First delivered to the Army Air Corps in 1937 as an advanced flight trainer, over 15,000 AT-6s would eventually be built by the close of World War II. The Texan was used to train Army and Navy pilots in World War II. The trainer was so popular that over thirty allied nations also adopted it. The T-6 was also used during the Korean War to mark ground targets. The aircraft was retired from military service in the late 1950s, although many are still flown today. The AT-6B was used primarily to teach gunnery to pilots.

The AT-6B-NT on exhibit, S/N 41-17372, is marked with tail number "42805" from its days in Thunderbird Airpark here on base. It is on loan to Octave Chanute Aerospace Museum from the National Museum of the United States Airforce.