The Harvard Pile

[Dave Homewood]

Old Harvards to drone on

The drone of Harvards, long familiar to those living in the Wigram and Sunnyside areas, is to continue — their training role at the R.N.Z.A.F. base was to have ended at Christmas.

The Harvards will remain at Wigram for basic flying training at least until June, said an Air Force spokesman yesterday. They were to have been phased out as the Air Trainer became available but the delay in the delivery of these light planes from Hamilton has delayed the plans. The spokesman said it would have been imprudent to have changed aircraft halfway through the training of the pilots who began their six-month basic flying course yesterday.

The slow delivery of the Air Trainer was not the fault of the manufacturers, Aerospace Industries, Ltd. he said, but was because of the slow delivery of components to the factory. Wigram has nine of the Air Trainers now but before training can be given on them to the trainees the instructors must familiarise themselves with the new machines. The slow delivery has also held up this conversion.

PRESS, 11 JANUARY 1977

[planecrazy]

A very old clip of the Roaring Forties performing at the RAAF 70th anniversary airshow
at Richmond in 1991, copied from video.

[Antonio]

Interesting photo of NZ1055 from the AFMoNZ:


DWNZ1055b
Image from the Des White personal collection.

Air to air view of Harvard NZ1055 in flight. Unknown location.

Monocoloured fuselage finish with a type C1 fuselage roundel, pacific fin flash and light (white?) rudder.
Any thoughts on the finish?

[Dave Homewood]

My guess is it is trainer yellow with a silver doped rudder.

[Deleted]

Feb 13, 2023 20:35:28 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

My guess is it is trainer yellow with a silver doped rudder.

Then what colour is the underside?

[Dave Homewood]

Who knows? I was only guessing.

[davidd]

A very strange photograph of 1055, difficult to make much sense of, but it looks real.

[Dave Homewood]

HAWKES BAY TODAY
Pahiatua’s Harvard lays claim to flight record
By Steve Carle

22 Feb, 2023 08:00 PM
3 mins to read


The 81-year-old Harvard NZ918 can be seen atop a pole in Mangatainoka, near Pahiatua.

Claimed to be the biggest weather vane in the southern hemisphere, aircraft Harvard NZ918 stands 8m off the ground at Paul Gleeson’s property at Mangatainoka, near Pahiatua.

“There is a DC3 in the northern hemisphere in Canada, but that is only 2m off the ground,” said vintage truck restorer Paul.

He is claiming a world record for non-stop flying by “Biggles” and “Amelia Airhart” in the back seat as they have clocked up more than 28,000 uninterrupted hours on top of the pole.

The 81-year-old Harvard aircraft had been set in the playground in Pahiatua but was removed after being deemed unsafe. A fibreglass replica was commissioned and remains in the park now.

The aeroplane was erected on a pole at Paul’s Mangatainoka property on December 12, 2019, at 4pm.

It has survived strong wind gusts since then. “Because it can move, it takes the pressure off a bit,” said Paul. “It is close to being dead level, it’s so sensitive, the slightest wind and the aircraft will turn into it, freely and easily.” Paul installed a lubrication system on the pole to ensure reliability.


Pahiatua's iconic Harvard NZ918 was built in 1941. Pahiatua Jaycee members, Alan Gray, John White, Joe Ridley, Kelly Wenden and Graham Maseman, are seen here in 1962 removing the engine from the aircraft.

■ History

Designed by Lee Atwell with a Pratt & Whitney Wasp engine, it has a wing span of 12.8m and a length of 8.84m. Its top speed was 335km/h and its range was 1175km. The armament consisted of three .303 machine guns and it could carry up to 1000lb bombs.

Known pilots who flew this aircraft were Kenneth Busch (Woodville), Dennis Bourke (Hamua), Jim Bisset (Hukanui), Ransom Boyd (Awatuna), Geoff East (Feilding), Graeme Reid, (Pahiatua) and Allan Higginbottom (Pahiatua).

NZ918 was issued to New Zealand Air Force under the Empire Air Training Scheme. It was shipped to New Zealand on the Limerick on April 7, 1941, and assembled at Hobsonville.

The aircraft was later transferred to No 1 Service Flying Training School (SFTS) Wigram and No 2 SFTS Woodbourne in March 1944. NZ918 was then converted to INST135 for compulsory military training trainees at Taeri in April 1950 before later returning to Hobsonville.

The aeroplane was then sold to Bennet Aviation Ltd for £200 on April 3, 1950. NZ918 was later purchased by Pahiatua Jaycees in 1962 and installed in the children’s playground at Pahiatua in November, 1963.

Pahiatua Jaycees original members placed the aircraft in the park. They were Paul Gleeson - convenor, Joe Ridley, Kelly Wenden, John White, Jack Hunt, Rex Lynam, Barry Sheppard, Graham Sheppard, Jack Cotter, Graham Maseman, Snow Greaves, Jack Feron, Alan Gray, Ken Glassey and Alan Turner.

www.nzherald.co.nz/hawkes-bay-today/news/pahiatuas-harvard-lays-claim-to-flight-record/AAWN4GL7QBGLXBAHLT72AFUCOY/

[planecrazy]

Have been enjoying the conversation over on the restoration of P40 NZ3184 thread about Harvards.

Realise I may be repeating things a little on this thread, be interested to hear how many ex RNZAF
Harvards exist either airworthy, static on display or stored in New Zealand?

May as well chuck in the ones in OZ as well and the none ex RNZAF service jobs as well to add a bit
of spice?

To kick the ball off here's what I've got pic's wise and a some video clips as well.

In NZ......
















In OZ..
1



3



5

Out in the ditch.....



7





Show stealing Roaring Forties at RAAF Richmond in 1991.

1 Yes these four don't belong , I said I'd add a little spice. Very old photo, not sure if 14 is ex RNZAF or
maybe is but wrong serial perhaps, Boomerang replica, made from Harvard parts and did fly both sides
of the ditch, she flew at one of the Omaka shows?
3 American based at Albury and 5 at Scone, note the different canopy bracing.
7 I know not a Harvard but flew in NZ and OZ, not sure where she is now?

Be great to hear some comments, more importantly to add pic's of the rest of the flock?

Thank you......

[Mustang51]

Love that first pic....it's my fav harvard scheme....perfection would have been with the mast.

[planecrazy]

Feb 27, 2023 17:48:38 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

Love that first pic....it's my fav harvard scheme....perfection would have been with the mast.

Yeah I'm looking forward to seeing NZ1044 in the air, she looks great in her flat paint with the mast,
seem to remember she may also have the gunners position in the rear as well?

[Dave Homewood]

Indeed she does.

[Deleted]

Feb 27, 2023 17:37:06 GMT 12 planecrazy said:

Realise I may be repeating things a little on this thread, be interested to hear how many ex RNZAF
Harvards exist either airworthy, static on display or stored in New Zealand?

May as well chuck in the ones in OZ as well and the none ex RNZAF service jobs as well to add a bit
of spice?

Here's a rough list of current and former NZ Harvards and T-6s I've compiled but not worked on/refined for almost a year (more than happy to receive amendments and corrections): drive.google.com/file/d/1n0CsWaC73osjYetn_HR5zoqj-DoErTgu/view?usp=sharing

[planecrazy]

Thanks for that Zac, very extensive, there are quite a few more about the place than you would think!

[Mustang51]

Zac, Many of the early machines left as complete or partial airframes/projects?

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2023 14:43:14 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

Zac, Many of the early machines left as complete or partial airframes/projects?

As far as my preliminary research indicates there are four Mk.II identities around the place.

[camtech]

love your lists, Zac.
They keep me in work full time!!!!

[Dave Homewood]

Feb 28, 2023 14:43:14 GMT 12 Mustang51 said:

Zac, Many of the early machines left as complete or partial airframes/projects?

The oldest existing remains of an RNZAF Harvard are NZ906, which is a partial fuselage in poor shape owned by John Walsh in his little museum at Fairhall.

And NZ Warbird has the remains of NZ909 which they plan to rebuild to fly eventually. This is ex-John Smith collection.

Mk II NZ944 is complete in its wartime colours and hangs in MOTAT.

[camtech]

Zac, your list needs an update re NZ1015 ZK-RNZ. This aircraft suffered an engine failure and belly landed at Ohakea 13 August 2018, and I believe has not flown since. Civil registration is still current.

[Deleted]

Feb 28, 2023 16:28:58 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

The oldest existing remains of an RNZAF Harvard are NZ906, which is a partial fuselage in poor shape owned by John Walsh in his little museum at Fairhall.

Thank you, Dave! That one had totally passed me by.