Warbird Information Exchange

I just noticed (on their website) that the RCAF Museum in Trenton ON has a Harvard in their restoration area. Does anyone have any details on this project? And can visitors access the restoration area like we did with the Halifax?

Andrew

Noorduyn Harvard II RCAF 3270. Was last seen at Guelph with the Tiger Boys.

Jim

Thanks Jim

If memory serves me correctly the Trenton museum was suppose to get the Harvard in a big swap. The Toronto Aerospace Museum was trading trenton a sport aircraft for a kiowa ... and the tiger boys were trading the harvard for the sport aircraft from trenton.

Btw, that Harvard was formerly in storage for many years with Ken Gamble in Dundas/Hamilton.

Jim

Interesting Swap....

Has the Harvard been a non flyer for many yrs then?

Yes, it probably hasn't flown since it left the RCAF.

Jim

Here she is when she first arrived in Guelph. The wings were around the other side of the hanger. I believe Gamble bought the aircraft from the RCAF in 1961, flew it to his property on Hwy 6 near Hamilton and parked it and it didn't move again until the Tiger Boys aquired it in 2006.

Jeff

Thanks for posting the picture Jeff.

I wonder if the RCAF museum will display the restored Anson and Harvard with the Halifax inside.

Hi Guys

I worked along side with Ken Gamble for 17yrs and now run his business for Mrs Gamble.
Harvard MK 2 3270 was obtained by Ken in the 70's for free from a person that had no use for it.
It was last based at Centralia Ontario.
When Ken the aquired the a/c , it came complete with all the RCAF paper work and even the two seat pack parachiutes were in it. This a/c has never been vivil registered and was quite a time capsule right down to the original paint.
For many years it sat at the front of the property beside the driveway however, one night some one stole one of the two spade grips out of it so we moved it out behind the barn.
As well as the Harvard, there were also 5 sets of wings and tailplanes, sets of landing gear and various other Harvard parts.
Back in the 60's when the RCAF retired the Harvards Ken delt in buying and selling some.
He was also heavily into Cornells, we still have a large Cornell inventory.
For many years, the RCAF museun tried to obtain the a/c but could only offer a tax receipt which was no use to us.
With Kens passing I sold the a/c to a person from Florida , who became disinterested in it.
Fom there Tom Ditrich obtained it by trading a RR Merklin for it.
Recently it became a part of a deal were Tom got an Ultimate 100 from the Toronto Aerospace Museum which inturn traded the Harvard to Trenton for a helicopter ( type I'm not sure).
So in the end the RCAF Museum got her and I think thats for the best.
They will no doubt do an excellent job bringing her back to static display.

Fleet16b

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...it was a plane adrift beneath the moon moving serenely thru beams like an angel of the night .....fair as a song ........aloof from mortal dreams

Great source of info you guys are....will have to return to Trenton to see this project soon...

I wonder how much a nice Harvard aircraft restoration project like this would cost these days. Airworthy examples seem to sell for $150K-200K USD.

Andew

There is a nice example of a MK1V in Barnstormers right now. I think the asking price is around $225,000.00.

As for basket cases, the price depends on condition, history, model etc.
Most sources I talk to agree that the mk 2 Harvard was the nicest to fly.

I can't divulge what I sold our Harvard for however you won't see many good basket cases for undr $70,000.00 and that would be without an engine.

Fleet16b

_________________
...it was a plane adrift beneath the moon moving serenely thru beams like an angel of the night .....fair as a song ........aloof from mortal dreams

I remember when it was for sale. Dad looked at it and spent an hour or so with Ken he said it had all the missing bits inclding engine but had the spars cut? I think it was going for 40,000 that was about 1989 or 90.
Fleet16B Did yo uget my emails as I havent heard anything from you.....

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Cheers,
Peter

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Peter

No I have not rec'd any emails from you.
As for the spars , they definitely were not cut.

Pm me on wix

Fleet16b

_________________
...it was a plane adrift beneath the moon moving serenely thru beams like an angel of the night .....fair as a song ........aloof from mortal dreams

I remember seeing that Harvard many times. Whenever we went on a trip when I was younger I always knew when we were getting closer to Hamilton when we passed that field full of aircraft. Once I got interested in planes I looked at that place as a gold mine, and the Harvard was the easiest one to pick out from the road as we drove past. I tried going out that way last year to see if all the planes were still there, but I couldn't seem to find it, and I went pretty far out on Hwy 6. Is anything still there? I had heard a bunch of Piper Cubs, one of my dream planes (the dream plane that falls under the category of somewhat realistic) were sold off a while back, and that most of the planes were not in any shape to be restored to fly again, is this true?