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Robert Royes
248 articles

SNJ, T-6, Harvard, an old friend.

April 27, 2017 · in Aviation · · 17 · 2.8K

My association with this type began when as a kid when I lived close to Flushing airport in Queens N.Y. A small private airport at that time[ 1960's and '70's] the skytyping team, flying -2's operated out of there. They were painted red at that time. Watching and hearing their five plane formations land and take off was great. The end of the runway crossed over 20th ave. where we'd park our bikes to watch as they landed or took off. A few years later I went to an aviation trade high school where we got to abuse ex Navy SNJ-5's learning aircraft mechanics, in our senior year we even got run one up , cool! So call it Texan, , SNJ, or , I've got soft spot in my heart for it

The 1/48 Monogram kit I did in the eighties,when the skytypers were sponsored by a beer company, The 1/72 testors is an older build as well, done with spare decals.

I've included Aurora's and Hawk kit instructions alas the kits are no more

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15 additional images. Click to enlarge.


17 responses

  1. Nice Texans, Robert. My uncle (who was USAF) bought an SNJ in the late '60s. The thing was mustard yellow with a green civil registration painted on the side. I took a few rides in that plane during the early '70s, what a blast! I even accidentally dropped a camera out of it into the ocean north of San Francisco! He eventually restored that plane to look like a 1940 model USAAF T-6.

  2. I really like that "Skytypers" version, Robert...were those decals included or are they custom made? As an aside, my Dad was an instructor in AT-6's during the 'war years' in TX. More recently, I've had the opportunity to get "stick time" in 3 different Texans here: http://www.warbirdadventures.com

  3. The decals came with the kit. I checked out that site, nice! The Skytypers were based at Flushing for the longest time ,until local complaints and frequent flooding of the airport ended in its finally closing. I think the are based now at Republic airport ,long island. I've got more vintage photos of Flushing but they are on slides.

  4. Beautiful. You did an awesome job on this one!

  5. Nice job Robert, have seen several teams as well as solo performances with this A/C. They can really make some noise.

  6. Nice Texans! Seems a bit incongruous to see Miller emblems as the "national insignia" on an old warbird (although nicely done)!

  7. Profile Photo
    said on April 28, 2017

    Nice job on those Texans Robert.

  8. Bob, nice job on both of them. I had them, too. I had the Aurora t-6, I could never lay hands on their SNJ. I had both Hawk kits in 72nd, with the embossed insignia, Auroras was raised. I wasn't all that great at decals, so my fallback was painting the insignia, using the outlines.

    I think GEICO (I used to adjust for them) now has the team.

    Besides the Monogram original WW II markings release, there was a molded in red racer version, as well as the Skytypers, and the current SNJ/WW II release. It's a good deal, as it has the Canadian heater pipe and two kinds of canopy, the standard and the -G later version. I think it also has the single gun nose, and the one without.

    Love the kit, I've got a couple.

    Bob, can you show the Aurora decal placement page for the SNJ, please? I'm wondering about the wing placement of "W" and the "Willow Grove" both upper and lower wings. I know NAVY is on it, just the other stuff.

    • I 've added pic.14. Most of the skytyper birds were actually SNJ-2's and should have the rounded tail, and also an extension to the starboard exhaust pipe.

  9. Bob, thanks! I suspect that applies to the latest boxing , with the NAS Glenview ("V" on the tail, like the 72nd SNJ) markings. Glenview was outside Chicago, which was the home of Hawk Models. Their TV-2 was also in those markings. And their Bearcat.
    Revell missed a couple of things, as I thought.
    Belcher Bits, up in Canada, has a conversion for the SNJ-2, with the rounded rudder, aimed at the Monogran/Revell kit.

  10. Very nice Robert! Including the history you're associated with is very interesting, thanks for sharing! I envy all of you who have gotten stick time and/or rides. Riding in a warbird is on my bucket list since I don't count having ridden in a former C-47 used by the old Lake Central Airlines.
    Your model's paint & decal work is excellent. I've never heard of the Skytypers before. Glad to hear they're still around.
    Great job!

    • And that hanger pic is pretty interesting. Besides the 2 T-6s, the civilian Piper with tip tanks (or whatever they are) is new to me. The T-33 looks pretty interesting, too. You said the neighbors complained about noise - I'll bet the airport was there BEFORE those folks moved in. It has happened 3 times around here in Indy that an airport had to either close or move because neighborhoods built up AFTER the local airport had long been established. Seems to me that someone has a lot of gaul to complain about noise AFTER moving next door to an existing airport (or shooting range, which has also happened around here at least twice!)
      Some people would complain if they were hung with a new rope!

      Uhhh ... sorry for the rant. Your T6s or Harvards or Texans or SNJs are great.

  11. The Piper is actually a military version of the Beech Bonanza QU-22,it was used in Vietnam, a couple were donated to the school from the bone yard. The kicker with the airport was one too many close calls with the close by expressway.

  12. Bob, I wondered about the Beech. Did it look like it had a bunch of antennas on it? Like in the ARDF role? (airborne radio direction finding)

  13. Hi Robert,
    I liked the Miller model. Job well done and beautiful decal set.
    Typical sound before and after passing by.
    Regards, Dirk / The Netherlands.

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