Very Lucky Find

[T6flyer]

I am an admin on a T-6 page on FB 'T6 Harvard SNJ Pilot Maker' and this morning one of our members from Goodwood, showed two pictures of a Harvard part that his CFI had in his collection of junk. One luckily had the airframe's serial number on it and so I managed to find the history of the actual aeroplane and then was so lucky to find two photographs of the Harvard in Royal Navy service. Topping that the part can be seen in both photographs. Have never ever managed to do the complete package so quickly before (15 mins). Just wished all my Harvard work was that easy!

EZ316 was a Harvard Mk.III which initially served with the Royal Navy at Lee-on-Solent in November 1945 before going onto Rattray from February 46 to August 47. Then to 1831 Sqn where it was coded 203:JA and then in February 1951 to 799 Sqn. She finished up with the Station Flight at Gosport where the marking can be seen directly under the handhold. Was scrapped in September 1959.

Be nice to have a repaint of this perhaps one day!

Cheers,

Martin

[crazac]

Wow. What a trip.

Wait! Is that Mighty Mouse??

I'm sure someone can knock that out for you.

If not, let me know.
I'm a little heavy at the moment.

[Lewis - A2A]

I loved mighty mouse as a kid! The only super hero to announce himself as he enters a scene lol

Great stuff Martin, sometimes the pieces just fall into place, though very rarely lol

cheers,
Lewis

[Ian Warren]

Its amazing what also gets biffed from the bowels of Museums archive and stores and also what is found, that is a great find alright.

[T6flyer]

Seems the same Harvard has been seen before. When I was a teenager my Dad bought me a weekly encyclopedia of aircraft and this was in one of the issues. Believe the same illustration was in the Combat Colours book and I think the Squadron Signal T-6 book. Now got to find out what 'Hatter's Castle' is?!



Martin

[hjcurtis]

Seems the same Harvard has been seen before. When I was a teenager my Dad bought me a weekly encyclopedia of aircraft and this was in one of the issues. Believe the same illustration was in the Combat Colours book and I think the Squadron Signal T-6 book. Now got to find out what 'Hatter's Castle' is?!



Martin

Hi Martin,

I guess you're aware but the markings refer to when it was at Stretton between 20/8/47 and 5/9/49.

Hatter's Castle is an A J Croinin novel from 1931, made into film noir in 1942.

... but I'm sure you knew most of that!

[T6flyer]

Hi Martin,

I guess you're aware but the markings refer to when it was at Stretton between 20/8/47 and 5/9/49.

Hatter's Castle is an A J Croinin novel from 1931, made into film noir in 1942.

... but I'm sure you knew most of that!

Had the dates, but not the book. Thanks very much. It's very rare to find one photo of a particular airframe and many of the histories that I have conducted for owners draw blanks, but for this aeroplane there are at least 2 photos out there and this illustration. Quite unique in a way.

Martin

[Bomber_12th]

Here are some work-in-progress shots of a repaint depicting the aircraft that is the subject of this thread. The only photos I have had to go by are those two that Martin posted (and who graciously passed-along to me some higher resolution versions of those shots). As Martin has stated, Fleet Air Arm Harvards, and especially photos of them, are a very rare thing. It was easy enough to get the fuselage markings applied (though I got hung-up a bit with properly depicting some elements of the Royal Navy/Serial stencils), and of course the nose art was easy enough to do, using the photo of the surviving panel, but it took some real detective work, using only one of the photos in particular, to get the wing markings properly drawn out and accurate - how wide the yellow bands on the wings should be, and where they were exactly located, where and how big were the serials under the wings, etc. After studying the said photo quite a lot, I'm very confident in thinking that I have it accurately depicted.

(With regard to the rear fuselage markings, you'll notice that some of them don't line-up with the panel lines in the textures as they do on the original aircraft. I won't get into the details as of why, but I will just say that they are all in the proper position and size with regard to the overall proportions of the fuselage (if I were to try and make changes so everything lined-up with the sim panel lines, it would be a mess, with markings being too small in some cases, and too large in others, etc.).)

[Bomber_12th]

I added some final details and she is now uploaded to the usual sites.

[JoeS475]

Very very nice! As I was born and raised in Gosport, this will definitely be my Hometown Harvard!

Cheers,

[JoeS475]

Looking at Martin's pics in detail, I see the window framing around the pilot's window panel looks movable or in some way different to the other AT-6/SNJ/Harvard examples I've seen... Any insight?

[T6flyer]

Looking at Martin's pics in detail, I see the window framing around the pilot's window panel looks movable or in some way different to the other AT-6/SNJ/Harvard examples I've seen... Any insight?

That was a postwar British modification to install a side window into the front frame of the canopy. Have never found the paperwork to back up the justification behind it. Only ever seen on RAF and FAA airframes and not those exported postwar overseas.

Martin