This WW2 Aircraft Is Still Flown by the US Army Today

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24/7 Wall St. Insights:

• The T-6 Texan has been in service of the U.S. military since before World War 2
• It can reach a top speed over 200 mph and is powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine which produces roughly 600 horsepower
• Some variants of the T-6 can equip light armament for training missions
• Also: Dividend legends to hold forever

The T-6 Texan originally entered service in the 1930s, almost an entire century ago. It was designed by North American Aviation as a trainer aircraft for the U.S. military and since then it would leave a storied legacy as one of the most popular and widely used aircraft in history. However, it's legacy is not done. The T-6 Texan is still in service today by the U.S. Army. ( America produced over 12,000 of these World War II carrier-borne planes. )

The variant that is currently in use by the U.S. Army has obviously been updated with the times and is much more versatile than the original model. The new variant, the T-6D, is equipped with improved instrumentation and armament capabilities but it still only serves in a trainer role.

The Texan can hit a top speed of just over 200 mph, powered by the Pratt & Whitney R-1340 Wasp radial engine which produces roughly 600 horsepower. Some of these variants can be equipped with 7.62mm machine guns for light attack training missions.

While the T-6 has left an indelible mark on military aviation history, there are a number of newer aircraft in use by the U.S. Army. Over the decades, the Army has evolved and broadened its aviation capabilities from basic trainers like the T-6 to attack helicopters like the AH-64 Apache or the Black Hawk. These are just a couple examples of the weapons currently employed by the U.S. Army. ( These countries have the most Apache attack helicopters. )

24/7 Wall St. is taking a closer look at the arsenal of the U.S. Army. To identify the oldest aircraft in the U.S. Army, 24/7 Wall St. reviewed the 2024 World Air Forces report from FlightGlobal, an aviation and aerospace industry publication. We ordered these aircraft chronologically. We also included supplemental data on the type of aircraft, top speed, and armament.

Here is a closer look at the oldest U.S. Army aircraft currently in service: Why Are We Covering This?

Understanding the combat aircraft used by the U.S. Army provides insight into joint military capabilities and defense strategies. Also knowing what the U.S. has in its arsenal further explains its military capabilities.

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