| AeroShell Aerobatic Team
A
formation aerobatic team flying the World War II North American
Advanced Trainer, the aircraft that launched thousands of
American and Canadian cadets on their flying careers generations
ago, now thrill audiences everywhere as the pilots who make up
The AeroShell Aerobatic Team take these valiant old birds
through a series of precision formation aerobatic maneuvers. The
Team combines the skill, competence and flair of these pilots
with the roar and billowing smoke of the powerful 600 HP Pratt
and Whitney engines. Performing a series of precision formation
aerobatic maneuvers, including their bomb burst, vertical
rejoin, avalanche, the breath-taking "Switch Blade",
along with graceful loops and rolls. The Team will bring a lump
to your throat and a tear of remembrance to your eye.
The
Team:
Byran Regan - Team Lead
Bryan flew with the Red Barons from 1996 to 2007, and held
the lead position from 2003 until the team was discontinued by
Red Baron Pizza in 2007. A skilled formation pilot, Regan flew
the Boeing A75 450, better known as the “Stearman” in every
position for that team,
Mark
Henley - Right Wing
Mark has been flying air shows for over 10 years. He has flown
several types of aircraft, but prefers the WWII aircraft. Before
joining the team he performed in a stock PT-17 Stearman, North
American AT-6, and North American P-51D. Mark has flown over 50
different types of aircraft and has type ratings in the AD4
Skyraider, Grumman TBM, Douglas DC3, and the North American B-25
Mitchell. He also holds a letter of Authorization (LOA) that
covers all piston powered experimental aircraft, single and
multiengine.
Steve
Gustafson - Left Wing
Steve owns and operates his own Aerial Application business
and farms in the Louisiana Delta. By the age of 20, he had
accumulated over 7,000 flying hours and hold a commercial,
multi-engine instrument and a type rating in the North American
B-25. He is a graduate of Sowela Technical University with an
A&P license. Steve, the son of the late Merle Gustafson
(Angel of Okinawa Corsair fame), started flying air shows at the
age of 19 and has inherited his Dad's skill for aerobatics and
formation while acquiring a competence and style all his own.
Steve is also an ICAS ACE Examiner.
Gene
McNeely - Slot
Gene became interested in flying in high school. Afterwards,
he served a tour in the Navy, then began flight instructing and
crop dusting. Gene operated his own agricultural business for
over twenty years as well as an air cargo service operating
DC-3s and MU-2s. Gene's favorite aircraft is the T-6. In
addition to performing in air shows, Gene races in a T-6 at the
Reno Air Races and has been finishing in the top five since
1986, taking 5th in the Gold in 1990 and 1st
in the Silver in 1991. |
THE
PLANES
 The North American Advanced Trainer AT-6
The North American AT-6 Texan/Harvard/SNJ and
NA-16, first appeared in 1938 and was similar to and eventually
replaced the BC-1A basic-combat trainer when the BC
classification was abandoned. But the BC-1A itself was only one
of a very large number of aircraft that stemmed from the NA-16
of 1935.
Originally designed as
a basic trainer for the United States Army Air Corps (USAAC),
the NA-16 was a cantilever low-wing monoplane powered by a 400
HP Wright Whirlwind engine. The two tandem cockpits were open
and the fixed landing-gear legs were trousered. Following
selection by the Army, the prototype was modified to near
production standard, with a hastily fitted long cockpit
enclosure, a revised landing gear and a long-cord cowling round
the 600 HP Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp engine.
Production aircraft for
the US services and for export to many countries were built
under a wide range of NA, NJ, BC and BT designations. They were
used as combat trainers, basic trainers, general-purpose
aircraft and bombers. They featured a wide range of engines,
fixed or retractable landing gear and varying cockpit
enclosures. One BT-9 was modified into the NA-22 with open
cockpits and a 225 HP Wright R-760 engine.
The first model to
introduce the AT Texan (Advanced Trainer) designation was
the NA-59 ordered for the USAAC. As the NA-66 or Harvard II it
was supplied to the airforces of Canada, Great Britain and New
Zealand, following the Harvard I (NA-49) previously supplied to
Britain and Canada. The AT-6A (US Navy SNJ-3) was powered by the
Pratt & Whitney R-1340-49 engine and had a removable
aluminum fuel tank. It was also built under license in Canada by
Noorduyn Aviation as the Harvard IIB, 2,485 going to the
RAF alone and those supplied to the USAAC becoming AT-16's. The
AT-6B was fitted with an R-1340-AN-1 engine.
The AT-6C (SNJ-4 and Harvard
IIA) differed in being redesigned to eliminate the use of
aluminum-alloy and high-alloy steels. the wings, center section,
fin rudder, elevator, ailerons, flaps, etc., were made of
spot-welded low-alloy steel. The side panels of the forward
fuselage and the entire rear fuselage, tailplane, floor boards,
etc., were of plywood - introducing a weight savings of 1,246
pounds. However, fear of shortages of strategic materials proved
unsubstantiated and the normal structure was reverted back. The
AT-6D (SNJ-5 and Harvard III), nearly 4,400 of which were
built, retained the R-1340-AN-1 engine but no photographic
equipment fitted. The final production version was the AT-6F,
most going to US Navy as SNJ-6's.
In post war USAF
service, Texans were redesignated under the T-6
classification, new versions being produced by modification.
Today Texans/Harvards are still flown as basic
trainers and light attack aircraft by the airforces of 22
countries, although no longer in the USA. Among the
purpose-built combat aircraft based on the AT-6 were the NA-50
and the NA-68 single-seat fighter-bombers, built for Peru and
Siam respectively. The latter were retained for the USAAF as
P-64 trainers.
SPECIFICATIONS
Engine: Pratt & Whitney R-1340 AN-1
Wing Span: 42 ft.
Length: 29 ft. 6 in.
Maximum Take-Off Weight: 5,617 lbs.
Maximum Level Speed: 212 mph
Normal Range: 870 miles
Armament: Under wing attachments for light bombs and
rockets
http://www.naat.net/
See more exciting
air show photos in the AirVenture
photo gallery. |
