DATA PLATE MYSTERY

[Jack Cook]

OK BOYS, SEE IF YOU CAN SOLVE THIS ONE.

Last edited by Jack Cook on Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[mrhenniger]

I used to mistake North American part numbers for USAAF/USAF S/Ns all the time until the numbers just didn't make anysense. Perhaps this is a North American part number for a part that would have gone on a T-6. As for which part I have no clue.

Mike

[Jack Cook]

Thanks a very good premise Mike and you right it's easy to mistake them.
This plate is defently a aircraft data plate. I wonder if someone just just threw some numbers on it to make it look good???

[James Church]

Any chance that could be some sort of a cross referance with an RAF/RCAF serial from an early U.S.-built Harvard? Jim

[Jack Cook]

hi

Last edited by Jack Cook on Sat Mar 28, 2009 6:41 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[James Church]

Jack, my thinking was that due perhaps to Neutrality restrictions of the time, NA might have had to make the early Haravrds (built in Dallas) with data plates showing a US-looking serial, with the fiscal-year deignator '41' preceding it's future RCAF s/n. I thought the last four of the serial might tie in with one of those aircraft that were delivered to Canada, which then would have become 'RCAF-3279.' A quick search of the NA Harvard II serials (which would have been built 1940-41) in the excellent book by Fletcher and Macphail shows that there were serial blocks 3014-3033, 3134-3233, and 3761-3841. 3279 does not fit into these.... Jim

[James Church]

Jack, my thinking was that due perhaps to Neutrality restrictions of the time, NA might have had to make the early Haravrds (built in Dallas) with data plates showing a US-looking serial, with the fiscal-year deignator '41' preceding it's future RCAF s/n. I thought the last four of the serial might tie in with one of those aircraft that were delivered to Canada, which then would have become 'RCAF-3279.' A quick search of the NA Harvard II serials (which would have been built 1940-41) in the excellent book by Fletcher and Macphail shows that there were serial blocks 3014-3033, 3134-3233, and 3761-3841. 3279 does not fit into these.... Jim

[Jack Cook]

The mystery deapens Jim.
BTW if you ever want those pictures of JCW's Spartan NP-1 just let me know.

[James Church]

Sorry for the double post guys... still learning the new system! Jack, I would love to see those NE-1 photos sometime.... I'm surprised you rememberd! Thanks! Jim

[James Church]

Err....sorry.... that would be NP-1..... MAN, is it THAT late already??? :0)

Jack, there is a block of AT-6Cs 41-32768-41-837, maybe they left off a number