1957年，根据中国空军的需要，洪都集团开始自行设计初教6飞机。1958年8月27日，新中国第一架自己设计，制造的螺旋桨初级教练机初教6首飞成功，标志着新中国航空工业已从仿制发展到了自行设计飞机的新阶段。初教6系列飞机自投产以来至今共生产了2400多架，为我国成功地培养了数以万计的飞行员，堪称中国飞行员的摇篮。同时初教6以其良好的操纵性和出色的安全性受到广大航空爱好者的喜爱，在欧美航空俱乐部很受欢迎。
1979年，初教6飞机荣获国家质量金质奖，成为中国第一个获此殊荣的机种。
In 1957, in order to satisfy the demands of China Air Force, Hongdu Group began to design the primary trainer PT6 by herself. On Aug.27, 1958, PT6, the first self-designed and self-manufactured propeller primary trainer in new China, performed her maiden flight successfully. This marks that the Chinese aviation industry has stepped into a new stage of designing aircraft by herself. Since then, over 2400 PT6 trainers in various types have been produced and used to train ten thousands of pilots in China successfully. PT6 has been seen as the cradle of Chinese pilots. Moreover, PT6 is keened by lots of aviationlovers and popular in European and American aviation clubs for its excellent controllability and remarkable safety.
In 1979,PT6 was awarded the National Quality Gold Medal .It is the firstversion of primary trainers that has won such a special honor.