The AT-6  is unquestionably the greatest training aircraft ever created. Originally built in 1935, it was used until the early 1990s to train hundreds of thousands of pilots from over 34 countries.  The popularity of the AT-6 as a trainer earned it the nickname “Pilot Maker”. Anyone who has flown the aircraft will testify that it is more difficult to master the handling

techniques of the T-6 than most front line WWII fighters. It is this type       of trainer that breeds champion level combat aviators.

The AT-6 evolved from the North American NA-16.  North American Aviation designers and engineers Dutch Kindleberger, Lee Atwood and H.R.Raynor designed and built the first prototype, the NA-16, in nine weeks. The NA-16 was designed to compete against other aircraft as a basic combat trainer. Soon after, the NA-16 was changed to the BT-9 and several other designations before becoming the BC-1 or basic combat trainer. After a few more technological advances, the BC-1 evolved into the BC-2. The BC-2 is the airframe that formed the classic lines of the T-6/SNJ. Shortly after the BC-2, the AT-6 was born. The aircraft had several variations from the AT-6A through the T-6G and the Navy equivalents ranged from the SNJ-2 through the SNJ-7.

Even after the WWII, most allied forces had some form of the T-6 in their inventory and although the aircraft was mainly used as an advanced trainer, some used it as a front line fighter. In the Korean War the aircraft was used for close air support, firing smoke rockets to mark targets for incoming fighter-bombers. These T-6 ‘s  were dubbed “Mosquitoes”.

The “AT” designation stood for “Advanced Trainer “ and was used for Advanced pilot training after the pilot cadets flight training  in “Primary” aircraft. After completing flight training in the AT-6  they went on to either fighters such as the P-51 Mustang  or Corsair  or were assigned Transport Bomber aircraft  such as the B-17 or B-25 . Later on in the late 1940‘s and early 1950‘s  these aircraft became the “Primary” trainer and the designation changed simply to the T-6. 

A total of over 14,000 AT-6’s were built from January of 1940 to August 1945 and more than 17000 variations built over the years referred to as NA-26, BC-1, NA-44, AT-6, SNJ, Texan, T-6,  J-Bird, Harvard, Wirraway, Ceres, Mosquito and Pilot Maker .                           

Approximately 550 T-6s are in flight worthy condition today.  With this kind of respect for the aircraft, it is no wonder why the T-6 is unquestionably the finest creation from North American Aviation.