Mike Pfleger’s T-6, Reno Racer “Race 54″ “Midlife Madness”

History:
This airplane is a T-6 “G” model rebuilt to new standards in 1951 by North American Aviation from WW-2 surplus T-6 parts. It was sold by NAA to the Italian Air Force where it served from 1951-1979. In 1982 it was refurbished by Dennis Buehn and flown in the southern California area by Robert Heckman. The plane was purchased by Chuck Bivenour in 1986 and moved to the Phoenix area where it was flown in a local T-6 formation flying squadron called the “Cactus Squadron” for many years. Chuck painted the airplane in its current scheme, which was his US Navy VU-7 squadron colors from the 1950’s. The “54” signifies the year Chuck received his Naval aviator’s wings from Pensacola. The plane was purchased in 2009 by Warbirds, LLC and remains at Deer Valley Airport in the Phoenix area. It is flown by Mike Pfleger in local formation flying clinics and airshows in the Southwest, and raced at Reno in 2011 as Race 54, “Midlife Madness.”

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Specifications

Registration Number	Date of Manufacture
N1364J	1951
Aircraft Role	Nickname
Trainer	“Pilot Maker”
Aircraft Type:	Wingspan:
North American AT-6/SNJ/ Harvard	42 feet .25 inches
Overall length:	Empty weight:
29 feet 6 inches	4158 pounds
Gross weight:	Fuel capacity:
5300 pounds	110 gallons/ 550 miles
Oil capacity	Engine type:
10 gallons	Single 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R1340 AN-1 radial piston engine
Propeller type:	Max Speed
Hamilton Standard 12D40	240 mph
Rate of Climb	Cruise Speed
	155 mph
Service Ceiling	Number of Crew
21,500 feet	Two
Armament	Bomb Load
None	None
Number Built	Number Surviving
13000	800+