Just re-reading First Light by Geoffrey Wellum.
In the early, flying training, section of the book, the Harvard Mk Is are referred to by a 4-digit numeric code. I have seen such codes prominently painted on BCATP aircraft but I cannot recall seeing similar codes on aircraft in the UK. Was this 4-digit code the Constructors number and if it was, was it painted prominently on the airframe for easy identification? Otherwise, if a trainee pilot was told to go to Harvard (say)1234, would it require him to identify the airframe by peering at the constuctor’s plate which presumably included a Constructor’s Number
I suppose the other possibility was that the four digit number was merely a contraction of the standard RAF serial which for early Harvards at that time would likely to be a single letter followed by four numbers – eg N1234
Does anybody know the answer?
Thanks
By: jeepman - 27th September 2013 at 23:11
To save you searching
“C” Flight No 6 Service Flying Training School, Little Rissington, late 1939
By: snafu - 27th September 2013 at 22:31
Anyone with the Air Britain Harvard File should be able to tell you which unit they were with, if there is a date of sorts (mine is stored and out of reach until tomorrow, if I remember).
By: jeepman - 27th September 2013 at 07:09
Thanks snafu
appreciate your help in confirming
By: snafu - 26th September 2013 at 23:01
Of course there’s always the ones I forgot about – P5783-P5982 – which would work.
Stupid stupid stupid.
By: jeepman - 26th September 2013 at 22:28
the only ones having four numbers in their serial would be the first 200 – mark 1’s in the N7000-N7199 region
I wondered about that but the numbers quoted include
5784
5788
5820
By: snafu - 26th September 2013 at 20:29
Well, it would be easy to solve if the numbers were quoted for those with the facility to confirm of deny that these are the serial numbers with the letter omitted. If I recall correctly, the only ones with the opportunity of having four numbers in their serial would be the first 200 – mark 1’s in the N7000-N7199 region – since all after that would have two letters and three numbers for a serial.
An IWM Harvard that might help.
By: cabbage - 26th September 2013 at 20:00
I have a copy of a picture my Dad took, in 1947, of a Harvard with a 4 letter code on its fuselage(FBR-G), as well as its serial number. It was normally based at Feltwell. This was the last Harvard my Dad flew.
It is pictured in a Hangar, at Waterbeach, next to the aircraft my Dad was flying at the time, an Avro York from 51 Squadron.
Is this of any help?
Regards, Cabbage
By: Graham Boak - 26th September 2013 at 14:21
It was fairly common for the initial character to be omitted in pilot’s logbooks. I’ve seen examples (eg RJ Cork’s) where the aircraft’s code is used with the numbers from the serial, which is potentially very misleading to us nowadays. I’m sure those who’ve seen more logbooks than I will confirm this – but it would be good!
The constructor’s number was not painted prominently on the airframe. With North American, each contract was allocated a specific NA number, then (I believe) sequential build numbers, and not many of the Mk.1s would have reached four figures in build numbers.
Sign In
September 26, 2013 at 1:28 pm