Warbird Information Exchange

These were sent to me from a friend of mine in NZ

Very nice.

Eric

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The air resounds from the Rolls-Royce roar!
To an enemy the warning is dire: here only eagles soar,
and the last thing he'll see is a mirrored Spitfire!

really nice!
B

Oh Man. Terrific photos! =T-6

Thank you for sharing'em.

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David
1953 M38A1 jeep owner
& Student Pilot soloed 09/09/06
USAF 1984-1986

Correct for me my ignorance. Harvards have long right side exhaust pipes that have a heater tube enclosed. So, are the pictures of the aircraft with short pipes North American T6's and the long pipes Harvards or did they fit short pipes on Harvards or does it really make any difference?

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"There are old pilots and bold pilots but few old, bold pilots."

The Royal New Zealand Air Force used Harvard IIAs and IIIs. These were essentially clones of the AT-6C and therefore had no long side pipes. Besides, I don't think (correct me if I'm wrong, somebody) that New Zealand gets below zero Fahrenheit in winter, so there wouldn't be as much need for the heater system.

Doug

Whoops! Sorry, Paul. I meant to say a hearty thank you to you and your Kiwi correspondent. These shots are brilliant! Thanks!

Last, but not least, AJ845 in the first photo is a Mk II, meant for RAF/RCAF service and therefore has the cabin heater exhaust extension.

What is the 4-engined bomber looking plane flying in the background of the first photo?

My wild guess would be an Aurora. That's what we call them anyway - in the US of A, they're P-3s, I think.

Doug

Ya P-3 Orion was my guess too.

Phil

Great photos Paul. Who was the photographer? I've seen one of those photos, the one with the four lined up on the grass, on another site somewhere.

That first photo is a puzzle - I've never seen that desert coloured Harvard before in NZ, and as the Sea Fury and Avenger in the background left NZ in the mid-1990's for Australia, I'd say this must be taken over there and not here. It may well be an ex-RNZAF Harvard though (as most in Australia are as they never used the type in the RAAF).

As for temperatures, it certainly does get below zero degrees Celcius here - I don't know how low the old fashioned Farenheit zero is - but it gets below freezing (of water to ice) in winter in the South Island. The Harvards were based mostly at South Island bases like Wigram, Woodbourne and Taieri over the years.

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The top photo was definitely taken at Avalon 2005. I have a very similar photo taken from almost exactly the same angle. So it is definitely an Australian based Harvard.

The other photos were taken in NZ.

Cheers,

Brett

Just a confirm hat the first shot was taken at the Avalon Airshow in 2005, Victoria, Australia, and the aircraft in the sky is an RAAF P-3 Orion.

You are both right and wrong, Dave, about the desert camouflaged Harvard. It's John Rayner's machine, based at Moorabbin, Vic, and is painted in the colours of an RAAF operated Harvard as used in North Africa. (John's, and the other Harwards in the photo fly as the Southern Knights aerobatic team, BTW.) While the RAAF never 'officially' had any Harvards or T-6s bought (using the Wirraway instead) the RAAF did use some in North Africa.

Cheers,

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James K

"Switch on the underwater landing lights"
Emilio Largo, Thunderball.

www.VintageAeroWriter.com

My TBM Avenger and Tora Zero are also visible in shot #1.....

Desert camo is a 3 Sqn Harvard scheme. RAAF also had a few in Japan post WW2.....

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..defeat is never an option!