<article><hdr>Ground shot of a North American BT-9</hdr><body>
<hi style=afpcap>The North American Aviation Company entered the field to provide the Army Air Force with a basic training aircraft in 1935 with a privately funded prototype of its NA-16 design. The aircraft was evaluated by the AAF and was adopted as the BT-9 with a production order for 42 aircraft placed in 1936. This was followed by a second contract later in the year for the BT-9A which had a revised armament arrangement. The BT-9B and BT-9C versions were ordered the following year, with some being stationed at Randolph Field, Texas.</hi>
