About the Airplane...

The T-6 "Texan" is a two-place advanced trainer, built by North American Aviation. The T-6 first flew in 1940, and was the training aircraft for most of the Allied pilots who flew in World War II. The T-6 was designed as a transition trainer between basic training aircraft and the front-line tactical aircraft of Wolrd War II. Variants of the T-6 were operated by the US Navy (called the SNJ) and by the Royal Air Force (called the Harvard).

A total of 15,495 of the planes were made by North American and several hundred thousand pilots in 34 different countries flew it during their service. The T-6 was also used in the early days of the Korean War.

Although the Texan was not as fast as the fighters of its day, it was easy to maintain and repair, and was easier to handle. It is also quite maneuverable: it can perform rolls, Immelmanns, loops, spins, and snaps.

It was designed to be versatile enought to train pilots in all types of tactics, including ground strafing, bombardment, and gunnery, and could be equipped with bomb racks, blind flying instrumentation, reconaissance and gun cameras, various types of guns, and many of the other devices that military pilots of the time had to operate.

The aircraft operated by Mary are SNJ-5 and SNJ-6 variants of the T-6, and are based near Memphis, TN. Special thanks to Tulsa Aircraft Engines for their support.

The Airplane

"Two of Hearts" affectionately known as "Blue" was built in 1945 and used as a WWII trainer. Restored in 1969, this SNJ-6 began a career in Air Racing. The powerful 600 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine has a distinctive sound that is music to most aviators’ ears. The beautiful blue paint scheme, size of the fuselage and incredible smoke system make this warbird truly stand out in the sky.

                Empty weight...................... 4000 lbs
                Wing span......................... 42 ft
                Length............................ 29 ft
                Height............................ 12 ft
                Engine............................ P&W R-1340
                Fuel Octane........................100 Low-Lead
                Fuel Capacity..................... 110 gal
                Oil Capacity...................... 10.8 gal
                G-load............................ +5 to -2
                Cruise Speed...................... 150 mph
                Max Speed......................... 240 mph
                Reno "Race Course Speed".......... 235 mph