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North American SNJ-4 'Texan'

Description
  Manufacturer:North American
  Base model:SNJ
  Designation:SNJ
  Version:-4
  Nickname:Texan
  Equivalent to: AT-6C
  Designation System:U.S. Navy / Marines
  Designation Period:1939-1948
  Basic role:Scout trainer
  Crew:2

Specifications
  Length: 29' 5" 8.9 m
  Height:11' 8.5" 3.5 m
  Wingspan: 42' 0" 12.8 m
  Wingarea: 254.0 sq ft 23.5 sq m
  Empty Weight: 4,158 lb 1,885 kg
  Gross Weight: 5,300 lb 2,403 kg

Propulsion
  No. of Engines: 1
  Powerplant: Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1
  Horsepower (each): 600

Performance
  Range: 750 miles 1,207 km
  Cruise Speed: 170 mph 273 km/h 147 kt
  Max Speed: 205 mph 330 km/h 178 kt
  Climb: 1,200 ft/min 365 m/min
  Ceiling: 21,500 ft 6,552 m

Known serial numbers
05527 / 05674, 09063, 09817 / 10316, 26427 / 27851, 51350 / 51676

Examples of this type may be found at
MuseumCityState
Mid-Atlantic Air MuseumReadingPennsylvania
The Air Museum "Planes of Fame"ChinoCalifornia

SNJ-4 on display

Mid-Atlantic Air Museum

The Air Museum "Planes of Fame"
   


 

Recent comments by our visitors
 Franck
 , OTH
Sorry, his accident at Barin field
12/09/2012 @ 23:23 [ref: 67403]
 Franck
 , OTH
My cousin was a french younger and had a fatal accident with a SNJ January 24, 1955. Perhaps some are known?
12/09/2012 @ 23:21 [ref: 67402]
 John Porter Landrum, Jr.
 Birmingham, AL
I was stationed at NAS Barin Field, Foley, Alabama, during
WWII.
With parents consent I joined at age 17. I am now 83.
I made 1c AMM while still 18.
I was very fortunate, in that my father was granted the original patent on the variable pitch prop.
As a result of the aircraft exposure I was assigned to develop the curriculum for the "Plane Captain School", 8 weeks
duration, and conducted all the classes alone, class size 32.
We had about 250 SNJ's and 80 Stearman Trainers.
For "Night Flying & Shooting Landings" on the footprint of a carrier flight deck, painted on one of the two landing runways, at night the outer perrimeter was marked by those filthy "Smudge Pots" (Kerosene). Several pick-up truck loads required.
The engines would be so hot that the Inertia Starter did not have to be used, sometines, to start the engines for the next flight.
Just hit the "Primer" and switch the Mags ON and viola, first one and then two cylinders would start coughing, shortly, all would be humming.
I am trying to remember the Maximum RPM drop permitted whnen switching from both Magnetos to either one. Was it 125 @ 1850 RPM. Anyone?
Right at the close of the war we began to get the Douglas SBD Dauntless Dive Bomber as a replacement for the SNJ.

I had the distinct priviledge of rewriting the SNJ Ground Training Manuals to comply with the detail differences between the two aircraft.

Many planes were lost due to engine failure after returning from navigastion hops. The bored cadets could not wait to play a little "Hare & Hound" chase, below the tree tops on either side of the Alabama River, which runs north from Mobile, AL. They would have a "Kitty", won by the last one to pull up above the tree tops as they flew North.

Of couese, the farther North they went the more narrow the river and the sharper the turns.

Needless to say, the oil temp would rise, and thin the oil leading to engine failure, once the big oil cooler scoup, under the engine, was packed with fresh green pine needles.

All these details came to light after I was assigned the chore of determining why only Nav Hop planes were losing so many engines.

Flying a triangle flight pattern, 45 minutes per leg, over the Gulf of Mexico, was a chore. BORING.
Especially when, at the end of the flight, you found yourself still over blue water instead on familiar land.

Once the pine needles, as the root cause, was established, orders, with teeth, like a washout from the program if violated, did the trick.

Does anyone remember, "Lucky Strike Green Has Gone To War"?
Lucky cigs, before the war, came in an olive drab package.

If you got this far, thanks for listening. My memory box got turned over.

Porter



12/18/2008 @ 07:50 [ref: 23270]
 Michael Allen
 Garner, NC
My dad was stationed at Saufley Field from 1949 to 1953 and worked on the engines on the SNJ's. He got alot of flying time in them because you had to go up in what you worked on and some poeple didn,t like to fly, so he went for them so he could fly. They let him fly the plane after they checked everything out. I got some pictures of him. His Name is Kenneth Allen. I thought it was neat that he worked on airplane engines, so now I work at GE and build the GE90 115B engine that goes on the Boeing 777 300ER jet.
I know this story is not related to anything. I just wanted to share it. Thanks. Mike Allen.
10/10/2008 @ 06:23 [ref: 22820]
 Roger Brumley
 Santa Fe, NM
My good friend and SNJ pilot, Don Symington flies for Santa Fe Top Gun out of Santa Fe, New Mexico. I've asked him what SNJ stands for and he was not sure. If someone out there has the answer for this question, please forward it to me at the address above. Thank you.

Roger
09/28/2008 @ 19:17 [ref: 22761]
 Nathan W
 , GA
A SNJ-4 was modified with the tail of a Vultee BT-13 and painted green to look like a Nakajima B5N2 "Kate" torpedo/high level bomber for the movie "Tora Tora Tora" in 1969. It is still around and is based in Peachtree City, Georgia. It can be scheduled for airshows and is a must see as no "Kate" bombers exsist in any Museum. The website is www.japanesebomber.com
05/03/2008 @ 09:04 [ref: 20783]
 Charles Lee Sr
 , KY
I just want to say thank you for having pictures of the snj-4 and information. My grandfather flew them in war, I've been waiting to see a picture for a long time. Thank You Charles Lee Sr
10/13/2006 @ 17:41 [ref: 14448]
 Jimmy Houser
 Edisto Beach, SC
i have flown an SNJ-4 back on April 12, 2003 at the James Island Executive Airport. The company is called TOPDOGS and i was ten at the time. it was a memory of a lifetime and i hope i never forget it.
09/20/2005 @ 20:42 [ref: 11299]
 LUCO
 Argeles sur Mer, FL
French Cadet in the U.S.Navy, I flew for the first time, on an SNJ-4 July 17, 1953 at the NAAS Whiting Field.
Then at Saufley field,Barin field,and Corry field, I flew
SNJ-4 and SNJ-5 until April 14, 1954.
My first SOLO flight was performed on an SNJ-4 (serial number 27154), September 21, 1953.
Last training flight on a TV2 : November 1, 1954.
08/22/2005 @ 06:17 [ref: 11050]
 HarvardIV
 , AZ
I have to disagree. I've been told by a lot of people who fly them that it is an honest airplane, and easy to fly. Everything is difficult and unforgiving untill you know what you're doing. After that, it's a piece of cake.
01/01/2005 @ 23:37 [ref: 9029]

 

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