Warbird Information Exchange

I have purchased SNJ-6. Interesting plane. Seems it was manufactured as a T-6F for the Air Force. It's 1945 and the AF does not need or want more trainers. The US Navy decides they want North American to keep making parts and assemblies for the plane, they take the Air Force order. About 450 ships are transferred to the NAVY. The US Navy assigns brand new contract numbers to the planes and new Bureau Plates for the ships. Later, the ships are sold as surplus to wiling private operators in the 50's. The Navy uses the Contract Number on the new civil registrations, not the Bureau Numbers. This is confusing. Now you have an airplane that was manufactured as a T6-F with an AF serial number, turned into a NAVY SNJ-6 with a Contract number and a new Bureau Number. War department records will help you learn the three numbers associated with a specific airframe. Mine? AF # 44-82470. Navy Contract number 121-43192. Navy BU number 112336. Civil Registration N7976A.

My question. Does anyone have pictures of the Data Plates as mounted on the SNJ-6 that show the NAvy Bureau plate AND whatever serial number plate the Navy did or did not have on the plane while they were operating them from 1945 to 1954?
If I can figure out how to do it, I will post the examples I have. I am not convinced that the plates that are attached to my airframe are being properly displayed.

Foggwater

FAA used AT-6A and AAF info along with a 77-xxxxx Mfg ID number when registering the SNJ-3 back in 1946. They didn't and still don't use SNJ as a primary identifier. On the FAA TCDS all the SNJ info is in (SNJ-X) format rather than AT-6X.
The blueprints don't show a Navy ID plate from the factory.
FAA also is supposed to use the NAA Mfg serial number rather than the Military ID.
So the 121-43192 is the NAA mfg ID number assigned to that airframe and isn't a military number nor really a contract number. It is an ID number assigned by the Co within the block of A/C produced in that contract.

I really have yet to see what info is on a pure SNJ dataplate either.

FAA TCDS link-
http://rgl.faa.gov/Regulatory_and_Guida ... 20R-16.pdf

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
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Rich, thanks for your input. I am now "collecting" pictures of any data plates I can find on planes, original or not. Right away, I have learned that the double mount (NA serial number plate next to AAF or NAVY plate mounted on an aluminum backing) are found on both left and right sides of the forward cockpit at the back of the trim piece along the window rail. There were some comm boxes and other items that got mounted on the right side of some of the later ships and there is seldom anything mounted on the Left side behind the arm rest. It appears that this space was often used for the data plates. I also found an SNJ-6 plate mounted in front of the left hand armrest and there were no other holes drilled in that original trim plate. It appears the data plate was mounted wherever it was convenient, not always the same.

I am searching for the "Holy Grail" here. I want to find an original North American Data plate that says " AT-6F" with a 44- serial number. I don't care where it was mounted or not, I just want to see an original one.
Rick

Mfg number should be on a plate mounted to the steel tube aft R/H side of fus tubular structure (rear cockpit). That would've been the 121- number.
If I have time I'll try to cruise through some prints on location(s) noted.
What I remember is an alum plate in a L shape had all the Data Tags riveted to it. NAA and USAAC were on it and then that plate was riveted onto the side trim panel.
I haven't focused on 121- part numbers so I don't know what that series of prints say, if they are a part of the set.

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!

I scanned through the 121- prints and didn't find any info on dataplate location.

I looked through the Meet the SNJ-3 training book which features our SNJ-3 #22. The interior photos were from another A/C.
The Instrument Panel shows 16985 which seems to match AT-6A AAC# 41-16895 was Hagedorn's T-6 book references as being cancelled by the USAAC and assigned BU 05445 (or so) for the Navy.
The book was produced by the Navy by Jam Handy Productions which made 1000's of filmstrip, book and film products for the armed forces in WWII. The Meet the SNJ-3 would have been produced mid to late 42 IMHO.
16985 would have been accepted in probably early 42.

_________________
Rich Palmer

Remember an Injured Youth
benstear.org
#64- Stay Strong and Keep the Faith

BOOM BOOM, ROUND ROUND, PROPELLER GO

Don't Be A Dilbert!