North American NA-16

The North American NA-16 was the first trainer aircraft built by North American Aviation, Inc. and was the beginning of a line of North American trainer aircraft that would number more than 17,000 derivatives. The NA-16 was a single engine, low-wing monoplane with tandem seating in open cockpits and fix landing gear. A Wright Whirlwind radial air-cooled engine of 400 hp powered the aircraft. While it was mostly of metal construction, the rear fuselage was fabric covered.

The NA-16 flew for the first time on April 1, 1935 and was submitted to the U.S. Army Air Corps for evaluation as a basic trainer. The Army accepted the trainer for production but with some significant changes. These changes included replacing the Wright engine with a Pratt and Whitney R-1340 engine and enclosing the cockpits as well as fairing the landing gear. The modified NA-16 was re-designated by North American as the NA-18.

In Australia, the Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation produced 755 units known there as the CA-16 Wirraway between 1939 and 1945 , some of the trainers briefly seeing active service in Bougainville.

Specifications (NA-16)

General characteristics

• Crew: two
• Length: 27 ft 7 in (8.41 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft (12.80 m)
• Height: ft ( m)
• Wing area: ft² ( m²)
• Empty: 3,078 lb (1399 kg)
• Loaded: lb ( kg)
• Maximum takeoff: lb ( kg)
• Powerplant: 1× Wright Whirlwind 400 shp (298.4 kW) each

Performance

• Maximum speed: 170 mph (273.7 km/h)
• Range: 700 miles (1127 km)
• Service ceiling: ft ( m)
• Rate of climb: ft/min ( m/min)
• Wing loading: lb/ft² ( kg/m²)
• Power/mass: 0. hp/lb (0. kW/kg)

Armament

None

Related content

Related development: North American NA-18 North American BT-9 North American BC-1 T-6 Texan CAC Wirraway

Comparable aircraft:

Designation sequence: