This BT-9, once owned by Challenge Publications, was based at Apple Airport for a period of time while waiting to be flown to the US Air Force Museum in Dayton, Ohio, where this photo was taken.
By: Norm Goyer
The Texan was so successful because of the BT-9/NA-64 series of basic trainers that proceeded it. The glitches, bugs and quirks were pretty well ironed out by the time the new AT-6 advanced trainer was ready for production. In fact, the Australian Wirraway is pretty much a NA-64 with a 600 hp P & W and retractable gear. It still retained the fabric covering on the aft fuselage.
This is a North American NA-64, a version of the Yale. Many allied countries used the Yale in their flight training programs.
The BT-9 Yale made its first flight in April of 1936, with an initial run of 260 units. The Army Air Force and the Navy flight training programs used the BT-9 in conjunction with the Boeing/Stearman PT-17. Canada also relied on the Yale in their flying programs. The first BT-9s used a Wright R-975 Whirlwind radial engine. The rear of the fuselage was fabric covered. The landing gear was fixed. An improved version, the BT-14, was introduced with a Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. engine. It also had a fully metal covered fuselage. There were over 259 BT-14s built,many being delivered to our allies and South American countries.
The French Air Force had a number of Yales, as did many other countries.
There were many variants of the BT-9 including the NJ-1 built for the US Navy. This version used a 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp nine-cylinder radial engine, this is the same engine was later used to power the AT-6 Texan. North American knew they had a problem with wicked stall and spin characteristics of the Yale and tried; leading edge slats, wing slots, drooped-wingtips, but none seemed to cure the problem completely. The BT-9C was the first Yale to be manufactured with a retractable landing gear to better train students for flying single-engine fighters. Older BT-9Cs were fitted with a dummy landing gear switch for training continuity. The BT-9Cs used a Wright R-975-7 radial engine. Over 100 BT-9Cs were manufactured. The BT-9 series of aircraft is almost impossible to accurately summarize, North American made production line changes on an almost daily basis, searching for the right combination for the aircraft’s mission. A decision was finally made to eliminate the guns and concentrate strictly on a basic trainer. North American then started to plan for an advanced trainer and thus the fabulous AT-6 Texan was conceived. The first Texans were almost identical to the BC-2 Yales. After initial flight testing, it was evident that the new Texan was in no way a basic trainer. It was then designated as advanced trainer. Both the Army Air Corp and the Navy along with many allied countries bought the new AT-6 trainer by the hundreds. The T-6 had inherited the vicious spin characteristics; they were placarded against more than one turn.
Vultee had been producing the BT-13 “Vibrator” and this aircraft gradually took over the duties of basic trainers. The Yale’s place in aviation history is guaranteed as it played a huge part in the development of the AT-6 and in early military flight training programs.
Click Here to View Past Birds of the Week and to read the remainder of this article