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NA Harvard - reference material


Simon Cornes

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I am amazed that either Valiant or SAMI haven't produced some sort of datafile on the Harvard given how many were built. I have just ordered a copy of the Peter C Smith 'simple' book which I think may be mainly plans, not the Crowood book but can anyone recommend a 'modelers' type reference book on this type?

 

Thanks

 

Simon

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The Datafiles serve a number of roles, to varying standards of quality from pretty good to downright dire.  

 

If your interest is in distinguishing between the myriad varieties of the NA16 family, then Dan Hagedorn's Warbird Tech is by far the best summary and cheap.  Dan has done a larger book, "North American T-6, A Definitive History..." with much expanded text, much better larger clearer photos and what it says on the cover is not just empty blurb.  It is well worth getting, being to my mind the best single source.  The Crowood book is pretty good but to my mind doesn't quite cover the ground quite as well.  There's a magnificent source for Canadian examples which covers more ground than you might expect from the title: Fletcher & McPhail's "Harvards.  The North American Trainer in Canada".  To be honest I wouldn't trust the Datafiles to provide anything like this level of accurate content.  

 

If your interest is specifically in technical details of the wartime Texan/Harvard family then I have a couple of books that include different flight manuals, but they are now very elderly and unobtainable so probably not worth recommending.  There's a fair bit of detail inside the Warbird Tech, so go there as a starter. 

 

If your interest is in colour profiles then I don't know of a single good source - unless you are very specific and want to know about the post-war French ones in Algeria!  From my experience Datafiles seem to hoover up profiles from a wide a range of sources without applying sufficient editorial checks.  There's good stuff in there and less convincing bits, but little new.  What's new to you, of course, may be different.  I find that this is particularly true of Datafiles dealing with aircraft of long production and widespread use - and that's pretty well a definition of the NA16 family.  (Datafiles tend to be better on shorter-run types.)

 

If you know next to nothing about the type, then there's a good introduction in the Squadron Signal T-6 in Action, if you can find one nowadays.  Just don't expect too much on the Harvards as opposed to the Texans.  If what you want is very RAF Harvard specific  (OK, including the FAA) then there isn't a good single source covering what you need.  They just crop up everywhere in other books.  Here I should mention Air Britain's "The Harvard File", but its emphasis on providing a history of each individual airframe that received a British serial implies correctly that it has little for the modeller.  Apart from lots of photos, to be fair.  Little text and their plan of the Harvard Mk.I wrongly shows a T-6 wing.  Horses for courses, but best regarded as a supplement to other works. 

 

 

Edited by Graham Boak
Improved English.
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The in action title is easily available via Abe starting at around 15 €. Another title that may be worth having a look at is the F40 booklet, though that one may not be as easily available and is modelling-related primarily in that it has a number of detail shots and scale drawings. However, confined to the type in Luftwaffe service.

Edit: The Hagedorn book is available for around 25 € new, that might be one I should klick the buy button on...

Edited by tempestfan
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Thanks for the advice and opinions Guys. Graham, that was a very comprehensive summary of whats about and, goes what, its RAF Harvards that interest me, probably UK based ones and probably in  the Dark Earth/Dark Green/ Trainer Yellow colour scheme. I need this info for the Kittyhawk 1/32nd kit so an RAF Harvard I is not an option as far as I know. I saw a not great photo of a 5 FTS Harvard IIB at Tern Hill today and that may be of interest but I suspect it may be all over yellow. As tempestfan says, maybe the best option is the Warbird Tech book - at least as a starting point?

Thanks again

 

Simon

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Sorry for being imprecise - the Hagedorn book I referred to is the "big" one Graham mentioned. The WarbirdTech seems to be OOP for some time, and the cheapest costs more than the cheapest big one, which however comes including s&h, while the other is from Australia... I got a large chunk of the WarbirdTech range incl. the Texan when it was on clearance at MCP, for a couple of quid each. If you don't want to spend the money on the "big" one, it may pay to have a look at shops that do not sell via Abe - don't know if Motorbooks still exist ? AvBookShop ***may *** also stock it, or you could try what was TAHS at West Drayton (if he stil sells books).

And if you're planning a Harvard, then the File will be worthwhile (if you can find it) - it was one of my first AB Files after joining them, way back when...

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Not mentioned so far (I think) is The Incredible T-6 Pilot-maker by Walt Ohlrich and Jeff Ethell (Specialty Press, 1983, but also issued by Midland Counties, same year).  144 pages.  Lots of photos including some rareties (T-6 in OD/Medium Green/Neutral Gray, SNJ in USN blue/grey, Israeli Harvard), some useful detail shots (eg gun ring of T-6/SNJ) and, in amongst the text, some usefully detailed descriptions of the differences between variants.  Coverage of non-US variants relatively thin however (22 pages) though some interesting photos there too.  Can't compare with the Hagedorn books as don't have either.

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Does the Kittyhawk kit come with the long fixed rear canopy or only the shorter Texan style?  I don't know about 1/32, but the one Kittyhawk version I found was a Texan which means a Mk.IIA or Mk.III, unless you can find an aftermarket canopy?.

 

The Ohlrich & Ethell book is good but thin, and it sits on the shelf when I go looking for references.  That depends on what else you've got, of course, and what you are not looking for.  Bearing in mind what you do want, I had a quick look through The Harvard File and camouflaged ones are rare, a Middle East one, a couple of Mk.II/IIB and also some FAA Mk.IIIs.  The problem you have is that most of the later Harvards went to overseas schools and were Yellow.

 

It should be said that neither Hagedorn book will be helpful to you in that respect, having little specifically on Harvards.  Without checking, perhaps the Peter Smith one might be expected to have more?

 

PS  How about a MIddle East camouflage?  I have even seen a colour photo of one of those.  Dunno where it is now...

Edited by Graham Boak
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Thanks Graham

Well I was thinking MkII, IIB or III using the bits in the box and an A2Zee resin canopy that came with the deal although I'm not sure how different it is to the standard kit rear glazing. I assume only Mk I's would be in the camouflage and operated in the UK? The one I saw a photo of - FT281 - was operated by No 5 (Pilot) Advanced Flying Unit at Tern Hill and although it seems a dark green colour (black and white image) I imagine its overall yellow with black anti glare panel with Type C markings and no visible yellow ring around the fuselage roundel, rather confirming the airframe colour. N7003 looks to be interesting though and that is full camouflage including gas patch but is it a Mk I ? No aerial mast visible on the cowling and rather strange markings below the cockpit. Also N1476, PS894, same time, same unit. Mk I ?

 

I rather fell from grace and bought both the Peter C Smith 'short' book - which I think may be mainly plans? Also the Warbird Tech book as, on balance, it seemed to be a good idea! Time will tell!

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The majority of those in camouflage and in the UK will have been Mk.Is, but not all.  However N7003 certainly was.  12 FTS, 14 FTS, 14 SFTS.  N1476 is not a Harvard - N7146?  PS894 should be P5894, 2 SFTS, 15 SFTS.  The Mk.Is were then sent to Africa - camouflaged ones seen later were all Mk.IIB, as far as I have found so far.

 

Mk.II and Mk.IIB are Canadian-built with the longer fixed (pilot training) canopy with two vertical frames and a curved interface with the fuselage.  Mk.IIA and Mk.III are Texans having the shorter rotating rear canopy with a straight interface, intended for the optional use of a gunner under training.  For Texans look for EX... and EZ...serials, plus FT955 to FT974.  The only camouflaged UK-based Texans I can find are FAA examples, probably in EDSG and DSG rather than DG/DE.

 

I don't know Peter Smith's 'short' book - do let us know about it!

 

PS  The scheme seen on the Mk.Is was superseded by the time of the later marks.  On these the camouflage went down the fuselage sides t the 60deg line.  Later Yellow bands were added to the fuselage and the outer wingtips.

Edited by Graham Boak
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