"AT-6 Ryan Airport CALIFORNIA" polo shirt

The T-6 Texan traces its origins to the North American NA-16 prototype, which made its maiden flight on April 1, 1935. From this aircraft, the NA-26 was developed to compete in the Basic Combat competition held in March 1937, which it won. Following this success, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) ordered 180 aircraft under the designation BC-1, while the U.S. Navy purchased 16 SNJ-1s, followed by 61 SNJ-2s fitted with a more powerful engine.

A further 92 BC-1As and 3 BC-2s were produced before the aircraft was redesignated AT-6 (Advanced Trainer). This version could be distinguished from its predecessors by its square-tipped wings and squared vertical fin.

The NA-77, produced as the AT-6A, succeeded it. Powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 Wasp radial engine, it entered large-scale service with the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF), which operated 1,549 aircraft, while the U.S. Navy received 270 under the designation SNJ-3. It was followed by the AT-6B, specifically developed for aerial gunnery training, featuring a .30-caliber machine gun mounted in the rear cockpit and introducing the Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 engine. In Canada, Noorduyn Aviation built a version of the AT-6A powered by this engine. The USAAF ordered 1,500 aircraft under the designation AT-16, while the Royal Air Force received 2,485 examples, known as the Harvard IIB.

The “AT-6” polo presented here depicts an Army Air Corps aircraft stationed at Hemet-Ryan Airport, California, in early 1943.