The North American AT-6 Harvard/Texan is a single-engined; two seat; low wing, advanced training aircraft with tandem cockpits and sliding enclosures and with a retractable undercarriage. Design and development of the North American T-6 series began with a 1934 US contract for a primary trainer to meet an US Army Air Corps requirement. The prototype of this primary trainer, the North American NA-16, a two-seat training aircraft with fixed undercarriage, first flew on 1 April 1935. The NA-16 was followed by a single preproduction aircraft, the NA-18, and finally by the NA-19 that first flew in April 1936 and entered sevice with the United States Army Air Corps as the BT-9 (basic trainer, type 9). The North American NA-26 was submitted as an entry for a USAAC "Basic Combat" aircraft competition in March 1937. The NA-26 design was derived from the North American BT-9, and had a retractable undercarriage, the more powerfull Pratt and Whitney R-1340 9 cylinder Wasp radial up front and some other refinements to the BT-9 airframe. The North American NA-26 prototype NX18990 was flying first on 11 February 1938. The North American NA-26 Basic Combat demonstrator NX18990 won the competition, and, in due course, with only minor modifications like the 600hp R-1340-47 engine, the NA-26 model entered production as Model NA-36 and 177 aircraft were supplied to the USAAC as the BC-1 (basic combat, type 1). The BC-1 was followed by the BC-1A (NA-55) with some airframe revisions (92 built); and a single BC-1B with a modified wing center-section. Thirty of the BC-1's were modified as BC-1I instrument trainers; and with the beginning of World War II 400 aircraft were ordered by the RAF as the Harvard I, an aircraft similar to BC-1 but without rear gun and with a 600hp R-1340-S3H1 engine. The US Navy received 16 modified aircraft, designated the SNJ-1, and a further 61 as the SNJ-2 with a different engine. The BC-1 was equipped with one nose-mounted .30-caliber machine gun that fired through the propeller and a second .30-caliber gun on a flexible mount in the rear cockpit. When the Basic Combat classification was abandoned, the BC-1A was redesignated AT-6. Originally designed by North American Aviation, as a Basic Combat aircraft, the T-6 is known by a variety of designations depending on the model and operating air force. The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) and USAAF designated it as the AT-6, the United States Navy the SNJ, and British Commonwealth air forces the Harvard, the name by which it is best known outside of the US. In all, more than 20,000 airframes with varoiuos various modifications were built by North American Aviation and under license from North American Aviation in California, Texas, Montreal (by Noorduyn Aviation), Fort William, Ontario (by Canadian Car & Foundry) and as the Wirraway in Australia (by Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation). Starting in 1948, the new United States Air Force (USAF) designated it the T-6, with the USN following in 1962. It remains a popular warbird aircraft used for airshow demonstrations and static displays. It has also been used many times to simulate variousWorld War II aircraft.

The North American AT-6A-NT c/n 78-6922 was built by Noth American at Dallas, Texas, in 1942, and entered service with the USAAF as 41-16544. After being withdrawn from USAAF service, the aircraft was registered NC52649 and transferred to the Royal Swedish Air Force. In the years 1947-1953, a total of 257 North American T-6 Texan / Harvard entered service with the Royal Swedish Air Force. In 1947 and 1948, the first batches of 91 and 52 Harvard IIB aircraft with low hours were purchaced from the large surplus stocks of these planes after WW II. In 1950, it was decided to acquire more aircraft. Now, however, the surplus was not as large as the years before, and the aircraft bought were significantly more expensive and had more flight hours than the previous aircraft. These aircraft were built in the United States by North American and were named Sk 16B and Sk 16C, with the earlier aircraft being renamed Sk 16A (Sk stands for Skolflygplan). One of the aircraft was North American AT-6A-NT c/n 78-6922, that on 14 September 1953 was delivered as Sk16 B Fv16291 to the F10 wing of the Royal Swedish AF. On 1 March 1955, the aircraft was withdrawn from military service and sold to Anders Peter Botved in Denmark. On 26 May 1955, the North American AT-6A Texan was registered OY-DYE in Denmark with Anders Peter Botved, Copenhagen. In Denmark, the OY-DYE was remodeled and made suitable for Skywriting. For use as sky writer the OY-DYE was equipped with a huge outlet and the rear seat was removed for two oil containers and two pumps. At high altitude, oil was injected under pressuer into the hot exhaust manifold, causing it to vaporize into a huge volume of dense, white smoke, so that white stripes came into the sky. On 4 April 1956, registration OY-DYE was cancelled as exported to Germany, and, on 8 May 1956, the aircraft was registered D-IGAL with Deutscher Luftfahrt-Beratungsdienst. As before the aircraft was operated as sky writer. On 1 July 1957, the D-I*** registration for 2 -5,7 tons aircraft in Germany was changed into D-F*** for single-engine 2 - 5,7 tons aircraft and D-I*** for multi-engine 2- 5,7 tons aircraft. As a result of this change the D-IGAL was re-registered D-FGAL. On 14 June 1961, registration D-FGAL was cancelled as exported to the Netherlands. On 16 June 1961, the aircraft was registered PH-NKD as a North American AT-6A Texan with J. Daams, Loosdrecht, and based at Hilversum airfield. On 23 June 1976, the PH-NKD was registered with Skylight BV, Loosdrecht. In service with Skylight, the aircraft was active with sky writing above Europe for among others 7Up; DRUM and ROXY (cigarette brand). On 18 August 1993, registration PH-NKD was cancelled and the aircraft was totally overtaken with the sky write installation removed. The aircraft should be restored to the Dutch register as PH-NKD, but after a strugle with the Dutch CAA (RLD - Rijksluchtvaart Dienst) the owner decided to register the North American AT-6A-NT as N13FY in the USA, where FY stands for "Fuck You". On 7 September 1994, the Air Worthiness Test was done and since the N13FY is registered in the USA, first with Vintage Aircraft (Lelytad) Inc., Houston, Texas, and since 10 July 2006 with Eastern Stearman Inc Trustee, Leesburg, Virginia. However the aircraft is registered in the USA, it is a Hilversum resident since 1961 and today owned by Hanno Wesdorp. The N13FY is painted in blue USAAF '16544 / FY'colors. On 6 October 2018, the North American AT-6A-NT N13FY was seen in its 'USAAF 16544 / FY ' colors at Hoogeveen airfield.

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