AT-6 Texan in attack role in USAAF colors?

[bearoutwest]

Hello Stig,

I don't disagree with you. Only commenting that the AT-6 (for Attack Trainer) only officially came in to use post-1962. (The website I pointed people toward - readily says AT = Advanced Trainer, in earlier USAAC/USAAF use.)

In terms of combating the slow Po-2, not much got the upper hand. A B-26 Invader (WW2 A-26 type) scored a Po-2 by walking the fire from 8x (or 10-12x) forward firing 50-calibre mg through the biplane. This was at night without radar, so by coincidence right-place/right-time rather than good planning. A radar-equipped F-94 Starfire chased a Po-2 and stalled when it opened fire with it guns - the F-94 crashed. A USN F4U-5N radar equipped Corsair, land based detachment has the most success, and had the only USN-operated ace in Korea, but from memory 4 of his 5 kills were against the faster Yak-11 two-seater advanced trainer nuisance bomber types.

...geoff

[Stig Jarlevik]

Indeed Geoff

However, I am very sure few T-6 remained in use by 1962 (if any!) and if so were never called AT-6 by any of the US users

I have a final retirement date by the USAF of all their T-6 as 17 Sep 1956 at Bartow AFB in Florida, but I cannot say 100% that was just for training or it really was the last one out.

US Navy reportedly retired their last SNJ on 14 March 1958 at Barrin Field, Alabama.

The last T-6 in US service that I know of was used by 35th Air Rescue Squadron (a Civil Air Patrol unit) in the "1960s". Unfortunateley I don't know who they belonged to....

Small aircraft (drones etc) are still very difficult to intercept even in daytime.
That, however, is outside my main interest and we are already straying from the subject.

Cheers
Stig