Warbird Information Exchange

I am continuing to scan photos from the stuff I inherited...and now I found this...

A Portuguese AT-6 (Harvard IIA) with a tail number of 1538 being put together in the mid 80's by a CAF Colonel "Bruno" at Addison, TX.

I googled the 1538 and come up with...

Scramble has CN 88-10589 - N4995A
http://www.scramble.nl/milbase.htm

WRG has CN 88-10589 as 41-33469 to SAAF as 7223 and to Portugal as 1538 no info after 1980.
http://www.warbirdregistry.org/texanregistry/at6c-4133469.html

In conflict with

J. Baugher has 41-33469 as CN 88-10591 to RAF
and has CN 88-10589 as 41-33467 to Greek AS in 1947
http://home.att.net/~jbaugher/1941_5.html

FAA has N4995A de-registered and exported to Australia @ 1990
http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/NNumSQL.asp?NNumbertxt=4995A&cmndfind.x=0&cmndfind.y=0

Air Britain shows N4995A in the UK @ 1990 and notes it as currently VH-LJQ
http://www.abpic.co.uk/photo/1017903/

Aero Club .com .au has VH-LJQ in Karana Downs, Queensland...
http://www.aeroclub.com.au/queryac.php?query=&id=636&start=2&expand=LJQ

So...question is...why is there a conflict between J. Baugher's info and everything else as to the SN a CN's? (I know...I'm splitting hairs, but at least I'm not looking for carburetor serial numbers...hehe )

And...how did it get from Portugal to the US to the UK to the AU?

And most importantly do any of our antipodean friends have a current photo of this airplane?









Man I'm busy at work this week or what!?

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the Texas Warbird Report on WarbirdRadio.com!
http://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRadio
Listen at http://www.warbirdradio.com

Ztex,

The T-6 you seek information on was probably assembled by Col. Bruno Genarlski from Grand Prairie, TX. The airplane was owned at the time by Addison based aircraft broker Wayne Williams of Garland, TX. This is the same Wayne Williams that briefly owned Junior Burchinal's Corsair and lost it in a hangar fire at Addison in the early 1980's. The T-6 was stripped of all paint, polished and the ring cowling was painted yellow. I worked with Bruno at the "Preston Air Museum" at Addison from about 1984 to 1986. Bruno was a tough old retired Air Corps/USAF Master Seargant, and WW2 veteran of the Pacific campaign. He was also Walt Estridge's crew chief on the CAF P-40N that Walt sponsored. I do not know if Bruno is still with us, but he was one tough, talented individual. The T-6 (Actually a Harvard IIA, same as an AT-6C or SNJ-4) was sold to Peter McMillan (later of Vicker's Vimy fame) and flown in a recreation of the MacRobertson race from England to Australia. The epic journey was chronicled in an old back issue of Warbirds of America magazine that I just can't seem to lay my hands on right now. Last I heard, Mr. McMillan sold the airplane to someone in Australia upon arrival and that is probably where the airplane is now. Hope that is the information you are looking for.

Carl Best

Carl,

Thanks! That is exactly the kind of info I was looking for.

I can't imagine flying a T-6 from the UK to Australia.

Also, about this Bruno character, That rang a bell. The fellow I inherited the photos from, John Van Dyke, mentioned this guy. I think they were two peas in a pod...my friend was "tough" and he talked about how fun he and Bruno had being "tough" together...hehe

I found this pic in his photos...the P-40.




Thanks for the information.

Zane

_________________
Zane Adams
There I was at 20,000 ft, upside down and out of ammunition.
_______________________________________________________________________________
Join us for the Texas Warbird Report on WarbirdRadio.com!
http://www.facebook.com/WarbirdRadio
Listen at http://www.warbirdradio.com

Hi,

I contacted the Australian owner several years ago, asking for the identity of his former Portuguese machine. This should be correct :

Harvard IIA, North American
88 -10589
41-33468(USAAC), EX495(RAF), 7223(SAAF), 1538(PortAF), N4995A, VH-LJQ

The machine was sold by the South African Air Force on September 25, 1969 in "Operation Oasis" (60 acft.). The T-6 was retired from Portuguese service in 1978; having last served at Sao Jacinto (Aveiro) in Northern Portugal.

Regards,

Benno

Zane,

Glad to know you found the information useful. Sorry I misspelled Bruno's last name. He was very proud of his heritage and as I said earlier, one tough, talented hombre. Back when Bruno and I used work together, he used to say about me: "That boys head us full of useless information . . . " guess he was right! Bruno loved the CAF P-40 and kept it well maintained during his stewardship. I think he did a lot of work on the CAF Corsair too "back in the day". He used to use the LTV facilities at Hensley Field as that was his last active duty assignment and he had "connections" down there plus he lived nearby. I thought of Bruno back in November when I saw the P-40 up at Ray Kinney's place in Gainesville undergoing an IRAN. Bruno once told me he joined the army and was in the cavlary (as in riding horses!!!) back before World War 2, then transferred into the "Air Corp". They broke the mold when they made guys like him.

Carl