AT-6 and SNJ's used for gunnery training

[Jack Cook]

Not that far back.

[Holedigger]

It's for the "little people" in coach, I know, you always get to ride up front!!!

[Stoney]

N1666T is an SNJ-5B and I found a spent 30.06 casing in the fuel tank bay, must have fallen in thru the fuel gage hole. The gun mount was home made, but the half ring is NOS. I still have one ammo can for the .30 gun.

[astixjr]

I have always assumed this was a camera port behind and below the rear seat of my father's SNJ-5. I've also assumed that since ours had a nose and wing gun, it probably also had a flexible gun position in the back seat. This airplane has been in our family since 1978 but I do not know much of it's history. I think it came from North Carolina (Lowel Blossom?) to Mark Clark and then my father. I think it was released from Pensacola in the mid 1950s. Maybe it would be a fun winter project to search for it's service history. Any suggestions on how best to do that? Thanks.

[A2C]

I think it came from North Carolina (Lowel Blossom?) to Mark Clark and then my father. I think it was released from Pensacola in the mid 1950s. Maybe it would be a fun winter project to search for it's service history. Any suggestions on how best to do that? Thanks.

Ah, so it came from North Carolina, then to Mark Clark, then you father, then was released from the Navy in the 1950's. Interesting history.

So curious why the camera was installed?

[Jack Cook]

Albert the one we had was equipted with doors. It's downunder now. A whole bunch went to Kangaroo Jacks or Billy Bob Slims or somekind of name like that.

[Chunks]

Thanks for the pics. Does it also have the camera doors in the tailcone? When I make it back to the hangar I'll take some pics of them. I would like to see some more pics of the canvas enclosure and what's beneath it if possible.

Chunks

[Taigh Ramey]

The small circular port is for the view finder for the camera. There was a standard Air Corp and Navy view finder that was used on many different aircraft that had a larger camera. In the AT-6/SNJ this was mounted behind the rear seat so if you swiveled the seat around you could use the view finder to see what the aerial camera was going to take a picture of. The camera was mounted on the frame aft of the view finder and shot through the camera doors. The view finder had three studs that fit into the key slots and would rotate into a locked position. It had a ground glass plate that a reversed image would focus on. The plate also had a grid similar to a drift sight. You could rotate the view finder to determine the drift angle. The camera could also be rotated to match the drift angle if desired.

[Chunks]

Thanks Taigh, this is great stuff! Any pictures of the sight glass or camera installation? How about documentation? Is any of that stuff still available?

Also, since Ryan started this about the gunnery equipment, how difficult is it to fing the ring, trolley, etc?

Chunks

[astixjr]

I've never spent all that much time under the aft fuselage of other T-6s or SNJs but when you guys say "camera doors" do you mean like mini bomb bay doors? I'll have another look at our SNJ-5 on Monday and I guess I need to look in the manuals also. It sure would be cool to have a complete rear gun position and a complete camera setup.

Ok A2C that sentence in my post does have a bit too much "stream of consciousness" in it. I should know better than to drink and hard drive.

[Chunks]

Albert, they do look like VERY small bomb bay doors. I'll try to stop by the hangar tomorrow and take a picture to post. I have an extra set of doors with hinges if someone is looking to upgrade

Chunks

[astixjr]

I just remembered that I still have that original T-6/SNJ assembly drawing book. I loaned it out to be scanned but the guy never did anything with it and then it took me six months to get it back. Its nearly 2' x 3' in size but it does not cover the SNJ-5 or T-6D so it may not show a camera installation. I completely forgot about this thing until I found these images on my hard drive. I'll stop by the hangar Monday morning on the way to work and pick it up.

[rwdfresno]

Thank you everyone for the interesting information.

Ryan

[Ken Dwelle]

The T-6 Gunsight reflectors used to be available from Lance Aircraft. That's where I bought mine.

[Chunks]

Wow Albert, how do we get copies of that book?

Stopped by the airport this evening and took some camera bay pics, I'll try to post tonight.

Chunks