North American Trainer Aircraft Prototypes & Projects

[hesham]

From Flying magazine 1941-7,

here is a North American BT-9's Model,trail with various wing shapes.

 

[hesham]

Here's the early conception for NA-16.

 

[Stargazer]

Here's the early conception for NA-16.

• The aircraft was built as the NA-16 demonstrator [X2080] (c/n NA-16-1), with fixed gear and open cockpit.
• It was then modified as the NA-16-1P (charge number NA-18) (new c/n NA-18-1), with a larger engine, an enclosed cockpit and landing gear fairing. Experimental registration [X2080] became [NC2080] after approval,
• Eventually, it was sold to Argentina under contract number AE-43, impressed into Argentine Navy, and given serial number [E.a.-301].

 

[Stargazer]

NA-16 demonstrators have always been a particularly fascinating subject to me...
I'm not going to list every derivative of the NA-16 because it would take me several days!
I'm not even going to tackle the Harvard/Texan line (which is very well known).
Instead, I'll stick to all that came before them instead—basically what I call the "Yale family".
I guess demonstrators fit the description of the "Prototypes & Projects" topic title,
as opposed to production types (although they are also listed here for the sake of completion).
​

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The Army Air Corps ordered the NA-16 in 1936: 42 as the BT-9 [36-28/69] (c/n NA-19-1,3,5/11,20/34,50/67) and 40 as the BT-9A for the Air Corps Reserve [36-88/127] (c/n NA-19-4,12/19,35/49,68/83), all under charge number NA-19 and contract number AC-7881.
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One of these [36-36] (c/n NA-19-11) was temporarily removed from the NA-19 line to be presented in answer to the Air Corps's Circular Proposal C.P. 36-28 calling for a primary trainer, receiving NAA Charge Number NA-22; it was subsequently returned as a regular BT-9. The type was not suited for the Primary Trainer role, which led NAA to design a different aircraft demonstrator, the NA-35 [14299] (c/n 35-419), which unfortunately lost to the competition. Aircraft and manufacturing rights were consequently sold to Vega Airplane Co., who tried to market it (in vain) as their own Model 35.

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117 examples of the improved NA-23, or BT-9B, were ordered in 1936 (contract AC-9345) and received serials [37-115/231] (c/n NA-23-85/201). [37-208] was later modified as the BT-9D.

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A second demonstrator (c/n NA-16-2) (charge number NA-20) [X/NC/NR16025], then fitted with larger engine as the NA-16-2H and sold to Honduras for their Air Force, receiving number [20]. Honduras later received two more demonstrators under Charge Number NA-42 (c/n 42-691/692) this time designated as a NA-16-2A version since it was armed. They received serials [21/22].​

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A new demonstrator, the NA-26 [X/NC18990] (c/n 26-202) was NAA's answer to Army Air Corps Circular Proposal C.P.37-220, calling for a Basic Combat Trainer. It was generally similar to the BT-9 but featured the larger P&W R-1340 Wasp engine (instead of the Wright R-975 of the previous models), retractable gear and armament. Designated BC-1 by the Air Corps, it was not actually procured, and was sold instead to Britain for the Royal Canadian Air Force under contract CAN-40 in Oct. 1936, receiving serial number [RCAF 3345]. That one aircraft served as a prototype for the 177 BC-1 or NA-36 aircraft [37-416/456,-636/679, 38-356/447] (c/n 36-420/504, 36-596/687) procured under Army contract AC-9964. (These aircraft were the forerunners of the later NA-16-1E Harvard I (NA-49 and -61) and BC-1A (NA-55), which became the AT-6, the first "Texan"...)​

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Another Basic Combat company demonstrator, the NA-27 [R17377] (c/n 27-312), was similar to the NA-26 and also used the P&W Wasp engine. It was meant for European demonstrations, and became another NA-16-2H (with "H" meaning "Holland", this time), being sold to Fokker and subsequently delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. It initially received temporary registration [PH-APG] before being allocated serial number [997] in military service.​

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Under 1937 Army contract AC-9345, NAA produced 40 examples of the NA-28, a BT-9 for the Navy designated NJ-1 [BuNo 0910/0949] (28-313/352); the 32 NA-29 Air Corps Reserve BT-9C [37-383/415] (c/n 29-353/384) as well as the sole Y1BT-10 [37-383] (29-385), studied under Charge Number NA-30 but eventually delivered as part of the NA-29 delivery.​

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NA-31 (c/n 31-386) was the first of two NA-16-4M types delivered to the Swedish Royal Air Force, similar to a BT-9 but with a different engine; it received serial number [671] and used the squadron code "5+55". Airplane and manufacturing rights were sold to the SRAF, which then produced the type as the Sk.14/A. A second, identical NA-16-4M was then delivered to Sweden under NAA Charge Number NA-38 (c/n 38-540) and shipped disassembled as part of the manufacturing agreement. It received serial [609] and used the squadron code "5+115" and later "20+4".​

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NA-32 (c/n 32-387) was an NA-16-1A type; it was basically similar to the NA-26 except for the fixed gear, it was sold to Commonwealth Aircraft and delivered to the Royal Australian Air Force, receiving serial [A20-1]. Airplane and manufacturing rights were then sold to Commonwealth, though it was not produced as such.​

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NA-33 (c/n 33-388) was designated an NA-16-2K type. Also generally similar to the NA-26, it was also sold to Commonwealth and delivered to the RAAF [A20-2]. Airplane and Mfg. rights were also sold to Commonwealth, who produced it locally as the CA-1 "Wirraway".​

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The 30 NA-34, designated as the NA-16-4P version, (c/n 34-389/418), were generally similar to the BT-9 series but used the more powerful R-1340 Wasp engine, and had armament and radio provisions added. They were sold to Argentina in 1937 under contract AE-39 and received Navy serial numbers [E.a.-302/331].

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The sole NA-37 (c/n 37-539) or NA-16-4R, was basically similar to the BT-9 series but used a larger engine and a 3-blade propeller. It was sold to Japan and was tested in Imperial Japanese Navy service as the KXA1. A second demonstrator, the NA-16-4RW (Charge Number NA-47) (c/n 47-696) was the same as NA-37 except for a smaller engine; it was shipped disassembled and tested by the IJN as the KXA2. Aircraft and manufacturing rights were subsequently sold to Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, leading to local production of 176 examples as the Watanabe K10W1 "Oak", which only vaguely resembled the NAA type.​

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Charge Number NA-41 designated the NA-16-4 or NA-16-4C version, 35 examples of which (c/41-697/731) were sold to the Chinese National Government for their Air Force. They were essentially the same as BT-9C/NA-29. The Chinese later received 15 examples of a version designated NA-16-3C (NA-48) (c/n 48-732/746) which were similar to the BC-1 but with a different engine, and 50 examples of the Basically same as NA-55 but with fixed gear NA-16-4 (NA-56) (c/n 56-1453/1502) which was basically the same as the NA-55 but with a fixed gear.​

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The NA-44 [NX18981] (c/n 44-747) was a light attack bomber demonstrator similar to the NA-36 but with Wright Cyclone engine, all-metal fuselage, and an integral fuel tank. It was sold to Britain for Canada in 1940 under contract CAN-41 and impressed into Royal Canadian Air Force service as the NA-44 Super Harvard [3344]. Near identical NA-44 type aircraft were then produced under Charge Numbers NA-72 for Brazil (see below) and NA-74 for Chili, but those were closer to the Texan/Harvard family which is outside of the scope of this post.​

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A version of the BT-9C for the Brazilian Air Force, the NA-16-1G, received charge number NA-43 but was never built. However, the Brazilian Navy received 12 examples of the NA-16-4 version, under Charge Number NA-46 (c/n 46-972/977, 46-1991/1996) which they called the "Perna dura" (stiff leg), probably to indicate fixed gear as opposed to their later 30 NA-44 (BC-1A) attack types (ordered under Charge Number NA-72) which had retractable gear.​

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NA-45 designated three examples of the NA-16-1GV version (c/n 45-693/695) for the Venezuelan Air Force, which received serials [1/3]. They were generally similar to the BC-1.

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Little-known is the existence (at least on paper) of an NA-16-5 version (NA-53), which was never built but should have been a single-seat fighter demonstrator with a P&W R-1830-S3C-G engine. Contracts were signed with an unspecified government (1405-A, 1533) but it not clear who the aircraft was destined for (China being a possibility). Even the assigned c/n number (53-955) is only assumed and has not been confirmed. NAA was to develop a separate fighter design under the NA-50 and NA-68 Charge Numbers, the Peruvian Torito and AAF P-64.​

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The Army Air Corps's NA-58, designated BT-14 and BT-14A, were ordered in 1940 under contract AC-13220. They were essentially the same as NA-23 but with NA-55 (BC-1A/AT-6) improvements. 251 were delivered [40-1110/1360] (c/n 58-1655/1905) and contrary to most of the earlier versions, they were powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-985-25/27 Wasp Jr. engine.​

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Final developments of the NA-16 basic trainer line were the 230 BT-9B types for France (Charge Number NA-57), which were essentially improved NA-23s under contracts 2 and 2A. The first batch (c/n 57-1253/1452) were designated as "NAA57-Et2" by the French, while the second batch (c/n 57-1518/1547) were designated as "NAA57-P2". Collectively they received serial numbers [NAA-57-Et2 1/230].​

A second order for 230 aircraft, initially meant entirely for France under Charge Number NA-64 (contracts 38 and 85), designated locally as "NAA64-P2" and allocated serial numbers [NAA 64P-2 1/230] (c/n 64-2033/2232, -3018/3047) consisted of aircraft generally similar to the NA-57 but with NA-58 improvements. 111 were actually delivered before German occupation, the remaining 119 aircraft winding up in RCAF service as the Yale I [3346/3464] under contracts F-274 and -290 with Britain.

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Further NA-16 developments were part of the Harvard/Texan family.
Main sources on the subject (by order of interest):

• Dan Hagedorn: North American NA-16 - AT-6 - SNJ [Specialty Press] {Warbird Tech 011}
• William Jesse: T-6 Texan - The Immortal Pilot Trainer [Osprey] {Osprey Colour Series}
• Larry Davis: T-6 Texan in action [Squadron~Signal] {In Action 1094}
• Bill Yenne: Rockwell; The Heritage of North American [Crescent / P.I.S. Ltd.]
• Gordon Swanborough: North American; an Aircraft Album [Ian Allan]