Warbird Information Exchange

Hi all

I was curious about something maybe someone can answer. Maybe its just me but many of the AT-6/SNJ's of today just don't look right compared to wartime photos. Most don't have an antenna mast and most wartime photos I've seen sport a antenna mast in front of the cockpit. Second many of todays cowlings just look off to me. Do a lot of these AT-6's not have original cowlings and have some sorte of "it works" cowlings made after various crashes, accidents?

Thanks for any help in my curiousity!

-Nathan(withholding any pet peeve comments. lol)

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Purely a guess - but i've always assumed that most of the forward mast antennas were removed by the military when their electronics were upgraded. They certainly weren't doing anyone any favors from vision and presumably drag standpoints. Not fitted to late production and remanufactured airframes. No ideas on the cowl design.

It was part of the radio package that needed a long wire antenna.
Great if you like hanging yourself. Also it is in the vision field of the pilot. Clamping attachment point is probably in most T-6s still along with the 30 cal mount.
The cowling question also relates to the 30 cal installation. The difference in the cowls is the parts that give clearance for the gun barrel.
T-6G and Harvaard Mk 4 were redesigned to eliminate the fus gun and that cleaned up the cowl parts.
Many put the later parts on to have a cleaner look and go a little faster.

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Rich Palmer

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Nathan,

The "T-6" (AT-6, SNJ-6 series aircraft) has changed quite a lot from it's earliest incarnation. As radio/nav gear and weapons changed so did the T-6. A great book on the subject is Dan Hagedorn's "North American's T-6: A Definitive History of the World's Most Famous Trainer".

I think of it this way, just about every mod has been tried on the Six. Mono float plane, ski plane, and COIN fighter to name a few. It's such a versatile platform.

So there can be many different standard looks for the series. All depends on the individual airframe.

Best,
Patrick

Hey great thanks for the help!

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One comment I heard from one of our ex RNZAF Harvard pilots was the mast was good for using as an indicator during aerobatics say like a hesitation roll.

First I've heard of this - anyone have a photo?

(Hey, if the floats could be found, you could build a replica Rufe! )

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Mechanic: "Flap switch checked OK. Pilot needs more P.T." - Flight report, TB-17G 42-102875 (Hobbs AAF)

I think you're referring to the KN-1.
From what I recall it was a T-6F that had been damaged in a forced landing in Korea in 1950 and salvaged by the Korean Navy.
They repaired it and fitted it with a main float from a Rufe and wingtip floats fashioned from F-80 tip tanks.
As far as I know it sank in bad weather shortly after.

That may be true on the T-6G but no Harvards (in Canada anyway) ever had the 30 cal mounted in the cowling.
We had the mounting for the .303 Browning in the right wing in the Mk I's, II's and IIb's. (the Mk 4 had no provisions for armament)
So to get back to the question a cowling from a wartime Mk II was exactly the same as one on a postwar Mk 4.

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