The Harvard Pile

[tbf25o4]

I still stand by my statement that the wooden mast was for the homer system.
If you look at the photos by ted arundel of harvards in the mid 50s (page 6 of this subject)
you will see the TR1936 whip aerial aft of the cockpit.
The long wire from the wooden aerial to the fin was required because the system operated in the MF frequency range and not VHF.
Also the TR1936 was used in the TBF and had the same whip antenna as for the harvards
Will confirm details from an old Harvard driver of the mid 1950s
Paul

[harvard1041]

You making a lot of sense there Paul ... I think you are right ...

I've the RNZAF Mod Books at home (not here however) - and that would answer our questions...

Rgds
John.

[tbf25o4]

A chat with two ex RNZAF pilots who gained their wings in the late 1950s has the answer.
The mast was part of the BC453 radio range system that was common to all AT6/Harvards from the Harvard II or AT6C models onwards.
It was last used by the RNZAF as part of the "Wings" course around 1957. The masts appeared to have remained on the aircraft for a little while after that.
However, when the masts were removed it took away a very important reference feature for pilots undertaking aerobatics in the Harvard as they used the mast to line up with the horizon when making slow rolls , alieron rolls and as a quick visual check for wings level when returning to an upright or fully inverted position

Paul

[harvard1041]

Thanks for that Paul - clears the mast question up I think.

Couple more photos - NZ1096 - WB in 1975 ... and then Tauranga this past Feb.

Rgds
Hvd1041

[harvard1041]

..and some shots of NZ 1092.

WP - 1990



Napier - 1985



WB - 1975

[baz62]

Thanks Paul and John I've learned something about the use for the masts as well as the NZ1015 last flight in 1977!
Cheers
Baz

[Dave Homewood]

Here is a cutting sent to me today from John Noble, which comes from the Otago Daily Times



John says. "I would dispute the actual height of the hill as a Lands and Survey map (1970) shows that the average height of the hills in that area of Allanton are aprox 900 Feet ASL"

[Peter Lewis]

NZ1036 - Cr near Allanton during night flight from Taieri at 2245 hours on 16 September 1954. Crew with carbon monoxide poisoning. Flying Officer R Slade & LAC R Lester

[baz62]

Wow usually I can recognise something to say this was a Harvard but I'm hard pressed with this one. Damn shame to be taken down by Carbon Monoxide!

[NZ1009]

Found these recently in a Google Picaso Web Album uploaded by the Maguire Family and relating to the RNZAF service of Frank Maguire who was on the same wings course as Barrie Reid in 1952. Not sure if they have been mentioned before so decided to load them up.

The following is the Wings Course Official Photo dated 27th Feb. 1052. Barrie Reid is middle in the back row and Frank Maguire is far right in the front row.


I have uploaded some of the Harvard photos from the album. The first three relate to the Weapons Training Camp at Birdlings Flat in 1952.
RNZAF Birdlings Flat 1952

Bombed up Harvard, Birdlings Flat, 1952

Harvard bombing sortie, Birdlings Flat, 1952

The following photo appeared in the Barrie Reid thread and was clearly taken in front of the doors in the left-hand (as in the second photo above) wing of the main building at Birdlings Flat.


Harvard formations:



Wings Presentation, 14th November, 1952


Wigram Open Day about 1954:


The last two relate to the crash of Harvard 1074:



Other non Harvard related photos can be found at:
picasaweb.google.com.au/Maguire.family.photos/FrankRNZAF#

[corsair67]

Thanks for posting those images, especially the ones of Birdling's Flat airstrip, as I think they are the first shots I have seen of that strip.

Birdling's Flat strip is alos quite a bit more civilised than I imagined it would be too, as I always pictured it being just one small hut and a windsock, not several large buildings.

Does anyone know if those buildings still exist at the site?

[Dave Homewood]

Great photos.

By coincidence I was sent this today by member Kiwi172:

"Morning Dave.
Stumbled over this bit on NZ1017. Maybe you already have seen it.

topbirdsandeveryfing.typepad.com/top-birds-everyfing/

It a fair way down the blog - So maybe just do a CtrlF and enter NZ1017"

There are some good photos there. Roll down to Feb 2010, or use the find facility.

[Dave Homewood]

Craig, I always thought that same thing about Birdlings. I had wondered before where that shot in Barrie's collection was taken. Neat to see these photos of Birdlings strip.

[NZ1009]

Dave - Thanks for the link to 1017. I visited Birdlings Flat a few years ago and the only evidence I could find of an RNZAF presence was an old, two-storey concrete blockhouse a short distance south down the spit, presumably close to where the bombing range was. No sign of the air-strip or any other building.

[harvard1041]

Yes - had a good look around Birdlings Flat myself a few years back - no much left.

Only other 'Kiwi' Harvard photos - maybe of interest are these two of Ray Hanna's Harvard at Duxford about 10 years ago...they had their P-40E painted up in RNZAF wartime colours...so why not a Harvard in a Pacific type one ? ... attractive aircraft.





We are pretty luck really with the Harvard in that spares are still readily available...big place in Dallas - Lance Aircraft - pretty much has everything you might need ... and there are several Rebuild Shops in the US doing them full time.



... long may they continue .

Harvards Forever !

[furyfb11]

Jun 3, 2009 9:49:05 GMT 12 NZ1009 said:

Execllent photos of the Harvards. Going by the last two
I must have been standing close to you on the final day.
Presumably the red FIVE on the in-take of the Red Checkers
1079 denotes its position in the team?

As an aside, of the 97 MkIIA, MkIIB and MkIII RNZAF Harvards
I have photos of 76 of them. The ones that I dont have and
date they were written off are shown in the following
table.

Number W/O | Number W/O | Number W/O | Number W/O
---------------------------------------------------------
1008 1943 | 1011 1942 | 1020 1957 | 1021 1944
1022 1943 | 1026 1945 | 1030 1943 | 1031 1944
1032 1944 | 1035 1945 | 1036 1954 | 1042 1953
1045 1943 | 1047 1956 | 1048 1945 | 1054 1946
1055 1956 | 1059 1944 | 1070 1954 | 1081 1955
1093 1956 |

Given the most recent one was written off 52 years ago there is
probably not much hope of finding photos of any of them but
if anyone knows of any photos I would be very interested.
Basically I am constructing a web album with all photos I can
find of each aircraft while they were in the RNZAF plus one
extra photo of those that went into civilian hands.

Heres a photo of NZ1047 that I tracked down

[Dave Homewood]

Nice shot there Dave. And the different coloured underside is very clear in this shot, obviously applied over the bottom of the dayglo band and the roundel.

[smithy]

Thanks to all for posting those photos, thoroughly enjoyed them.

[NZ1009]

furyfb11 - thanks for posting the picture of 1047 - nice photo

[shorty]

May 24, 2010 14:45:22 GMT 12 Dave Homewood said:

Nice shot there Dave. And the different coloured underside is very clear in this shot, obviously applied over the bottom of the dayglo band and the roundel.

Bands were yellow, not dayglo