Air Power Series>1:72 die-cast display model>T-6>HA1525

General Background

The T-6 trainer was one of the most important aircrafts of all time. It was used by 34 countries with a total of 17,096 built. An estimation of over 100,000 U.S. military pilots flew these aircraft.

It was in late 1930's North American Aviation began to deliver the T-6 Texan for the USAAF and the SNJ version for the USN. The Texan got its name because of production in the Dallas, Texas plant of North America. It was known as the "Harvard" for those built in Canada.

Though basically built as a trainer aircraft, the T-6 was used in multiple roles include interceptor, fighter bomber and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft during the conflicts of WWII, the Korea War and the Vietnam War. It was also extensively used by the civilians for different purposes.Despite all these, T-6 was still best known as a universal trainer - the Pilot Maker.

The Aircraft

In December 1938 the Brazilian Navy acquired 12 T-6 Texans of the NA-46 variant. In August 1939 the Brazilian Army Air Force acquired 30 of the NA-72 variant. Over the years Brazil accumulated almost 500 Texans of different variants. An arrangement was reached that allowed a Brazilian company to manufacture some aircraft. During the 1960s and 1970s some of these aircraft were outfitted with machine guns, hardpoints for bombs and missiles. T-6D 1261 is on a pedestal in the small town of Paraguaçu-MG in the Brazilian interior.

Specifications :

Role:	2 Seat Trainer/Dive Bomber
Dimensions:
Length:	29.5 ft (8.99 m)
Wingspan:	42 ft (12.8 m)
Height:	11.7 ft (3.56 m)
Weight:
Empty:	3,999 lb (1,814 kg)
Maximum Takeoff:	5,249 lb (2,381 kg)
Performance:
Powerplant:	1 x Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 WASP engine
Speed:
Maximum:	209 mph (182 knots)
Cruise :	145 mph (126 knots)
Operational Range:	630 miles (1,014 km)
Service Ceiling:	24,000 ft (7,315 m)
Armament:	2 x .5 cm machine guns
	1 x 110 lb (50 kg) bombs under each wing or
	1 x .303 machine gun and 4 x 110 lb (50 kg) bombs under wings