Warbird Information Exchange

My aircraft was originally registered as a BT-13B [SNV-2] when I purchased it. A research of the Smithonian archives revealed that it was produced for the U.S. Navy as an SNV-2, which was delivered on 08 April 1944 and accepted by the Navy on 10 April 1944. It spent its whole military tour as a proficiency aircraft at NAS Glenview, Illinois.

As one of 650 aircraft purchased under a supplemental Army Air Forces contract for BT-13Bs for the U.S. Navy, it is one of six registered as an SNV-2, and one of three SNV-2sregistered as "airworthy". This aircraft is Bu.No. 44126, and was production number 79-1421. It is the "sister ship" to the Cavenaugh Air Museum SNV-2, production number 79-1420. Although they came off the assembly line the same day, my aircraft was accepted by the NAVY prior to 79-1420, thus the difference in Beauro Numbers.

My aircraft was purchased out of surplus ,and spent twenty plus years in storage. As a result, it has accrued a total of 3,695 airframe hours. Great pain is being taken to restore the aircraft to it's original 1944 configuration.The only exception is the addition of my "Group Commander's Fin Flash" on the vertical stabilizer, and associated "Cowl Srtipe"AS of this writing, work continues on the empenage area. Attatched is a photo taken prior to the empenage upgrade.


Respectfully,
M.C. Abajian
Lt.Col. USMC [Ret.].