General Background

The T-6 trainer was one of the most important aircrafts of all time. It was used by 34 countries with a total of 17,096 built. An estimation of over 100,000 U.S. military pilots flew these aircraft.

It was in late 1930's North American Aviation began to deliver the T-6 Texan for the USAAF and the SNJ version for the USN. The Texan got its name because of production in the Dallas, Texas plant of North America. It was known as the "Harvard" for those built in Canada.

Though basically built as a trainer aircraft, the T-6 was used in multiple roles include interceptor, fighter bomber and counter-insurgency (COIN) aircraft during the conflicts of WWII, the Korea War and the Vietnam War. It was also extensively used by the civilians for different purposes.Despite all these, T-6 was still best known as a universal trainer - the Pilot Maker.

The Aircraft

South Africa was the last country flying the Harvard in military circles, and even in 1990 some 70 SAAF Harvards were upgraded to Mark IV avionics. They ended 55 years service with the SAAF in 1995, and were sold off that year for a very low price. However, still some 30 remain in South Africa and the heritage lives on with the Harvard Club of South Africa which maintains ten Harvards.