The naval version of the famed Texan series of primary pilot
trainers, the SNJ, entered service with the Fleet in 1938 and
formed the backbone of basic flight training for the Navy for
almost twenty years. Featuring a retractable tailhook, the
SNJ was used not only for carrier qualification training, but
after World War II, carriers like the Midway employed them in
utility duties.
This aircraft displays markings used by aircraft flying from
Naval Auxiliary Air Station Barin Field near Mobile, Alabama
in 1947. During World War II, the station was dubbed "Bloody
Barin" for its leading casualty rate amongst its fledgling
pilots. This particular aircraft in private ownership had a
cameo in the film "Swing Shift" in 1984.
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