Texan trainers - Naval Aviation Centennial

SNJ & T-6Texans at Naval Centennial Celebration

Aircraft to the left was photographed during the the "Parade of Flight" at the Naval Aviation Centennial Celebration on February 12, 2011 in San Diego, California. The three aircraft below were on static display during the event which celebrated 100 years of naval aviation.

Aircraft on the right is a 1943 North American T-6
Texan. The display sign reads: "Engine: 600 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340 radial engine. Speed: 210 mph top speed, 170 cruise speed. Gross Weight: 6000 lbs. Fuel Capacity: 110 gallons. Seats: 2. The T-6 was the military's advanced trainer through WWII, the 1940s and early 1950s. Virtually every American pilot of WWII spent time flying the T-6. It was used ultimately by most air forces throughout the world. In pilot training the instructor sat in the back cockpit with the student piloting front. Although primarily a training aircraft, the U.S. used them as armed forward air controllers in the Korean War, and France used them as attack aircraft in the French-Algerian war."

The aircraft to the left is an SNJ-5 Texan named War Dog, and was manufactured by
North American Aviation in November 1944. According to the display sign, the aircraft was built in Dallas Texas, and served at various U.S. Bases until 1957. From 1958-1974 it was in Japan, after which time it was retired back in U.S. where it was rebuilt to original paint scheme (VMT-2) El Toro, California. It has been used for flying aerobatic demonstrations since 1982 with pilot/owner John Collver. Performance: Max speed = 240 mph, stall speed = 57 mph, cruise speed = 160 mph, fuel per hour = 32 gallons, maximun ceiling = 20,000 feet.

The aircraft to the right is an SNJ 5C, and according to the display sign, had flown a total of 2,291 hours since first being commissioned until it was struck from U.S. Navy records in June 1958. "It was discovered in a warehouse in the New England states in February 2005 and was purchased sight unseen because of its rare tailhook and US Navy history. This airplane was modified by the US Navy for carrier operations sometime in the 1940s by the addition of a tailhook and reinforcement structure in the back of the fuselage. Very few of these airplanes were used in carrier operations and only a hand full of original "C" models exist today with tailhooks. It was registered with the FAA in May 2005 as N5615C. The paint scheme is based on this airplane's actual assignment in VF-54 in 1953".

The short video clip below of the SNJ Texan flyby was taken during the Naval Aviation Centennial "Parade of Flight".

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