WANTED: AT-6 photos dated 1942-1944 Prefer Luke/Merced AAF

[Mustanger55]

Hello all,
Beginning a static restoration of an AT-6B at the Chanute Air Museum ( http://www.aeromuseum.org ) and need research assistance to accurately depict markings and paint. Our preliminary choice is to use a Luke AAF marking scheme, as this airframe was assigned there at one point in it's career.

At issue is whether or not the training aircraft, particularly AT-6's, were sporting up-to-date insignia into '42-'44.
Photos from Merced or other Southwest training fields would be applicable and helpful. It's rather important the photo dates are well established, as they will be used as evidence for NMUSAF approval for a final paint scheme.

Luke AAF AT-6's will sport 'Buzz Numbers" beginning with an X, as in X317. The target timeframe is from 42 through 44, coinciding with the assignment of a half dozen W.A.S.P.s as instructor/observer and test pilots at Luke. (If you have info regarding the WASPs at Luke, that, too, would be helpful.)

If you have photos or info that might help, please send along to us here.
http://p51h.home.comcast.net/~p51h/at6b ... ontact.htm
Reduced size images are fine and actually preferred. Just need to see the marking on the fuselage sides, tail and cowling.

Thanks in advance!

[Mark Allen M]

Several examples here

http://www.google.com/search?q=AT6+Luke ... 0&bih=1002

[Mustanger55]

Thanks Mark,

Several of these are new to me, and help with demonstrating what I have suspected. It seems changing national insignia on training aircraft lagged behind the technical orders that saw changes to combat aircraft. Some of these photos date to 1942 & 1943 with no or out of date fuselage insignia.

One photo of three surplus T-6s with no fuselage insignia is labeled 1946!

I hope to find more from southwestern U.S. training bases to further substantiate what I've seen so far.

Thanks again.

[jdvoss]

If you are still in need of a period photo of a Merced AAF AT-6 please contact me.

JDV
vossj@comcast.net