1943 NORTH AMERICAN SNJ-5

Our North American SNJ-5 is a 1943 WWII veteran. The SNJ is better known as the Army AT-6 or the British Harvard. Most people call it a “T-6.” Most of the SNJ’s and AT-6’s were manufactured in the Dallas Texas North American factory.  For this reason, the AT-6 is also called the “Texan.” It was also nicknamed the "Pilot Maker" as it was the 2-place advanced trainer that nearly every WWII pilot had to learn combat flying maneuvers in. The Navy also added tail hooks to some of the SNJ’s and used them for carrier training.
 
This advanced trainer was the last plane our fighter pilots flew before moving on to the P-51, P-40, Corsair and other single seat fighters. The Navy used the SNJ for pilot training as well as gunnery training. This SNJ has a rear “flex gun,” which is a Browning ANM2 30 Caliber machine gun.
 
The AT-6 was used by 24 other nations to train their pilots, and was used in actual air to air and air to ground combat by many of those countries. The USA did not use this plane for actual combat until the Korean War, where it proved itself very well. Two (2) fixed Browning ANM2 30 cal machine guns in the wing and right front cowling, plus another rear gunner “flexible” gun gave the SNJ plenty of firepower. The SNJ was also designed to handle bombs and rockets.
 
The 9 cylinder Supercharged 600 HP Pratt & Whitney "Wasp" radial engine coupled with a Hamilton-Standard propeller gives this Warbird plenty of power ... and a very distinctive sound...as the prop tips go super-sonic at high power. The SNJ has a top speed of 225MPH and burns an average of 32 gallons per hour. Stall speed is a low 68 MPH with full flaps extended.

1955 BEECHCRAFT T-34A

Our Beechcraft T-34A Mentor, N5347W, was manufactured in 1953 and served as a United States Air Force primary trainer. Designed by Beechcraft and based on the successful Bonanza, the T-34 was built to introduce military pilots to advanced flying before they moved on to larger and faster aircraft. The Air Force ultimately ordered 450 T-34As, using them as primary trainers until transitioning to all-jet training in 1964.

The Navy also used the T-34, ordering 423 aircraft. Their T-34Bs featured strengthened landing gear and other modifications for carrier training. T-34s were also sold to numerous foreign countries and became an important military trainer around the world.

Our T-34A was delivered to the Air Force in 1955 and later served with the Civil Air Patrol in Texas, Nevada and Alabama. After being sold to the Philippines in 1971, it received a complete restoration in California in 1988, including updated avionics and a 300 HP Continental engine with a three-bladed propeller. The aircraft also received its current Air Force paint scheme.

The aircraft came to Wisconsin in 1990 and was stored for many years. In 2017, the generous Wisconsin owner donated the T-34 to the Wisconsin Wing of the Commemorative Air Force. After years in storage, our members, sponsors and restoration partners brought N5347W back to life, completing most of the restoration in 2021.

Today, N5347W has approximately 4,493 hours on its airframe and continues to share the history of the aircraft that trained generations of American military pilots.