"The Pilot Maker" was one of the more printable nicknames give the AT-6 Texan by student pilots who trained on it. It was a twin-seat trainer with a completely enclosed glass canopy, a tall body and low-set rectangular wings, student in front, instructor in the rear. Derived from the 1935 North American NA-16, the Texan filled the need for a basic combat trainer during WWII and beyond. The original AT-6 (94 built) differed little from subsequent versions: the AT-6A (1,847 built) which revised the fuel tanks, the AT-6D (4,388 built) and the AT-6F (956 built) that strengthened and lightened the frame with the use of light alloys. In all, more than 17,000 Texans were built following the basic AT-6 design.

The rapid production of the T-6 Texan by North American Aircraft coincided with the wartime expansion of the United States air war commitment. As of 1940, the required flight hours for combat pilots earning their wings had been cut to just 200 during a shortened training period of seven months. Of those hours, 75 were logged in the AT-6.

The AT-6 Texan used a radial piston engine, the 550-HP Pratt and Whitney R-1340. Only 29ft 6in long, it's wingspan was 42ft 0.25 in. Maximum speed in level flight was 205 mph and the ceiling topped out at 21,500 ft. With the original fuel tanks, the range was 750 miles, but this was later increased.

British interest in the Texan design was piqued as early as 1938 when it ordered 200 under the designation Harvard Mk I or "Harvard As Is" for service in Southern Rhodesia training under the Commonwealth Air Training Program. As the Harvard Mk I (5,000+ built) design was modeled after the early AT-6 design, the subsequent Harvard Mk II utilized the improvements of the later AT-6 models. During 1944, the AT-6D design was adopted by the RAF and named the Harvard MK III. This version was used to train pilots in instrument training in the inclement British weather and for senior officers to log required airtime. Much to the chagrin of the Air Force High Command, the Harvard "hack" was often used for non-military activities like joy-riding and unofficial jaunts across the English countryside.

During 1946, the Canadian Car and Foundry Company developed the Harvard Mk IV trainer to the specifications of the T-6G and produced 285 T-J's under the same design for the USAF Mutual Aid Program. Designated the T-6G, the Texan saw major improvements in increased fuel capacity, an improved cockpit layout, as well as a steerable tail wheel. U.S. Air Force and U.S. Navy forces in the Korean War modified the Texan under the LT-6G designation and employed it in battlefield low-level surveillance, where it was dubbed the "Mosquito".

Although the US retired the T-6 from active duty by the end of the 1950s, several nations, including Brazil, China and Venezuela, utilized "the pilot maker" as their basic trainer well into the 1970s. The total production of the trainer family was an awesome 21,342. Today, over 350 T-6 Texans remain in airworthy condition. Most of the former "hacks" are based in North America and are a reminder of the importance of simplicity in training and function. If you have never seen one, visit almost any Airshow, there's sure to be one, sometimes even a flight of four in a flypast.

Michael Russell Your Independent guide to Aviation