T-6/SNJ Rear Flexible Gun Position

[astixjr]

Do any of your WIXers out there have any photos or links that show detailed shots of the rear flexible gun postion in the T-6/SNJ? Anyone know of any parts available out there? Any help would be much appreciated.

[Jack Cook]

Stoney are you out there????????????????

[Steve S]

I think there is a T6 for sale at Courtesy with the setup installed. Not sure if it is authentic.

Steve

[EDowning]

Albert

My T6 has a functioning rear gunners seat and canopy installed. No gun.

[Eric Friedebach]

The seat is easy, just spin it around.

The aft most canopy section was attached to the rear sliding section. A “dog leg” slid down a separate track in the RH cockpit rail.

Sounds complicated, but elegant in real life.

[Tim Savage]

The seat is easy, just spin it around.

The aft most canopy section was attached to the rear sliding section. A “dog leg” slid down a separate track in the RH cockpit rail.

Sounds complicated, but elegant in real life.

Some of the SNJ-5s that went through overhaul at Pensacola have the swivel seat, but have extra straps attached to secure the seat to the airframe that prevent it from swiveling.

Unfortunately, the way the swivel seat seat was designed it is only secured to the airframe by the swivel post. In an accident the deceleration will many times shear that post forcing the seat and its occupant into the instrument panel, that is why I believe the Navy secured them later in the aircraft's life. I would suggest if you aren't using the swivel seat to make sure the seat is secured to the airframe better. We are restoring a couple of SNJs right now that have the swivel seat and we are crafting a removable pin to secure the seat when it isn't being used for photomissions etc, where the swivel is necessary.

[Eric Friedebach]

I would suggest if you aren't using the swivel seat to make sure the seat is secured to the airframe better.

Good post, Tim.

I installed a retractable rear canopy kit from Banaire a long time ago in an SNJ. There *may* have been some braces installed, but memory fails.

[Taigh Ramey]

Here are some shots from the AT-6 scarf ring and trolley in our museum. The half rings are available, the trolleys are getting harder to find and the C-16 mount is extremely hard to acquire these days. The ammo can holder is available too. Jay Wisler used to have one or two, and if not, we have reproduced them in the past and still have the patterns and tooling. The ring and bead sights are around but will take some digging depending on which set up you might want.











If you need more detailed shots I can take some and e-mail them to you.

[daveymac82c]

I'm not sure if it would help, but maybe google rear gunner installations on the Wirraway. I know in Australia the CA-16 Wirraway (basically a T-6 with a bigger engine and fabric fuselage) primarily had a rear gunner.

Good luck,

David

[Taigh Ramey]

Hello Albert,

Here are a couple of excerpts from the manual showing the gunner's area.





I have some of the basic parts that are extra to my needs like the turtle deck skins and fairing, rear canopy, support structure for the swivel seat and I think I still have a NOS scarf ring. If you have any interest let me know.

Here is an old shot of those parts:

[mennie]

This is how it looks on N13FY AT-6A 78-6922:




Very rare and incredible looking T-6 if I may say! A good friend to the Yakkes Foundation.

[bdk]

ANM2... Drool...

http://www.liberatorcrew.com/15_Gunnery/02_30cal.htm

[pilot06]

Hey Taigh,

Do you have any more photos of the Browning .303 (3rd photo)? It appears to be a British Browning. Hard to tell for sure.

Patrick

[Taigh Ramey]

Hey Patrick,

The shot that you were asking about if of an MG-40. The shots in my previous post show a Colt MG-40 and a Buffalo Arms ANM2. bdk has posted a link to a great web page that shows the different 30 cal aircraft guns. I have a 303 kit of internal parts, cooling jacket and back plate with grips but that’s about it. The web site mentioned above has much better info than I can provide.

bdk, yes I know the affliction of which you speak. ANM2 is such a magical collection of letters and number. Awesome web site by the way. Cool stuff in deed! Thanks for that one.

The white mount in the back of the AT-6A posted my mennie is the early C-12 mount. This mount was used pre and early war but was replaced by the softer recoil absorbing C-16 mount. I finally made a trade to get the hard to find C-12 mount for my AT-11 project. I pet it regularly! It’s the little things that makes me giddy!

[STEARMAN]

For Tim Savage:

I would be very interested in what you guys are doing to beef up the rear seat.

Thanks in advance,

Greg Pfister