Specifications

Manufacturer:	North American
Year/Model:	1944 SNJ-5C AT-6D Cashen Texan
S/N:	90654
Tail Number:	N621BC
Power Plant:	One 550 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1
Wingspan:	42 feet
Length:	29 feet 5 inches
Height:	11 feet 8 inches
Gross Weight:	5,300 pounds
Maximum Speed:	205 mph @ 5,000 ft
Maximum Range:	750 statute miles
Service Ceiling:	21,560 feet
Crew:	Tandem co-pilots with individually operated sliding enclosures
Status:	Privately Owned/ Static Display, On Loan*
Owner:	Bud Cashen Estate

*Aircraft listed "On Loan" are privately owned by individuals or corporations and are proudly displayed at the Estrella Warbird Museum. The Estrella WarBirds Museum does not own, restore, operate nor maintain flyable aircraft. We are grateful that the owners display their aircraft at the museum for the public to view. Any courtesy rides given by aircraft owners is an agreement solely between the person that owns the aircraft and passenger.

SNJ-5C in Flight

History

Long time Estrella Warbirds Museum Member, the late Bud Cashen, offered the permanent loan of his North American Cashen SNJ-5C/AT-6D for static display to the museum in Paso Robles. Mr. Cashen previously rebuilt this aircraft combining both SNJ-5C and AT-6D standards.

The North American SNJ-5C is a single engine advanced trainer type aircraft, originally used to train pilots of the USAF, US Navy plus other air forces including the Royal Air Force, during World War II and well into the 1950's. North American Aviation first developed the AT-6 Texan (or N-16 in development). Depending upon the model and the operating air force, the plane was know with a myriad of designations. The USA Air Corps designated it as the "AT-6", the US Navy as "SNJ" and the British named it the "Harvard."

The Texan was first flown on April 1st, 1935 with the first production models following two years later. Nearly 17,000 of these aircraft, in all variants, were produced. The AT-6 saw service in Korea and to a lesser extent during the Vietnam conflict as forward air control aircraft. A Harvard became the longest serving aircraft for the RAF, first flown in 1945 and was still active into the 1990's as a chase plane for helicopter test flights.

Since the end of World War II, the T-6 has found a loyal followers at air shows and races. The T-6 still holds a class in the Reno Air races during the Nationals each year. Movie goers have seen the AT-6 in numerous movies as an allied plane plus converted single seat versions were painted with Japanese markings to represent the Mitsubishi Zero for the filming of Tora! Tora! Tora!