The North American Harvard is single-engined advanced trainer aircraft used to train pilots of the United States Army Air Forces (USAAF), United States Navy, Royal Air Force, Royal Canadian Air Force and other air forces of the British Commonwealth during World War II and into the 1970s.
This foreground craft is a 1952 Harvard MK IV (no. 20422 RCAF) and the background one is a 1941 Harvard MK II No. 54. (no. 3830 RCAF).
A moment of reflection looking into the cockpit of 1942 Wesland Lysander.
The Lysander was used during the Second World War by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The aircraft’s short take off and landing capabilities made it ideal for clandestine missions behind enemy lines. At the time this photo was taken (2015), this restored 1942 Lysander was owned and piloted by Canadian singer/songwriter, author and wilderness adventurer, Dave Hadfield (also brother to Canadian astronaut Chris Hadfield). This particular aircraft was built in 1942 at the National Steel Car Corp. in Malton, Ontario.
During World War Two, the Dakota DC-3 (aka C-47, Douglas DC-3, RD4, or Skytrain) was used by Canadian, British and US forces to drop supplies and paratroopers, transport troops, evacuate wounded and tow gliders.
The DC-3 is generally considered one of the best and most reliable aircraft ever built. This particular Dakota was build in 1939 and is currently owned and operated by the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum (CWHM). It is one of the most seasoned DC-3s still currently flying with over 82,000 hours (approx 12 million miles) in the air . You can read more about the magnificent aircraft on the CWHM website at https://bit.ly/3Pm9CSZ.
This Dakota DC-3 displays the markings of RCAF No. 435 and 436 Squadrons, which operated in Burma during 1944-45 and whose slogan was "Canucks Unlimited". Entering service in 1939, it was originally flown as a commercial aircraft and was donated to the Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum in 1981.
This Dakota DC-3 was part of RCAF Squadrons No. 435 and 436. It was built in 1939 and saw service in Burma during 1944-45.
1942 US Army BT-13A Vultee Valiant (EM35). The BT-13 Valiant is an American World War Two trainer aircraft used by the US Army Air Corps and US Army Air Forces
The North American Harvard (aka Texan, T-6, and AT-6) was an advanced trainer used under the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan in World War Two. It was designed to fill the gap between basic training aircraft like the Tiger Moth and the more advanced high performance fighters of the day such as the Spitfire, Mustang and Hurricane.
Harvard 3830 pictured here was built in 1941. It served at RCAF Service Flying Training Schools No. 8 and No. 11 in Weyburn and Yorkton (Saskatchewan) and the Flying Instructors School in Trenton (Ontario).
Harvard MKII No. 46 (AJ583) was manufactured and entered service in July 1941 in California. It is believed to be one of the aircraft dragged across the Canadian/American border by a team of horses under the guise of not violating the US Neutrality Act prior to the US entering the war in December 1941. It was transferred to the RCAF in 1943 and served at the Service Flying Training School in Kingston, Ontario and Gimli, Manitoba.
The North American Harvard was an advanced military training aircraft built between 1937-1954. It was used by Canadian RCAF and British RAF. Its long propellor and large engine allowed the propellor tips to go supersonic creating is trademark roar.
The North American Harvard was a WWII training aircraft built between 1937 and 1954. The aircraft pictured here is a Harvard MK IV bearing the number 436 (20436) and the registration C-FWLH. Number 436 was built in 1952 by the Canadian Car & Foundry (Fort William, ON). She was originally based in Moose Jaw (Sask.) and was part of the Royal Canadian Air Force "Goldilocks" aerobatic team.
On July 9, 2017 (about 2 hours after this photograph was taken), Harvard 436 experienced difficulty while landing at Owen Sound Billy Bishop Regional Airport. The aircraft flipped on the runway and sustained significant damage. Fortunately nobody was seriously injured in the accident. Unfortunately, the damage was significant enough that the aircraft is no longer considered airworthy. We do however understand that it will be cosmetically restored and put on display by the Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association.
Exhaust stacks from a 3:4 scale replica of the famous British Supermarine Spitfire World War II fighter. This airworthy aircraft was build in 2007 from a kit produced by Supermarine Aircraft (Texas).
Introduced in 1950, the Cessna L-19/O-1 Bird Dog was a liaison and observation aircraft used by the RCAF and other allied countries.
Often referred to as flying boats, Cansos were know for their good range and endurance. They were used for anti-submarine patrols and bombing missions during World War Two.
“Cansos served with eleven RCAF Squadrons in WW II. They operated from both coasts and were employed in coastal patrols, convoy protection and submarine hunting. RCAF No. 162 Squadron, when stationed in Iceland and Scotland in 1944, accounted for the six German U-boat sinkings made by RCAF Cansos.
After the Second World War, Cansos served with the RCAF in photo reconnaissance and search and rescue roles, until they were finally retired November 1962.” (from Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum https://bit.ly/3RtIyTv)
The Tiger Moth was an important aircraft and it holds a very special place in Canadian and British aviation and military history. It was one of the primary training aircraft used under the British Commonwealth Training Plan in World War Two.
This 1943 De Havilland DH-82A Tiger Moth II was originally used by the British Royal Air Force (RAF) during World War Two. In April of 1946 it was transferred to the Armee de L’ Air (French Air Force). It is presently owned and displayed by the Edenvale Classic Aircraft Foundation.
The Grumman CS2F-2 is a twin engine, carrier borne Anti-Submarine Warfare (ASW) aircraft. It was designed to be small enough with the wings folded to operate from a small aircraft carrier.
This all-weather, twin-engine, high-wing, anti-submarine aircraft used the most sophisticated electronic tracking gear and was capable of carrying a wide variety of weapons.
The Royal Canadian Navy's Grumman CS2F-2's operated from HMCS Bonaventure.
The Chipmunk was de Havilland Canada's first postwar aviation project. It is a tandem, two-seat, single-engine aircraft. It was used after World War Two as a training aircraft by the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), Royal Air Force (RAF), and several other nations.
Besides its use as a trainer, the T-28 Trojan was used by the US Air Force as a counter-insurgency aircraft during the Vietnam War.
The Pietenpol Air Camper is a simple parasol wing homebuilt aircraft designed by Bernard H. Pietenpol. The first prototype that became the Air Camper was built and flown by Pietenpol in 1928.
This probably isn't what one might expect to find in a "Vintage Aircraft" photo gallery. This AirCam twin-engine open cockpit experimental amateur-built aircraft was pretty interesting to see flying overhead and I couldn't resist capturing an image or two.
The Canadair CT-114 Tutor (aka CL-41) was the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF), and later Canadian Forces, standard jet trainer between the early 1960s and 2000. Today, a slightly modified CT-114 is flown by the Canadian Forces Snowbirds demonstration team at public events throughout North America. The Snowbirds showcase the high level of skill, professionalism, teamwork, discipline and dedication inherent in the Canadian Armed Forces.
The Snowbirds, officially known as 431 Air Demonstration Squadron are the military aerobatics flight demonstration team of the Royal Canadian Air Force. The team is based at 15 Wing Moose Jaw near Moose Jaw, Saskatchewan.
This vintage World War Two trainer was originally built by Stearman Aircraft, which became a subsidiary of The Boeing Company in 1934. The Stearman (aka Kaydet) was used extensively by the US Army Air Force, US Navy and the Royal Canadian Air Force during WWII. In the post war years it took on new purpose in the civilian market as a crop dusters and sports plane and for aerobatic and wing walking use in air shows.
Considered by many as the ultimate single engine seaplane, the Dehavilland Turbo Beaver is the evolution of the classic bush-plane.
An excellent WWII era low-winged primary trainer, the Fairchild M-62 was used by the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC) and the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF). The Canadian version (which was called the Cornell) had a sliding canopy enclosure to fend off the colder winter temperatures.
This photograph of the only full scale replica Avro Arrow was captured at Edenvale Airport during the 2019 Gathering of the Classics show. With all the original Avro Arrows long since destroyed, this is the only full size version in the world today. The story behind this museum quality reproduction along with more photographs is included separately in the Avro Arrow gallery section of this website.
