Harvard NZ944 logbook

[camtech]

Another log book extract:

NORTH AMERICAN HARVARD NZ944 by Les Billcliff

The following information is derived from a log book held by the Walsh Memorial Aviation Library.

This aircraft, a Mk.II, was constructed to Specification N.A.A.1514, according to Contract No. A.96, by North American Aviation Inc., Inglewood. California. The aircraft was not flown by the manufacturer and was certified as being correctly packed 11 March 1941.

NZ944, manufacturer No. 66-2757 was received at No.1 Aircraft Depot on 9 June 1941. After assembly, the aircraft was test flown on 8 July 1941. The following day NZ944 departed on her delivery flight to No.1 Flying Training School (F.T.S.) at Wigram where the aircraft served with the Advanced Training Squadron (A.T.S.). 4 March 1942 saw NZ944 transferred to the Initial Training Squadron (I.T.S.) of No.2 Service Flying Training School (S.F.T.S.) An accident to the aircraft on 4 December 1942 resulted in NZ944 being transferred to the Aircraft Repair Squadron (A.R.S.) until 13 January 1943 for repairs. The A.T.S. used the aircraft for a week before returning it to I.T.S. A complete overhaul was carried out by A.R.S. during March 1943 and once more NZ944 returned to I.T.S. A collision with a fence early in November 1943 (probably the 8th) caused damage to the port wing. requiring the replacement of the aileron, flap and wingtip.

The aircraft continued to serve at I.T.S. undergoing a second overhaul from 13 April 1944 to 25 May 1944, before being allotted to No.1 S.F.T.S. at Wigram on 18 August 1944, where the aircraft served apparently without incident until being placed in short term storage on 22 September 1945. By this time the aircraft had flown a total of 1970.25 hours.

Of interest are some notes in the modification log. NZM (Harvard) 10 introduced Camouflage Scheme "A" on 21 April 1942 and NZM (Harvard) 46 introduced a colour scheme for Drogue towing aircraft. This last modification was not embodied on NZ944 as the aircraft was in storage.

[Dave Homewood]

Interesting, does it specifiy what the NZM (Harvard) 46 Drogue Towing Scheme was like? Did the Harvards where stripes like other drogue towers?

[camtech]

Dave, no mention of the details of the mods, but I assume they may be hidden in the depths of Air Department files.
As I said, I have only transcribed the information presented in the logbook itself.

[Dave Homewood]

Thanks anyway.

[aeromedia]

Can anyone tell me whether the Walsh Library was where many/most of the logbooks from the Mk II Harvards ended up?

[camtech]

The reason NZ944's logbook turned up at the Walsh Library is that the aircraft was on loan to MoTaT. I guess the other logbooks were either disposed of or passed to the new owners when they were sold as scrap.