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Ernest Simmons harvards

Mon Jan 12, 2009 10:57 pm

Does anyone have current photos of Simmons aircraft sold at his auction which are flying now ??


Steve

????

Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:04 pm

Here's Eric's 8)
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/yaleregistry/yale-rcaf3406.html

Mon Jan 12, 2009 11:18 pm

Also did anyone go to the auction and take any photos ??

thanks again

Steve

Tue Jan 13, 2009 1:11 am

Well, here goes nothin'. I have never posted anything that wasn't soon corrected or proven wrong, but.............

I think all the Yale survivors came from that farm/auction. Tom Crevasse restored mine and I have heard he bought it at that auction for less than a grand.

The one exception that I know of is an old guy that I talked to a few times on the phone in Del Rio Texas said he had the original prototype and it was never delivered. He was a former Braniff captain in the late 50s and early 60s as I recall. He invited me to come look at the airplane, which he said was in a shed on his farm. He said he had long since lost his medical and only ran it up once a month. That was 8 years ago and I would expect that he's no longer with us.

I have some really bad, color photocopy pics of the airplanes in serious disrepair siting in lines, over grown at Ernies farm in Tillsonburg. I think there were some Fairey Swordfish there as well in the pics.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:41 am

Do you rember the old guys name. If so its less than a hundred miles over to Del Rio (about an hours drive in Texas) and I could see if he (it) are still around. That sounds like it would be a nice one to have.

Tue Jan 13, 2009 9:44 am

They were mostly, if not all, Yales at Ernie Simmon's place, not Harvards. I've seen the photos, though I don't have any.

There were indeed Swordfishes. Bob Spence bought several and assembled one, which is the aircraft now in the Vintage Wings hangar.

http://www.vintagewings.ca/page?a=236&lang=en-CA

Dave

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:40 am

Yep Yales, not Harvards. See here for some pics:

http://harvards.com/content/view/61/27/

Most, if not all of the flying Yales are ex-Simmons.

Jim

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:44 am

P.S.: I think the plane Eric is speaking about is N13397 with Ray Kirkpatrick.

Jim

Tue Jan 13, 2009 10:47 am

Good morning. I am currently in California, 3500 miles from my Canadian home and I just saw this posting regarding Yales and Ernie Simmons. I have some photos and corrections to add to the mix.

There were no Harvards at the Simmons farm, only Yales (as far as NAA types were concerned). I am attaching a photo I obtained from Tom Dietrich, a restorer and Yale fanatic of some international repute, as well as a shot of one of the Swordfish torpedo bombers which were also there. This shot was taken by an old friend, now since gone, Jack McNulty.

The final photo is of the prototype NA-64/Yale, which was, indeed, delivered to the RCAF, receiving serial number 3464. It had been held back for purposes of making manuals etc. and was the last aircraft to arrive.

Hope this helps
cheers
Doug 8)

[img][img]http://i445.photobucket.com/albums/qq171/macharvard/Simmonsfarm1.jpg[/img]

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Wed Jan 14, 2009 9:20 pm

Never heard that story before, what a legend. Did all the aircraft go to good homes?

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:17 pm

From the Simmons Article:
Anyone who spends any time at all in the North American war bird community will eventually hear the name "Ernie Simmons. So many of today's restored antique aircraft.......Lysanders, Fairey Swordfish, and especially Yales (known as BT-9's in the U.S.) ...or at least parts of them.....seem to have come from "The Simmons Collection". And not just aircraft. Every second antique car, motorcycle, tractor or steam engine...even military ground vehicles seem to trace their lineage back to here.


The NA-64 Yale and the BT-9 are different variants of the NA-16 type. Not simply same aircraft with different designations in different countries.

Wed Jan 14, 2009 10:48 pm

The Spence’s now Vintage Wings of Canada Swordfish flying with Lex Dupont taken back in the 90s at Muirkirk.

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Cheers,

Eric

Wed Jan 14, 2009 11:06 pm

great account of ernie and the auction here:

http://www.spitcrazy.com/simmons-1.htm

Thu Jul 09, 2009 6:44 pm

So what happened to that prototype Yale in Del Rio? Great thread decided to recycle it.

Thu Jul 09, 2009 7:36 pm

Here are some pictures that I have collected.

I'm the current owner of Yale 3383 which is pictured below.
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