Adrian Reynard Harvard

Well, you can definately say that the answer was more comprehensive than I had expected. Thank you very much for the reply.

It so much beats that most useless of replies one can get on any forum (try google!!!) :mad:.

And thanks for the photos as well. I really haven’t seen that many of G-BHTH as she looked back then. Rather nice I’d say.

T J

I,m sure i saw her at one of the TODAYS PILOT fly ins held at nottingham airport some years ago.

Here is a photo of her in her more recent guise. This was taken at Shoreham airshow in 2007 where she was a bit of a regular act.

Shoreham Airshow 2007 T-6 G-TEXN by Martin D Stitchener, on Flickr

Two shots of 2807/G-BHTH at the 1981 Liverpool Air Show – digitised from 35mm slides and not tremendous originals!

Looks like I’m ‘Trolly Aux’s’ “clever person”! Thanks to those clues, I recognise G-BHTH. A quick dive onto G-INFO confirms the Adrian Reynard connection, and a dive into my records of Jim Keen’s aircraft at Liverpool produces an airframe history. On another forum I’m about to publish the story of Jim Keen’s endeavours on the 50th anniversary of the delivery of his first aeroplane to Liverpool Aero Club 8th March 1963 (a Piper Colt G-ARGO), a story that continues today with his son, Martin’s, Liverpool Flying School. There are very few aviation operations that have been owned and run continuously by the same family for 50 years, although through several changes of name. Quite an achievement. However, wandered off topic.

The T-6G Texan N2807G/G-BHTH

Following a visit to the USA during winter 1979/80, Jim Keen purchased two very fine aircraft, a Texan that became G-BHTH and a Stearman that became G-BHUW.

The North American T-6G Texan arrived at Speke’s Hangar No.4 in a ‘Sea-Land’ shipping container on 16th April 1980. Assembly and checking of the aircraft began immediately on arrival within the polythene ‘tent’ within the hangar. First flight in UK took place on 1st August 1980, with the aircraft now registered as G-BHTH, although this registration was not carried externally.

G-BHTH arrived and was kept in a very smart colourful scheme, painted to represent an SNJ-7 ‘2807’ of the U.S.Navy. The gloss colour scheme featured dark US Navy blue overall, with a red band around the front curve of the engine cowl. The ‘star and bar’ national insignia were in full colour, while in white lettering code ‘103’ on nose, unit ‘VF-111’ under the large ‘NAVY’ on the mid-rear fuselage, type ‘SNJ-7’ and serial ‘2807’ under the tailplane, with a large white ‘V’ on the fin and rudder. The wings had ‘NAVY 103’ port underside with ‘103 V’ on the starboard upper. However, despite these clearly well researched U.S. Navy colours these were not the aircraft’s true markings! Indeed the USN ‘number’ 2807 was arived at by painting out the N and G of former US civil regn N2807G, rather than a researched number to fit the markings applied.

Clues to the real background come from the registered type, previous identity and constructor’s number. It is registered as a T-6G Texan, with c/no 168-176 formerly 49-3072a, built in 1950. 49-3072 was the 176th of a large batch of 641 (49-2897 to 3537) re-manufactured aircraft processed at the Downey, Fresno plant of North American for the U.S.A.F., with full designation T-6G-NF. The T-6G was rebuilt from earlier wartime T-6 and SNJ airframes and embodied a number of modifications with an enlarged and new cockpit layout, modified undercarriage, new prop and spinner and greater endurance. The engine is a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp radial of 550 hp. As both North American and the U.S.A.F. considered the T-6G as a new zero timed aircraft, all traces of the previous life of component parts were removed during the dismantling, inspection, conversion and rebuild process. Although the WWII origins have been totally erased, Jim Keen acquired a very fine example of a Texan (Harvard, being the name only for those supplied to the RAF).

The SNJ-7 is the U.S. Navy equivalent of the T-6G, so the markings carried are correct to the airframe type, however we never uncovered any indication that this particular airframe was ever transferred to the Navy from the Air Force. To be fair, we discovered nothing of its service history, or its subsequent civilian life until knowledge that in 10.76 as N2807G it was owned by Joseph Natoli of Nokesville, Virginia. It was in the State of Virginia that Jim Keen purchased the aircraft.

Jim Keen flew the aircraft from Speke a number of times each year over the six years he owned it, selling it shortly before his death in late 1986. The Texan was a thirsty beast, although a delight to fly. It certainly made a pleasing, loud, distinctive ‘rasp’ in the circuit. G-BHTH departed Liverpool 8th March 1986 for Wellesbourne Mountford on sale to Brynley Rossiter of Maidenhead, Berks. He only kept the aircraft for a year before onward sale, spring ’87, to Adrian Reynard of Oxford. G-BHTH was involved in a forced landing May 1991 following engine failure. The aircraft was sold to John Woodhouse of Aldershot, Hampshire who repaired the damage and fitted a new engine, before a new passenger Cof A was issued May 1994. However on 13th March 1995 G-BHTH was damaged in a fatal crash landing at Bourne Park Strip, near Andover when it tipped over onto its back crushing the pilot, the passenger walked away. The registration was cancelled as ‘permanently withdrawn from use’; however the aircraft was taken to Shoreham as a long-term restoration project, back to airworthy condition. Ten years later in June 2005, the aircraft was restored to the register as G-TEXN (not to be confused with the more recently Liverpool based G-TXAN/FX301) under the ownership of rebuilder Richard Dauncey. The current, WWII toned-down U.S.Navy mid blue scheme with serial 3072, coded ‘72’, was applied on completion of the rebuild. Early in 2006 G-TEXN was sold to Thunderprop Ltd of Dorking, Surrey who flew it for 6 years before sale to current owners early 2012, Spitfire Displays Ltd with a London City address. At the very end of 2011, total airframe time was declared as only 6,163 hours.

Probably more of an answer than ‘T J Johansen’ anticipated! I know the 1995 crash was covered in a detailed accident report on the aaib website, not sure of the 1991 forced landing though. As a matter of interest anyone know the current home base of 2807/G-TEXN?

I cannot for the life of me remember the reg but think it was in Blue SNJ colours and a T6G ?
I vaugly remember it took off from North Weald and either had stale fuel of blocked fuel filters due to lack of use. pretty aeroplane that had very little use. oh one other thing. I think it had Blue landing light lenses fitted. must fond my photo albums up.

anyway some clever person will fill in the details im sure.

TA