.

In pre-war Britain, it was being realised the demand for training aircraft could not be met in England, especially with the commencement of pilot training through the Empire Air Training Scheme. The British placed an order for BC-1 s to be built with British specified equipment. These were designated Harvard Mk1 and the first production model flew on 28 September 1938 arriving in England on 24 October. In excess of 300 aircraft were ordered.

Later, at the height of the war, training units were moved abroad to make room for combat airfields in England and to provide a safer environment for cadet training. Aircraft were then delivered direct to Canada and South Africa. Improvements in the BC-1, specifically all metal fuselages manifested as BC-1A which the RAF designated Harvard Mk II when fitted with British equipment. The British Government initially ordered 600 but eventually took delivery of over 1000, many going to the Royal Canadian Air Force and only 145 to the Royal Air Force. They were delivered in the ubiquitous ‘trainer yellow’ paint scheme. British demand for the type continued to grow and as a consequence, various U.S. marks were re-designated giving rise to Harvard Mk IIA/B and Harvard III. Some 2800 were produced in Canada and some 1300 in Dallas.

Many combat pilots spent 75 hours or so training in the T-6 and, as a consequence, it was nicknamed ‘the pilot maker’. Another favourite nickname in the U.S. was ‘old growler’ by the distinctive rumble of the Pratt and Whitney radial engine. In the U.K., the nickname ‘window breaker’ was coined as the propeller blades, when set to fully fine pitch and at military power settings, sometimes pushed the propeller tips to supersonic speeds with glass shattering results!

The U.S. finally struck the last T-6 off charge in the late 1950’s but many air forces elsewhere continued. Indeed, there were 14 air forces still with T-6s on charge in 1985. The South African Air Force continued with the type up until 1995 when the last of their 100 military airframes was honourably retired.

Of the over 17,000 aircraft produced, only approximately 350 survive in airworthy condition today, mainly in the United States.