Howard Pardue's T-6 NX13HP

[Steven M. Dennis]

This is a question for any of you fine Texas folks who might remember Howard Pardue's T-6 that was registered NX13HP, (not to be confused with his Sea Fury also registered N13HP). I have only seen one black and white photo of it and it looked like it was in a Japanese camouflage paint scheme complete with "meatballs".

My question is, whatever happened to this Texan? Geoff Goodall's information makes it sound like it morphed from AT-6D c/n 88-14748 s/n 42-44554 into an AT-6F c/n 121-42537 s/n 44-81815 registered N767WB and then changed to N748LL. I have seen this aircraft at Oshkosh and it is beautiful with a three blade propeller and codes TA-537 on the side. I believe it is owned by a fellow named Jay Knowles of Mississippi. Pictures of this aircraft are easily found on the internet. I can't find any of Howard's N13HP.

Is this really the same aircraft, or was Howard's T-6 destroyed and paperwork re-used?

At any rate, does anyone have any more info on what happened to Howard's T-6, and maybe just as importantly, I would love to see some color pictures of it if anyone has any old photos of it from back then.

Thanks in advance!

Steve

[Lon Moer]

This it?

http://www.airliners.net/photo/North-American-AT-6F/1455228/M/

[BennoT6]

Hi,

There are three N13HP's in my records :

Texan, North American AT-6 -NA 59 - 1971 40- 2145, N13HP
Harvard III, North American 88 -14748 42-44554, FT971, 1661(PortAF), G-BGOW, N13HP
Texan, North American AT-6F-NT 121 -42537 44-81815, N13HP, N43HH, N767WB, (N537LL ?), N748LL

The "meatball" T-6 does not look as a T-6F, so is probably the former Portuguese Air Force 1661/G-BGOW. Any other picture available with a N13HP looking completely (?) different?

Regards,

Benno

[Steven M. Dennis]

Lon,

Thank you very much for the pic! I somehow missed that one in my internet search. I'm hoping there are some more out there. Come on you Breckenridge folks, dig out those photo albums!

Benno,

Thank you for the additional info. Was not aware of the third N13HP T-6. You can see the reason for my confusion. Looking at the link that Lon posted, the T-6 is clearly in the paint scheme of the ex Portuguese aircraft I associated with Mr. Pardue, and yet it is listed as having the construction and serial numbers of the F model owned by Mr. Knowles. I guess it could be a paperwork transfer, but if that happened it would likely mean that Howard's T-6 is no longer around.

I guess we'll have to wait for more clues to emerge from the WIX braintrust. I am confident someone here knows what became of Mr. Pardue's T-6.

Thanks again guys!

Steve