T-6 serial number history

[Mike Robinson]

Anyone have the history knowledge to look up

T-6 serial number 5 1 - 0 1 4 8









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Last edited by Mike Robinson on Fri Sep 24, 2010 7:30 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Stoney]

All the 51 aircraft had 51-xxxxx ie 5 digits

[Mike Robinson]

That's what I thought but I have seen in a few listings lately that there were a few with 4.

This one is is stamped this way in the steel on the upper roll over tower.




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[Stoney]

A lot of the rebuilt Gs had the old SN stamped there.

[Mike Robinson]

Do you mean as in after a G model was originally put together..... it was not there...

But then after it went to go through a military overhaul it was stamped up there on the tower... ?

I heard something about that on the SNJ's as well as in for example a D model would have
that on the left side of the tower and after it were reconfigured to SNJ-5 that marking would be on the right side of the tower.

Thoughts?

[JBoyle]

There was a 51-148...a C-124.
There would be no 51-0148...it's the same thing.

[Mike Robinson]

I get home tomorrow.

I'll put up what I have from the military records.

Thanks for the help.











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[WallyB]

There was a 51-148...a C-124.
There would be no 51-0148...it's the same thing.

And 51-418 was an F-89D.

[Mike Robinson]

Originally AT-6D serial number 42-85452 delivered from Dallas TX 22 Jul 1944.

To 2538th Aloe AAF Victoria TX

Nov 1945 to 3502nd Chanute AAF IL

Jan 1946 to 4185th Independence AAF KS

June 1947 to Kelly AFB San Antonio TX

Jan 1952 to North American Columbus OH

Jul 1952 dropped from inventory by remanufacture to T-6G

Have copy of microfische "Individual Aircraft Record Card"

The 42-85452 is stamped in the big size letters on the right side of the tower.

The right side of the tower has the 1/2 by 4 1/2 plate marked:
AF# 42 85452 MFG# blank TOTAL HR 1348 40

Told it is now 51-0148.

I see on the Individual Aircraft Record Card that it shows as its last entry:

COLUMBUAMC NAMCOLU T006G510148 T 6DBM 6 5325 728 72952 85452


In my searching around I am seeing many 51-xxxx (4 digits after the dash not just 5)
but most with 4 digits seem to be other types of aircraft, and not just one type.

I'm no expert at serial numbers and their deciphering.

Thoughts?

With this new registration thing going on, it has made me kinda interested in getting this figured out.

From what I am seeing the T-6G's that start with 51 start at 51-14314 and end at 51-15137 with just about 823 of the 51 variants which I believe are the NA182-1 to NA182-824

But this Individual Aircraft Record Card clearly shows 51 0148 but I don't understand the rest of the coding.

Seems like I need a Historian with DAR Manufacturing Airworthiness Cert abilities to tell me which where to go with this because seems no sense to continue until I know what needs to be done.








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[Mike Robinson]

Having a hell of a time trying to decipher this code on the Individual Aircraft Record Card

The 510148 was written in 1952 and it didn't even go to Columbus till 52

At least I have traceability.


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[Mike Robinson]

From a report from a microfische history examiner at the Air Force.
"

I believe through my sources that this airplane T-6D serial 42-85452 after it was changed into a T-6G that the serial number changed to 51-14461 <tel:5114461>

The reasoning; that the airplane being made into a T-6G initiated in 1951 and by the numbers on the card was 510148 that this aircraft would be construction number 148 as initiated in 51. Which would be designation NA 182-148 <tel:182148>

The first T-6 assigned a NA 182 design construction number in 1951 was 182-1 and its subsequent G assigned serial number was 51-14314 <tel:5114314>

I checked the continued numbers and they are consistent with this historians interpretation.

NA 182-1 = 51-14314 <tel:5114314> T-6G
As such; construction number NA 182-10 <tel:18210> should be:
NA 182-10 <tel:18210> = 51-14323 <tel:5114323>
NA 182-20 <tel:18220> = 51-14333 <tel:5114333>
NA 182-30 <tel:18230> = 51-14343 <tel:5114343>
NA 182-40 <tel:18240> = 51-14353 <tel:5114353>
NA 182-50 <tel:18250> = 51-14363 <tel:5114363>
NA 182-60 <tel:18260> = 51-14373 <tel:5114373>
NA 182-70 <tel:18270> = 51-14383 <tel:5114383>
NA 182-80 <tel:18280> = 51-14393 <tel:5114393>
NA 182-90 <tel:18290> = 51-14403 <tel:5114403>
NA182-100 <tel:182100> = 51-14413 <tel:5114413>
NA182-110 <tel:182110> = 51-14423 <tel:5114423>
NA182-120 <tel:182120> = 51-14433 <tel:5114433>
NA182-140 <tel:182140> = 51-14453 <tel:5114453>
NA182-148 <tel:182148> = 51-14461 <tel:5114461> = cn 510148
NA182-150 <tel:182150> = 51-14463 <tel:5114463>



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[pilot06]

Aviator,

Great timing of your post. I have a T-6D > T-6G as well. Looking at my T-6D HC, I the following.

COLUMBUS AMC NAMCOLJ T006G510148 T 6D8M 6 5325 716 71752 34293

I believe the "T006G510148" you are referring to is not the serial number. Not sure but might be contract number or similar. Seems our a/c were in the same batch.

Most likely once it entered Columbus, there was no way to know when the aircraft would go back out as a G model. That's way there is no reference to the new serial.

Where is the data plate?

Best,
Patrick

[Ken]

Is there a way to track a particular T-6G history besides pulling the card at Maxwell?

[Ken]

bump as well.

[BennoT6]

Hi T-6 guys,

This is an interesting one! The former identity of 51-14461 was missing in my records, so thanks for that.

It's even more interesting to know that this 51-14461 went to the Italian Air Force in November 1956 to serve there as MM54096 (with unitcode RR-58). It was (supposed to have been ?) scrapped at Istrana (Italy) a number of years ago after having spend some time at the firedump. Any idea what, and how, this ended up in the US? Complete, fuselage, just the truss, just the dataplate ???

For those being interested in a scan of a photo as MM54096; just let me know.

Best regards,

Benno "T6" Goethals (Netherlands/Belgium)