Originally posted by David Burke
Whilst the Harvard/T-6 is undoubtedly a good aircraft I feel that the Chipmunk is a better aircraft for training. It can certainly bite but you really need to be doing the wrong thing to make that happen.

My point exactly, you need an aircraft that will bite you, because if you don’t, you may not know how to handle a situation, or take a plane for granted, thinking it is safe and easy to fly, can’t do that with a T6.
If we are deciding a best trainer, it’s the overall picture you want, and learning to fly on a tigermouth is all very well, but it doens’t rain you for anything.

and this is my opinon, so I don’t bash me for it, or try and make me out to look stupid.

Originally posted by Moggy C

If you really divorce yourself from vested interests (AT6P2B 😉 ) which is the aircraft that if you put a line drawing on a flash card most people would unhesitatingly say “trainer”?

I suspect it isn’t the T6. The frequency with which it turns up in films playing a fighter / Zero mitigates against it, surely?

Moggy

No. I believe it to be the best trainer as it is the most like the fighters bombers etc. the syaing goes, got 300hrs on a P-51, then you are ready to fly a harvard. So it shows that the Harvard is a difficult plane to master and that training on it moulds the best pilots ofr fighting in combat. Flying a Tigermouth, does not prepare you for getting into a spitfire, huricane, mustang, thundeerbolt, P-40, they have nothing in common apart from a tailwheel.
But then that ‘s my view. A trainer shuold be something that prepare you for, as in the cases of WW1&2, arial combat, and a Harvard does that.

“Trainer is being fought out between the Stearmen, Harvards and Tiger Moths?”

Like there is any doubt in that one!! hehehe Harvard/Texan/SNJ all the way.