Special Hobby Harvard

[Bob C.]

I thought this might have been discussed somewhere before, but Search didn't reveal it, so:

I see Special Hobby has a Harvard kit which their website implies is a WWII version  (kit #72447).  Would this kit make a US WWII version (with the right decals)?  Would this be the correct base kit, with modifications?  And, of course, if yes, what are the required modifications?

 

Any info is helpful, 

Bob C

   

[alt-92]

it's the Academy T-6G plastic, but with resin and extended canopy to make a proper Harvard out of it. 

For what's in the box: 

 

So if it is a T-6/SNJ you're looking for, either the original Academy kit or it's Wolfpack derivative would be a simpler option. 

Alternatively, the old faithful Heller T-6G is currently reboxed by Revell and might be both easier and cheaper to get.

 

That said: a real hidden gem is the 1/48 Monogram one. See my signature for what you can do with it.

[JWM]

There are parts for three canopies:  two new, long and short in WW2 style with additional frames in middle of  windows as well as regular Academy one with large windows plus some resin parts. I think it is enough to do also US one.

Regards

J-W

[Paul Thompson]

Discussed here at some length:  

Edited November 29, 2021 by Paul Thompson

[Graham Boak]

There were several versions of WW2 "T-6" -most of which can be done from the kit (yet to get mine but I have read other discussions).  Most of the differences are fairly small or readily modified with only a little work and a few simple parts - rear gun, for example, or smooth plywood rear fuselage.  A few are slightly more different but only existed in small numbers.  Basically you can do the AT-6A to D, and the SNJ-3 to 5.  So which one do you want to do?

[Bob C.]

Hi Graham, 

Not sure which one I'm after, except that it should be US, prior to 1945.  It's just that I've been baffled that the only kits out there (?) for this vital trainer have been horribly outdated (Airfix), or post war (Heller, Academy), so when I found the Special Hobby kit (when I was looking for their new Bf 109E-1 kits), I was quite surprised.  Based on the above helpful comments, I have since ordered one.  Some of the info above cites specific US boxings in the works, but they don't seem to have been produced yet.

 

Thanks to all who have steered me in the right direction.

 

Bob C

[Graham Boak]

I entirely agree with your bafflement that it has taken so long, but to be fair it was easy enough to simply paint in the extra cockpit frames, throw away the spinner, and change or ignore the tailwheel and aerials.  The main gap has been the lack of the long "Canadian" canopy for T-16s (AT-16s?) and none-US examples, and this was available (to various accuracies) from the aftermarket.

 

Your main problem will, I fear, be finding a good example of a colourful US trainer.  Colour was used widely to distinguish aircraft from different bases or sub-units from the same base, but the massive US trainer programmes have been sadly under-represented in photographic and colour guides.  Perhaps you will be luckier than I in finding a good range of possibilities to choose from.

[gingerbob]

I haven't noticed any particular "US Training Units Color Coding" guide, but I shouldn't think that it would be hard to find some pleasing example as an individual subject?

[Graham Boak]

There are some, but there are many more b&w photos showing partial markings and uncertain colour estimates, or bright colour pictures from a distance showing lots of variations but little or no detail of markings.  I feel better off with USN subjects than USAAF ones - I admit that being in the UK I may be missing useful sources, but I do try to keep up with this subject.

[72modeler]

4 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

Your main problem will, I fear, be finding a good example of a colourful US trainer. 

About the only ones that come to mind are the pre-war USN SNJ's and the Korean War T-6G's that were used for spotting targets for airstrikes- there are decal sheets for them in 1/72, but I think are OOP..

Mike

 

See this link for one of the Korean War LT-6G Mosquitoes. The cowling doesn't look right to me.

https://modelingmadness.com/scott/korean/us/usaf/t6g.htm

[72modeler]

@BobC and @Graham Boak,

 

Don't remember if I have posted this before- if so, I  apologize! An excellent modelers reference site for all variants of the Harvard/Texan. I hope it will be useful- so many variations on a theme!

Mike

 

https://www.skytamer.com/North_American_T-6G.html

[Graham Boak]

Thanks Mike: the museum T-6G masquerading as a Luke AFB aircraft is an example of the kind of colour and codes that were in widespread use but not AFAIK fully recorded.  Not for ease of modelling use, anyway.  I'm not sure about the tail striping either, but photo(s?) of X-1 are available.   The  SNJ described as a postwar example is fairly typical of the kind of variation seen in photos of wartime USN base(s?).  An example is in the Monogram USN camouflage and markings book.

 

As you say, so many variations and that's not going into any description of how to distinguish these for modelling purposes.  Dan Hagedorn is the best author on the subject, and his Warbird Tech does go through and give detail all the NA contract numbers from the initial NA-16.  It is often forgotten that the T-6 was the end of the line rather than the beginning! 

[72modeler]

@BobC,

 

I had another thought for a possible colorful scheme for a T-6G/SNJ-5, but they are both postwar. The USN scheme for instrument trainers was pretty colorful, being aluminum painted fuselages with yellow wings and insignia red bands on the wings and fuselage; post-war the SNJ's were painted overall yellow with insignia red bands and later on, willow green bands became the norm for instrument trainers. If you do an internet search for SNJ instrument trainer colors and markings, you can find many good reference photos. There is also a target tug/drone director scheme that consisted of a seaplane grey fuselage with yellow wings, fin, and stabilizers with red wing and fuselage bands, and a red rudder and cowl lip ring.

 

@Graham Boak,

I had forgotten all about the Warbird Tech monograph, and I have it, too! Thanks for the reminder. As far as postwar schemes go, it's either a USAF LTA-6G or a yellow USN instrument trainer for me!

[Graham Boak]

The USN instrument trainer scheme was also prewar.  I  did do an Airfix one in that scheme many years ago..  I have seen suggestions that these were SNJ-2, and that -2s had an extra 6in on the centre-section to fit the fuel booster pump.  A new rudder is needed but I've some doubts about this extra span as it does not appear to be in the slightest different in the wing root u/c bulges, where any difference would be seen.

 

I'd be very interested in reviews of the new kit by someone who actually knows about the aircraft.  It looks very good in the photos, and I've seen good comments but they were a bit vague on whether the reviewers were particularly well-informed.  I already have more "T-6" kits than I am ever likely to finish, but when did that ever stop anyone?

[72modeler]

21 hours ago, Graham Boak said:

I have seen suggestions that these were SNJ-2, and that -2s had an extra 6in on the centre-section to fit the fuel booster pump. 

I dunno, Graham. Your comment piqued my curiosity, and I did some 'net surfing to see what I could find regarding SNJ-2's and the wider wing center section you mentioned. Other than the straight edged rudder and squared-off wingtips, the only other change I read mentioned was a more powerful engine than fitted to the SNJ-1's. See the linked reference below. I agree with you- looking at period photos, it doesn't look to me that the center section on SNJ-2's was any different; I do see the blister you mentioned as being a fuel booster pump- if so, I don't see why its installation would require an increase in the center section span. Does this help?

Mike

 

http://all-aero.com/index.php/53-planes-l-m-n-o/7364-north-american-na-26-bc-1-t-6-harvard