North American NA-16

North American Aviation · United States · first flew 1935 · transport aircraft

The North American NA-16 was the prototype aircraft that spawned the legendary AT-6 Texan and Harvard advanced trainer family, one of the most widely produced and used military trainers in history.

Recognition (WEFT)

W — Wings	Low-mounted, tapered
E — Engines	1 × piston, nose-mounted
F — Fuselage	8.7 m fuselage
T — Tail	Conventional

WEFT is AircraftIQ's four-point recognition method — how it works.

Spot it by:

Prototype of the famous AT-6 Texan / Harvard trainer family
Fixed undercarriage on NA-16 prototype; retractable on production variants
Tandem two-seat low-wing monoplane with radial engine

Fixed-undercarriage low-wing monoplane with tandem cockpits under a continuous greenhouse canopy, large radial engine, and straight-tapered wings; the production AT-6 added retractable gear.

Specifications

The North American NA-16 has a length of 8.7 m (29 ft).
It has a wingspan of 12.8 m (42 ft).
Its maximum speed is 370 km/h (230 mph).
Typical crew: 2.

Figures are for the representative variant described above; marks differ. See how AircraftIQ sources figures.

History

The NA-16 first flew in April 1935 and won a US Army Air Corps competition; refined into the BC-1 and ultimately the AT-6 Texan, which trained over 88,000 Allied pilots in WWII. The design's longevity is remarkable—Harvards flew well into the jet age with numerous air forces.

Variants

NA-16 prototype led to BC-1, BT-9, AT-6 Texan, Harvard Mk.I–IV, and numerous export variants; the family spans dozens of sub-types across multiple manufacturers.

Where you'll see it

The NA-16 itself was a prototype; its production descendants served virtually every Allied air force in WWII and continued in service in many countries into the 1990s.

Related aircraft

AircraftIQ — the aircraft field guide: 5,024 recognition guides, live overhead identification, works offline.