North American SNJ-4 "Texan"(Navy)

North American SNJ-4 Texan
From 1940 to 1945, the North American Aviation SNJ and AT-6 Texan was the advanced trainer for both the United States Army Air Forces and the United States Navy.

North American Aviation produced over 15,000 examples during the war. Canada, Australia and Sweden were licensed and built a combined total of 5,000 aircraft.

During the Korean War, AT-6s were used in the Forward Air Control (FAC) role directing artillery and air strikes and as a close air support aircraft.

The Texan’s career with the military ended in 1955. Some examples of the Texan flew with Spain, Italy, and numerous South American Countries until the early 1970s.

The museum’s SNJ-4 is BUNO 51360 and was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 1943. It served in Florida and Illinois. It last served in Pensacola and retired in 1957 with 5,833 hours. The aircraft was later civilian owned and in 1982 came to the museum. In 2001 it was restored in the Navy markings of the NAS Glenview, Illinois in which it served. This aircraft is on loan from the USAF