Harvard IIb KF314 1/72 Heller conversion

[Acklington]

This is my first post of a completed kit,  but first, the 'back story';

Harvard KF314, A & AEE, KB-50J 0-905356, F-101C, F-100D, B-66, Acklington, 15 Sept 63 fw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, A&AEE, Acklington, 19 Sept 64 (1) fw1 by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, A&AEE, XD452, 66, 7 FTS, WF390, O, Acklington, 18 Sept 65 fw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FT375, KF183, A&AEE, Bassingbourn, 28 May 78 (2) b1fw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, A&AEE, Greenham Common, 26 June 77 pfw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, Old Sarum, 2015 by Philip Pain, on Flickr

This was my favourite Harvard of all time, one of three airworthy survivors with the A&AEE at Boscombe Down, until it was sadly destroyed in a fatal accident in 1982. It was at my first ever air display at RAF Acklington in 1963, and at two subsequent displays in 1964, and 1965. It re-appeared at Greenham Common in 1977, and with with its two companions at Bassingbourne in 1978. All that now remains of it is its fin, on display at the Old Sarum Boscombe collection in 2015.

For my RAF Ouston model collection I planned to do a 22 SFTS Harvard, circa 1947, and trawled the internet and my library, looking for photos. The obvious choice would have been KF341 coded 'FCIY' for which there is a good photo. But I didn't have a letter 'Y' on my decal sheets. So back to the internet, and after much digging I found a Dutch website with some cine film clips taken at Ouston when Dutch Navy pilots were on a 22 SFTS course. 'FCIY' was much in evidence, but there were also shots of 'FCIT', serial barely readable, but quite possibly KF314. I can't find any history for KF314 before 1982, but this was too good an opportunity not to miss - my favourite Harvard!

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (1) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (2) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (12) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (15) rpw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (19) w by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Harvard KF314, FCIT, 22 SFTS, RAF Ouston, c 1947 (19) bw by Philip Pain, on Flickr

Needless to say the kit and conversion from T-6G Texan to Harvard 2b was a sob, this being the original Heller mouldings, repackaged in this case by 'Encore'. It was in translucent white plastic, and needed white undercoats to try and stop the interior green colour, and filler showing through. I daren't hold it up to the light! The longer Harvard canopy was cobbled together using the back end of an Airfix Canadian Chipmunk canopy, plus the long Airfix exhaust, modified to include the cockpit heater pipe. The propellor has had balance weights added, and the engine interior had to be hammered out of the cowling, as my first attempt to glue it resulted in it being wonky, and the prop jamming against the cowling. Since taking the photos, the fuselage area behind the exhaust pipe has been painted metallic.

When modelling a Harvard, the devil is most definately in the detail. I think that my tailwheel is the wrong type (Texan), but looking at the photos of the real thing (above) I'm not so sure, and it appears to change. The nav lights can be anybody's guess, the canopy framing changes with the passage of time, and overall I have a suspicion that KF314 was rebuilt after the war with Texan components, or vice versa? Anyway, thanks for looking.

[Corsairfoxfouruncle]

Good looking Harvard 👍 nice bit of history to go with the model.

[F1xena]

Looks great...actually had to double check that it was actually 1/72. 

Nice work, and the photography isn't too shabby either!

[Graham Boak]

That's a clever solution to the rear canopy problem.  Falcon do this version but it is not generally available separately.  

 

A few historical details.  The tailwheel is not Harvard vs Texan, but WW2 variants of both vs T-6G/Harvard IV.  The postwar one is apparently the same as the P-51.  Similarly with other parts - the Mk.IIB is simply a wartime T-6 built in Canada with (like all Canadian builds) the original pilot training fixed rear canopy rather than the openable rear intended for gunnery training on the T-6.  In US service these were called T-16s.   I think that most of the parts will have been interchangeable between the majority of the Texans and their equivalent version of the Harvard.  Other than the rear, the canopy framing is the same, but for a small number of late wartime US T-6 variants and the postwar rebuilds.  

 

The NA16 series is something of a minefield of small variations, but the wartime ones are about as standardised as any aircraft comes.

 

[Rabbit Leader]

This Harvard conversion has turned out wonderfully well, you’ve captured the shape beautifully. I’ve got a stalled build using the Falcon correction set, however it really is time we were blessed with a true new tool OOB Harvard IIb without having to resort to all this work. I can’t help but think that this kit would be a virtual cash cow just waiting to be poked!! 

 

Cheers and thanks for displaying your great build here.. Dave

[Michael51]

Lovely work, particularly on the canopy, all enhanced with a context-rich back story.

 

Michael

[Artie]

An exquisite Harvard indeed. Not just the backgorund story, but the kit in itself is quite appealing.

Congrats...

[Acklington]

Many thanks for the comments, particularly the tailwheel! See how it changes in my photos of the real aircraft (above).

 

I completely agree that we desperately need a decent Harvard kit, especially as I have two 607 Squadron Harvards on my 'to do list'.

 

One important point has arisen since I finished the model, shame it wasn't before. The engine cowling is fitted as per the kit, but it seems that Heller have got it upside down! On the real thing, in plan view the top of the cowling slopes downwards, and the bottom of the cowling is horizontal. This would be easy to correct on the model, although some minor surface details would end up on the wrong side.

[RidgeRunner]

Nice! I'm partial to a Harvard too. I've had a couple of trips in them in my time.

 

Martin

[Dazey]

Great work! 

[Slywolff]

Hi Acklington,

Nicely done, love the canopy paint work! I'm in the process of building this kit and doing it as one of the Boscombe Down aircraft, care of gifted old Airfix decals... I also obtained a Falcon vacform canopy for this project. Thanks for posting the photos!!

Simon

[stevehnz]

That is a great job on this old girl & for all your caveats, it works for me big time,

Steve.

[tonyot]

Lovely job and great back story too,......you`ve made me want to dig out another Harvard!!!

 

I flew in a Herk, standing on the tailgate with one of the yellow Boscombe Harvards flying literally 10 feet away behind us,...... the roar of the prop/engine totally drowned out the Herk and that takes some doing!! It was so close we could see the patches on the pilot`s shoulders, who was happily waving at us and we could have jumped onto the wings,.....but then fell off and met a grisly end of course! It had been filming the drop we had been doing,.....2 x MSP`s containing Landy`s,.... which was of course their main duty in the 80`s/90`s. If only I`d had my camera,....we didn`t have mobiles back then! 

 

I won`t bore you anymore,.....lovely model,

Cheers

         Tony 

[Scoobydoof]

Very nice, I did some work on KF183 in my time at QQ, was a nice surprise to see it at Duxford not long ago. Which Harvard was it that flew though the Parachute?

Regards,

Chris

[Dave N]

Very nice Harvard and great backstory!

[Mr B]

Looks great

 

nicely done

 

rgds