North American NA-16

Last updated

NA-16/BT-9/NJ-1
Harvard I/NA-57/Sk 14
NA-16 FAH-21 EDUARDO SOSA 2005.jpg
NA-16-2A/NA-42 "FAH-21" displayed outside at the Honduras Air Museum at Toncontín
General information
TypeTrainer
Manufacturer North American Aviation
Statusretired
Primary users United States Army Air Corps
Number built1,935
History
Manufactured1935 to 1939
First flight1 April 1935
Variants North American BT-9
CAC Wirraway
Developed into North American T-6 Texan
North American P-64

The North American Aviation NA-16 is the first trainer aircraft built by North American Aviation, and was the beginning of a line of closely related North American trainer aircraft that would eventually number more than 17,000 examples, notably the T-6 Texan family.

Contents

Design and development

First NA-16 with initial canopy and still in civilian registration North American NA-16 prototype NX2080.jpg
First NA-16 with initial canopy and still in civilian registration

On 10 December 1934, James Howard "Dutch" Kindelberger, John L. "Lee" Atwood, and H.R. Raynor sketched out the specifications for the NA-16. A key characteristic for the advanced trainer was a closed canopy. [1]

The NA-16 is a family of related single-engine, low-wing monoplanes with tandem seating. [2] Variants could have an open cockpit (the prototype and the NA-22) or be under a glass greenhouse that covered both cockpits. [3] On some variants, the rear of the canopy could be opened for a gunner to fire to the rear. [4] A variety of air-cooled radial engines, including the Wright Whirlwind, Pratt & Whitney Wasp and Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior of varying horsepowers, could be installed depending on customer preferences. [5] The fuselage was built up from steel tubes and normally fabric covered; however, later versions were provided with aluminum monocoque structures. [6]

During the development of the design, a six-inch stretch was made by moving the rudder post aft. [7] Many versions had a fixed landing gear, but later versions could have retractable gear, mounted in a widened wing center section (which could have either integral fuel tanks or not). [8] Most had a straight trailing edge on the outer wing while again, some had the wing trailing edge swept forward slightly in an attempt to fix a problem with stalls and spins. [9] Several different rudders were used, with early examples having a round outline, intermediate examples having a square bottom on the rudder (Harvard I) and late examples using the triangular rudder of the AT-6 series, due to a loss of control at high angles of attack with the early types. [10] Horizontal and vertical tails were initially covered in corrugated aluminum, but later examples were smooth-skinned, and the horizontal stabilizer was increased in chord near its tips on later versions. [11]

The NA-16 flew for the first time on 1 April 1935, by Eddie Allen. An enclosed cockpit version of the NA-16 was submitted to the United States Army Air Corps for performance tests as a basic trainer on 27 May 1935. [12] The Army accepted the trainer for production but with some detail changes, including a larger engine and faired landing gear modifications. The modified NA-16 was redesignated by North American as the NA-18, with production examples entering Air Corps service as the North American BT-9 (NA-19). The U.S. Army Air Corps ordered 42 BT-9s, equipped with the Wright R-975 Whirlwind engine, and 40 BT-9As, which could be armed with .30 cal. Browning M-1 machine guns. In 1936, an order was placed for 117 BT-9Bs, without armament. A total of 67 BT-9Cs (NA-29) were built, using the same R-975-7 engine. [1] :20–21,29–31,33,36,214 Similar aircraft continued to be sold outside the U.S. under the NA-16 designation. [13]

By the time of the U.S. entry into WWII, the NAF had built 1631 N-16 series aircraft. Of that total, 1043 were for foreign countries, while the remainder were for the U.S. Army Air Corps and Navy. [1] :73

Foreign developments

Australia

The Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced 755 units of a modified version of the NA-16-2K (NA-33) known there as the Wirraway between 1939 and 1946. [14] The units built included 40 CA-1s (Wirraway I), 60 CA-3s, 32 CA-5s, 100 CA-7s, 200 CA-8s, 188 CA-9s, and 135 CA-16s. The CA-16s were called the Wirraway IIIs, while previous models were called Wirraway IIs. [1] :53–56

Argentina

Experience with the NA-16-4P and deteriorating political relations with the US led to the local development of the I.Ae. D.L. 21, which shared the NA-16 fuselage structure; however it proved too difficult to produce. As a result of this, an entirely new design (the I.Ae. D.L. 22) was built instead; it had similar configuration, but was structurally different and optimized to available materials. [15]

Japan

The NA-16-4RW and NA-16-4R inspired the development of the Kyushu K10W when the Imperial Japanese Navy instructed Kyushu to develop something similar. [16] The resulting aircraft owed little to the NA-16, however Allied Intelligence saw so few examples that the error was not corrected and some drawings show a modified NA-16. [16]

Variants

North American BT-9 North American BT-9 manual drawing.jpg
North American BT-9

Listing includes aircraft built specifically under NA-16 designation for export, and similar aircraft built for use by the United States armed forces.

NA-16
One for United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) (trials) developed into NA-18 and BT-9 series.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind

When the North American NA-16 was first conceived, five different roles were intended for the design, designated NA-16-1 thru NA-16-5: [17]

NA-16-1
General purpose two-seat aircraft - which became the Harvard I [18]
NA-16-2K
Two-seat fighter - produced under licence in Australia as the CAC Wirraway . [19]
NA-16-3
Two-seat light attack bomber. The first aircraft in this category was the retractable gear NA-26 [20] which evolved into the NA-36 (BC-1). The fabric-covered fuselage was replaced by an all-metal monocoque to create the NA-44, [21] which provided the basis for a line of light attack bombers whose improvements would result in the AT-6 . [22]
NA-16-4
Advanced trainer - became the BT-9 for the USAAC and which provided the bulk of early production. The improvement of the BT-9 with a longer metal skinned fuselage as on the NA-44 would create the NA-64 (Yale) and improved wings would result in the BT-14.
NA-16-5
Single-seat fighter - although this designation was never used, it became the NA-50 for Peru, and later the NA-68, which saw limited USAAF service as the P-64 . [23]
BT-9 (NA-19)
42 built for USAAC - Minor changes from NA-18, new canopy
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
BT-9A (NA-19A)
40 built for USAAC - Armed BT-9 with one cowl gun, one rear flexible gun and modified canopy.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-16-2H (NA-20)
One built for trials, sold to Honduras (FAH)
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-22
One built for USAAC trials but rejected as severely underpowered. Open cockpits as per early NA-16 and Townend ring on engine.
powered by Wright R-760 Whirlwind
BT-9B (NA-23)
117 built for USAAC - Unarmed with fixed rear on canopy.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
BT-9D (NA-23)
One modified BT-9B for USAAC - BT-14 prototype with new outer wings, Harvard type canopy, lengthened fabric covered fuselage, triangular rudder and detail alterations.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior
NA-16-3 Basic Combat demonstrator (NA-26)
One armed demonstrator and the first variant with retractable undercarriage, eventually sold to RCAF who modified it with Yale and Harvard parts.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-2H (NA-27)
One armed demonstrator sold to Royal Netherlands Air Force - not the same as the previous NA-16-2H.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NJ-1 (NA-28)
40 built to US Navy specifications, up engined BT-9B as advanced trainer with fixed gear.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
BT-9C (NA-29)
66 built for USAAC - BT-9A with minor changes.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
Y1BT-10 (NA-29)
One built for USAAC - BT-9 with larger engine, similar to USN NJ-1 but armed and detail differences in engine installation.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
BT-10 (NA-30)
Cancelled production version of Y1BT-10 for USAAC
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-4M (NA-31)
138 built for Sweden's Flygvapnet as Sk 14/Sk 14A. Sk 14N trialled nosewheel for SAAB 21.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind (Sk 14) or Piaggio P VII C (Sk 14A)
NA-16-1A (NA-32)
One built for Royal Australian Air Force but rejected in favour of NA-16-2K, fixed landing gear, similar to Y1BT-10.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-2K (NA-33)
756 for Royal Australian Air Force in Australia with local improvements as CAC Wirraway
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-4P (NA-34)
29 built for Argentina (Army Aviation) - 1st major export order (previous orders involved licence production).
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-16-4R (NA-37)
One built for Imperial Japanese Navy as a technology demonstrator KXA-1 with fixed u/c and three-blade prop.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior
NA-16-4 (NA-41)
35 built for China (RoCAF) - Fixed gear, fabric covered fuselage
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-16-2A (NA-42)
Two built for Honduras (FAH)
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-1G (NA-43)
Intended for Brazil (Army) but order cancelled. Was to have been similar to BT-9C
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-44
Armed company demonstrator sold to Canada. Designation reused for AT-6s sold to Brazil (NA-72) and Chile (NA-74).
powered by Wright R-1820 Cyclone.
NA-16-1GV (NA-45)
Three built for Venezuela (FAV) similar to USAAC NA-36 BC-1 but with round rudder and bomb racks under wing center section.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-4 (NA-46)
12 built for Brazilian Navy
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-16-4RW (NA-47)
One built for Imperial Japanese Navy as a technology demonstrator KXA-2 similar to NA-16-4R but smaller engine.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind
NA-16-3C (NA-48)
15 built for China (RoCAF) - Retractable undercarriage, fabric covered fuselage
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-1E (NA-49/NA-61)
430 for Royal Air Force and Royal Canadian Air Force as the Harvard I with new canopy and square rudder. Also used by South Africa and Southern Rhodesia.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-16-4 (NA-56)
50 built for China (RoCAF) - Entirely new design with longer metal fuselage, triangular rudder and later T-6 style wing. Basically a BT-14 with the AT-6s R-1340 engine and canopy.
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
NA-57
230 improved NA-23s for France as NAA 57-P-2, most captured and used by Germany, some retained by Vichy France.
powered by Wright R-975 Whirlwind [24]
NA-16-3 (NA-71)
Three built for Venezuela (FAV)
powered by Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp
I.Ae. D.L. 21
An Argentinian version incorporating the NA-16-1 fuselage with locally designed wings. Rejected in favour of the I.Ae. 22 DL, an original design from the Fabrica Militar de Aviones (FMA).

Operators

Flag of Argentina.svg  Argentina
Flag of Australia (converted).svg  Australia
Flag of Brazil.svg  Brazil
Flag of the Republic of China.svg  China
Flag of France.svg  France
Flag of France (1794-1958).svg  Vichy France
Flag of Germany (1935-1945).svg  Nazi Germany
Flag of Honduras.svg  Honduras
Merchant flag of Japan (1870).svg  Empire of Japan
Flag of the Netherlands.svg  Netherlands
Flag of South Africa (1928-1982).svg  South Africa
Flag of Southern Rhodesia (1924-1964).svg  Southern Rhodesia
Flag of Sweden.svg  Sweden
Flag of the United Kingdom.svg  United Kingdom
Flag of the United States (1912-1959).svg  United States
Flag of Venezuela.svg  Venezuela

Surviving aircraft

Specifications (NA-16)

General characteristics

Performance

See also

Related development

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

Related lists

Related Research Articles

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas DC-3</span> Airliner and military transport aircraft family

The Douglas DC-3 is a propeller-driven airliner manufactured by Douglas Aircraft Company, which had a lasting effect on the airline industry in the 1930s to 1940s and World War II. It was developed as a larger, improved 14-bed sleeper version of the Douglas DC-2. It is a low-wing metal monoplane with conventional landing gear, powered by two radial piston engines of 1,000–1,200 hp (750–890 kW). Although the DC-3s originally built for civil service had the Wright R-1820 Cyclone, later civilian DC-3s used the Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp engine. The DC-3 has a cruising speed of 207 mph (333 km/h), a capacity of 21 to 32 passengers or 6,000 lbs (2,700 kg) of cargo, and a range of 1,500 mi (2,400 km), and can operate from short runways.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Boomerang</span> Australian fighter aircraft produced by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation

The CAC Boomerang is a fighter aircraft designed and manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation between 1942 and 1945. Approved for production shortly following the Empire of Japan's entry into the Second World War, the Boomerang was rapidly designed as to meet the urgent demands for fighter aircraft to equip the Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF). It was the first combat aircraft designed and constructed in Australia.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss Falcon</span> American multirole aircraft

The Curtiss Falcon was a family of military biplane aircraft built by the American aircraft manufacturer Curtiss Aeroplane and Motor Company during the 1920s. Most saw service as part of the United States Army Air Corps as observation aircraft with the designations O-1 and O-11, or as the attack aircraft designated the A-3 Falcon.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vultee BT-13 Valiant</span> Family of military training aircraft

The Vultee BT-13 Valiant is an American World War II-era basic trainer aircraft built by Vultee Aircraft for the United States Army Air Corps, and later US Army Air Forces. A subsequent variant of the BT-13 in USAAC/USAAF service was known as the BT-15 Valiant, while an identical version for the US Navy was known as the SNV and was used to train naval aviators for the US Navy and its sister services, the US Marine Corps and US Coast Guard.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American T-6 Texan</span> American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft

The North American Aviation T-6 Texan is an American single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Air Force (USAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp</span> Aircraft engine family by Pratt & Whitney

The Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp is an aircraft engine of the reciprocating type that was widely used in American aircraft from the 1920s onward. It was the Pratt & Whitney aircraft company's first engine, and the first of the famed Wasp series. It was a single-row, nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial design, and displaced 1,344 cubic inches (22 L); bore and stroke were both 5.75 in (146 mm). A total of 34,966 engines were produced.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior</span> 9-cylinder radial engine family

The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of 985 in3 (16 L); initial versions produced 300 hp (220 kW), while the most widely used versions produce 450 hp (340 kW).

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas Dolphin</span>

The Douglas Dolphin is an American amphibious flying boat. While only 58 were built, they served a wide variety of roles including private air yacht, airliner, military transport, and search and rescue.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Boeing P-12</span> US military fighter aircraft in service 1930-1941

The Boeing P-12 or Boeing F4B is an American pursuit aircraft that was operated by the United States Army Air Corps, United States Marine Corps, and United States Navy. It was the chief fighter aircraft in American service during the early 1930s but also used internationally. By the late 1930s it was replaced in front-line duty by newer designs, but it was still used for training into the early 1940s. Many variants of the aircraft were developed. In the 21st century a handful of surviving air frames are on display in museums.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American BT-9</span>

The North American BT-9 was the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) designation for a low-wing single engine monoplane primary trainer aircraft that served before and during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">CAC Wirraway</span> 1937 Australian trainer aircraft

The CAC Wirraway is a training and general purpose military aircraft manufactured in Australia by the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation (CAC) between 1939 and 1946. It was an Australian development of the North American NA-16 training aircraft. The Wirraway has been credited as being the foundation of Australian aircraft manufacturing.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Vought O2U Corsair</span> Type of aircraft

The Vought O2U Corsair was a 1920s biplane scout and observation aircraft. Developed by Vought Corporation, the O2U was ordered by the United States Navy (USN) in 1927. Powered by a 400 hp (298 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 engine, it incorporated a steel-tube fuselage structure and a wood wing structure with fabric covering. Many were seaplanes or amphibians.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Wright R-975 Whirlwind</span>

The Wright R-975 Whirlwind was a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of about 975 cu in (15.98 L) and power ratings of 300–450 hp (220–340 kW). They were the largest members of the Wright Whirlwind engine family to be produced commercially, and they were also the most numerous.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Douglas O-2</span> Type of aircraft

The Douglas O-2 was a 1920s American observation aircraft built by the Douglas Aircraft Company, powered by the Liberty engine of WW1 fame, with some later variants using other engines. It was developed into several versions, with 879 being produced in total. It was used in combat by the Chinese Air Force in the 1930s and also was the basis for a successful mailplane version.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Buhl Airsedan</span> 1927 American single-engine sesquiplane cabin light transport aircraft

The Buhl AirSedan was a family of American civil cabin sesquiplane aircraft developed and manufactured by the Buhl Aircraft Company in the late 1920s. One example completed the first transcontinental non-stop roundtrip flight, made in 1929 by the CA-6 Spokane Sun-God, and the first Pope to have flown did so in a Buhl Airsedan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Curtiss-Wright CW-19</span> Type of aircraft

The Curtiss-Wright CW-19 was a civil utility aircraft designed in the United States in the mid-1930s and built in small quantities in a number of variants including the CW-23 military trainer prototype.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American T-6 Texan variants</span>

This article describes the different variants of the North American T-6 Texan.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">North American NA-64 Yale</span> Type of aircraft

The North American NA-64 is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and with the Luftwaffe as a captured aircraft during World War II.

<span class="mw-page-title-main">Bacon Super T-6</span> Type of aircraft

The Bacon Super T-6 was a North American AT-6F Texan that was modified during the mid 1950s by the Erle L. Bacon Corporation in an attempt to interest foreign air forces in an upgrade for their T-6 fleets. The aircraft did not receive sufficient interest for production, and only the single conversion was produced.

The Waco D Series was a series of military biplanes created between 1934 and 1937 by the Waco Aircraft Company for export to countries other than the United States. The three letter designation indicated the engine, airframe, and series. Armed versions had a -A suffix.

References

Notes

  1. Some sources list the NA-16 as having been used by the Argentine Air Force however it was with its predecessor, the Army Aviation Service which was dissolved in 1945 when the Air Force was created.

Citations

  1. 1 2 3 4 5 Hagedorn, Dan (2009). North American's T-6: a definitive history of the world's most famous trainer. North Branch, MN: Specialty Press. p. 11. ISBN   9781580071246.
  2. Hagedorn 1997, p. 4.
  3. 1 2 Hagedorn 1997, pp. 20–21.
  4. Hagedorn 1997, p. 21.
  5. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 6–7.
  6. Hagedorn 1997, p. 12.
  7. Hagedorn 1997, p. 53.
  8. Hagedorn 1997, p. 61.
  9. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 14, 19.
  10. Hagedorn 1997, p. 19.
  11. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 14–15.
  12. 1 2 Hagedorn 1997, p. 8.
  13. Hagedorn 1997, p. 15.
  14. 1 2 Francillon, René J (1970). The Royal Australian Air Force & Royal New Zealand Air Force in the Pacific. Aero Pictorials 3. California: Aero Publishers Inc, 1970. ISBN   978-0-8168-0308-8. Library of Congress Number 76-114412.
  15. 1 2 3 von Rauch, Georg and David L. Veres. "Argentina's Wooden Warriors". Air Classics (Challenge Publications), Volume 19, March 1983, pp. 14–21.
  16. 1 2 3 Starkings, Peter. "From American Acorn to Japanese Oak". Arawasi (Asahi Process, Tokyo), Issue 7, 2007, pp. 26–31. Retrieved: 8 September 2011.
  17. Hagedorn 1997, p. 7.
  18. Hagedorn 1997, p. 41.
  19. Smith 2000, p. 96.
  20. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 20–22.
  21. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 37–38.
  22. Hagedorn 1997, p. 46.
  23. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 41–42, 51.
  24. Parker, Dana T. Building Victory: Aircraft Manufacturing in the Los Angeles Area in World War II, p. 89, Cypress, CA, 2013. ISBN   978-0-9897906-0-4.
  25. Airliners.net Picture of the North American NA-42 aircraft Accessdate:September 2014
  26. Flickr - Sk 14, North American NA 16-4M, Swedish Air Force Museum, Flygvapenmuseum, Linköping Accessdate:Sept 2014
  27. The Australian National Aviation Museum - CAC CA-1 Wirraway A20-10 Archived 15 August 2014 at the Wayback Machine Accessdate:Sept 2014
  28. "Search aircraft model: CA-1/CA-3/CA-7/CA-8/CA-16." Archived 10 January 2013 at the Wayback Machine CASA. Retrieved: 17 September 2013.
  29. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 15–16.
  30. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 22–23.
  31. Hagedorn 1997, pp. 47–48.

Bibliography

Further reading

Commons-logo.svg Media related to North American NA-16 at Wikimedia Commons