Did we ever fly the T-6 Texan/Harvard?

Started by The CyBorg is destroyed, March 07, 2014, 05:51:38 PM

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rugger1869


The CyBorg is destroyed

Quote from: Eclipse on March 15, 2014, 05:49:37 AM
Also, FWIW, I flew a Texan at one of those "Top Gun For A Day" schools.

I have about 4 hours of front-seat stick time, including "combat" with two kills, aerobatics, and formation flying (like tollway close with two other T-6s).

Yes, it was a huge cup of awesome, one of these days I will post the video here.

Sir...I hate you.  I thoroughly loathe you.  I would give one of my more redundant appendages to have done that. 8)
Exiled from GLR-MI-011

Mitchell 1969

Quote from: PA Guy on March 14, 2014, 10:39:02 AM
Quote from: a2capt on March 13, 2014, 09:19:46 PM
It must have recently rained for this photo, that ramp area looks like a dump.







As for a group that got "fed up", with CAP? I can see the Wing getting fed up with them ;) Too much avgas to run those things.  Things change. We're not an excuse to manage your flying club.

QuoteAccording to Ron Stearns, "By the very early 1960s, the [CAP] squadron grew to near 25 T-6/SNJ/Harvard aircraft, five T-28s and three C-45s."
.. There are barely that many aircraft in the whole wing now. Somehow that had to be member owned.

The Sqdn 35 HQ was a dump. It consisted of several Quonset Huts with lots of bamboo planted around them. They also had their own AVGAS storage tank and pump in an isolated part of the airport. They also had their own flight line just outside their HQ buildings Their T-6s guzzled gas and the oil level was 5 gals.

It was a dump. They were mostly great guys, but it was a dump. Some of them seemed to take pride in that.

I took over a cadet squadron that was based at the same airport. We had a decrepit storage shed and limited access to their facility, IF somebody from there showed up in our meeting night to open the door. (Yes, you guessed it - they wouldn't give a key to "their HQ" to anybody else in CAP.)

We opted for our own HQ on the same field. Our objective was simple - make it look the opposite of the other place.
_________________
Bernard J. Wilson, Major, CAP

Mitchell 1969; Earhart 1971; Eaker 1973. Cadet Flying Encampment, License, 1970. IACE New Zealand 1971; IACE Korea 1973.

CAP has been bery, bery good to me.

Max Rockatansky

Quote from: CyBorg on March 07, 2014, 08:23:36 PM
Quote from: LSThiker on March 07, 2014, 07:35:40 PM
The little red and yellow airplanes were mainly Fairchild 24s or Stinson 10s.  Unfortunately, I cannot view the link as it asks for a login, but there is a picture of CAP emblems on T-6s.  Some websites state that it is a WWII picture taken in Texas, but others say it is a picture taken by Sq 35 as referenced by VNY.  Did we officially ever have T-6s?  No, the closest we got were T-34 Mentors for SAR missions.

Low-wing T-34's for SAR?  That must have been an absolute devil for the observer/scanner.
Fun to fly, but, yes, lousy for SAR.  Great flight trainer.

The CyBorg is destroyed

It is interesting to note that these CAP T-6's were permitted to wear the USAAC star with red centre on the wings.
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Mitchell 1969

Quote from: CyBorg on March 21, 2014, 08:12:16 PM
It is interesting to note that these CAP T-6's were permitted to wear the USAAC star with red centre on the wings.

One more time - there is nothing to show that they were "CAP T-6's." They were almost certainly member owned.
_________________
Bernard J. Wilson, Major, CAP

Mitchell 1969; Earhart 1971; Eaker 1973. Cadet Flying Encampment, License, 1970. IACE New Zealand 1971; IACE Korea 1973.

CAP has been bery, bery good to me.

PHall

Quote from: Mitchell 1969 on March 22, 2014, 04:54:03 AM
Quote from: CyBorg on March 21, 2014, 08:12:16 PM
It is interesting to note that these CAP T-6's were permitted to wear the USAAC star with red centre on the wings.

One more time - there is nothing to show that they were "CAP T-6's." They were almost certainly member owned.


All of the aircraft flown by this unit were member owned. The CAP insignia on the tail was the version that could be used on member owned aircraft and vehicles.

RiverAux

Quote from: Mitchell 1969 on March 22, 2014, 04:54:03 AM
One more time - there is nothing to show that they were "CAP T-6's." They were almost certainly member owned.

A distinction without a real difference for most of CAP history.  Sort of like saying that CAP didn't fly anti-sub missions since they weren't CAP airplanes....

The CyBorg is destroyed

Exiled from GLR-MI-011

PHall

Quote from: CyBorg on March 22, 2014, 11:02:20 PM
I guess the decal fooled me. :-\

CAP owned aircraft would have the CAP Seal in all of it's Scotchlite glory on the tail back then.

4fhoward

#30
I was spending some time on the web and found this image of a BT-13 in CAP markings.

http://www.factorydirectmodels.com/mm5/graphics/00000001/vultee-bt-13-valiant-fd10-1618l5.jpg


Cliff_Chambliss

Quote from: PHall on March 22, 2014, 11:18:51 PM
Quote from: CyBorg on March 22, 2014, 11:02:20 PM
I guess the decal fooled me. :-\

CAP owned aircraft would have the CAP Seal in all of it's Scotchlite glory on the tail back then.

Several years ago there was an ex-CAP Cessna L-19 (O-1) based at Georgetown Texas.  The plane still had the CAP Seal on the fin but the guy that owned it had stuck a decal of an Armadillo with a Lone Start Beer over the center covering the prop symbol.  Made for an interesting piece of art.
11th Armored Cavalry Regiment
2d Armored Cavalry Regiment
3d Infantry Division
504th BattleField Surveillance Brigade

ARMY:  Because even the Marines need heros.    
CAVALRY:  If it were easy it would be called infantry.

Eclipse

Quote from: Cliff_Chambliss on June 17, 2014, 01:39:39 PM
Several years ago there was an ex-CAP Cessna L-19 (O-1) based at Georgetown Texas.  The plane still had the CAP Seal on the fin but the guy that owned it had stuck a decal of an Armadillo with a Lone Start Beer over the center covering the prop symbol.  Made for an interesting piece of art.

Make your own today!
http://www.papertigerarmaments.com/Bird_Dog.html







More cool stuff here...

"That Others May Zoom"

LTCinSWR

Take a look at the 'old style' ES patch; that is a T-34. Years ago, Albuquerque Sr. Sqn. II had T-34s. Not sure when they went away.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

L.A. Nelson Lt. Col. CAP
Homeland Security Officer
NM Wing Headquarters

JacobAnn

Quote from: LTCinSWR on January 18, 2015, 01:32:01 AM
Take a look at the 'old style' ES patch; that is a T-34. Years ago, Albuquerque Sr. Sqn. II had T-34s. Not sure when they went away.

I remember a T-34 in WI Wing in the mid 80s.  Only a select few were allowed to fly it.

LTCinSWR

Quote from: JacobAnn on January 18, 2015, 11:22:58 AM
I remember a T-34 in WI Wing in the mid 80s.  Only a select few were allowed to fly it.

I suspect that was because it was considered a 'complex single' and after several incidents involving 'ground loops' (especially in O-1 'Birddogs') they started consolidating to the 'tricycle' Cessnas.
If your actions inspire others to dream more, learn more, do more and become more, you are a leader.
John Quincy Adams

L.A. Nelson Lt. Col. CAP
Homeland Security Officer
NM Wing Headquarters

PHall

The T-34's went away after they were all grounded by an AD for their wing spar.
CAP had been trying to get rid of the T-34's for awhile and this AD was the final nail.

SarDragon

We had a T-34 in MEWG in the early '70s. I went away before it did. Never managed to get a ride in it, though.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret

The CyBorg is destroyed

It would seem to me that low-wing birds of whatever kind would be bad for spotting missing aircraft, especially given the Mark I Eyeball technology of the time.
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SarDragon

The T-34s were essentially free, and were great for o-rides.
Dave Bowles
Maj, CAP
AT1, USN Retired
50 Year Member
Mitchell Award (unnumbered)
C/WO, CAP, Ret