Harvard s/n prefix question?

[rcaf_100]

So I finally remembered to check the Mk 4s at the hangar today.

Due to the location of the plate on the tubular, you can only see the entire plate when the right fuselage side panel is removed.

I could only see on 20304 (since it is currently being disassembled) that does indeed have the 'FW4-' prefix, but on all five of our Mk 4s the number following the prefix did not match up to the construction number.

That being said I'm pretty sure the Harvard (or T-6J ) you have is not CCF4-490.

The only way to know for certain what the true identity would be is to have the dataplate next to the throttle quadrant in the front cockpit.

And getting back to your original question I would still assume that it referrs to Fort William, but hopefully someone can find a definite answer.

Shane

[Jason]

Hi Shane

Thanks for confirming the FW4 prefix on your Harvards.

Unfortunately the plate next to the throttle isn't in attendance.

Regards
Jason

[bdk]

Maybe there is a sequence that could be decoded? It probably is not random, but a tubular might have been occasionally removed from sequence if a manufacturing defect was discovered and had to be addressed.

I would like to see a list of the FW4 numbers vs. the CCF numbers vs. the Canadian serials. Maybe some conclusions can be drawn given sufficient data.

[Jason]

I agree with you BDK.... I'd be very interested to find a correlation between the FW4- number and the CCF4- numbers.

I don't believe there is a difference... I'm looking at the FW4-490 fwd fuselage plate now... all of it's known history agree's with it being CCF4-490?
I don't think this batch was ever given Canadian serial numbers though, or are they the same as USAF serials??

Jason

[bdk]

Canadian serials are different. Should work for most of the Harvard 4s at least.

The CCF4 numbers and the Canadian serial numbers are well documented at least.

If anyone has any more frame numbers, let's start a list!

[snj-5]

Here are some numbers for the list.

I have a "Harvard IV" fuselage truss (it was sold to me represented as from a Harvard IV)
with a dataplate that says 14-565, but I'm pretty sure that serial number maps back
to a Noorduyn-built Harvard IIB (maybe the Canadian Car & Foundary folks used older
trusses and rebuilt them to Mark IV standard similar to what North American (et al)
did with older T-6 airframes to update them to T-6G standard...(???).

Then I have a Harvard IV wing center section with a dataplate that says FW4-102,
and a Harvard IV tailcone with a dataplate that says CCF4-47 (this tailcone stlil
wears it's original RCAF 20256 paint & markings).

Bela P. Havasreti