P-64 flying at Alton

[k5083]

I have some video of this in flight at the 1974 Windsor show. In motion, the differences are even more striking.

Do I dislike P-64 replicas? Nope.

I do. Never seen an NA-50 or P-64 replica yet that was anything but vandalism of a perfectly nice T-6.

August

Do you feel the same way about Tora Zeros? I have mixed emotions about it, but in the end I guess it's ok. I do like Tora Tora Tora.

Ryan

Pretty much. Certainly I'd never have supported converting the Harvards just for the Tora display. The Tora show itself was cute the first time or two I saw it, but a bunch of guys beating up the field in tarted-up Harvards with smoke and pyro got boring pretty quick. I'd rather watch them beat up the field in authentic Harvards with no pyro. But given that Hollywood had already converted the planes, it's as good a use for them as any.

August

[Matt Gunsch]

I have some video of this in flight at the 1974 Windsor show. In motion, the differences are even more striking.

Do I dislike P-64 replicas? Nope.

I do. Never seen an NA-50 or P-64 replica yet that was anything but vandalism of a perfectly nice T-6.

August

As far as messing up a perfectly good T-6, The P-64 replica that Carl Schmieder and I built never was a T-6, it was nothing more than a truck load of damaged parts when we started, not even a data plate. There was not a single part that we used that was a airworthy part to start with.
We even used a ground loop damaged wing and cut off the damaged 3ft.

[AirJimL2]

I'd rather watch them beat up the field in authentic Harvards with no pyro.

In other news...the Wixlawya team of Jim and August announced today that they have been retained by the Canadian government(*) to protect the heritage of all Canadian build Harvards that have been mangled and manhandled by U.S. private owners and/or Hollywood. Under this program it is hoped that owners of these aircraft that are part of Canada's cultural and economic heritage will voluntarily turn their aircraft over to AirJimL2, Esq. as agent of the Canadian government(*) so that they can be repatriated to Canada and returned to their rightful condition and colour...yellow! If these fake Zeros, NAs, and racers are not turned over to AirJimL2, Esq. voluntarily, the Wixlawya team will be forced to use any and all means, including, but not limited too, fraud actions in U.S. courts, to return Canada's heritage to Canada in its rightful state. Thank you for your time.

* For purposes of this post the Canadian government means the AirJimL2 Foundation for Jim's Flying of Harvards. It is in no way associated with the real Canadian government of Canada.

[MacHarvard]

Hello again Tex-fan. Just a reminder not to believe everything you read - especially on Wikipedia. I haven't gone to read the piece, but there were never 13 of these aircraft built. 6 - count'em 6 only.

However, having said that, they did have 7 slightly older cousins, built for Peru. These were basically shortened (in every direction) variants of the NA-44 light bomber.

the P-64


the NA-50


cheers
Doug

[cott]

This P-64 isn't a replica. It's the real deal. Engine was changed to an 1820, but the airframe is original P-64.

Check out the EAA website. She doesn't fly anymore, but then again neither does our P-51 or B-25...

http://www.airventuremuseum.org/collect ... _NA-50.asp

Chris

[Chris Brame]

This is not even an accurate P-64 as it's cowl was replaced with a Dauntless cowl after it was a civilian.

I think that might be a Hudson or Lodestar cowling with that raised scoop.

[MacHarvard]

The original engine for these six aircraft was a Wright GR-1820-77 Cyclone, giving 875 hp for takeoff, 840 hp at 8700’. In 1949 the lone survivor was fitted with an R-1820-60 which raised the service ceiling for cloud seeding. At one point during her military career, NAA rep Jack Canary okayed a change to an R-1820-77 of 1200 hp, which must have made for an interesting ride. So, she's had her share of power changes, but they have all been R-1820s.

Factory drawings indicate the Hamilton Standard 10' 6" diameter prop consisting of a 3E50 hub with three 6111A blades was the production installation. The current EAA installation is a Hamilton Standard 10’ 8” prop consisting of a 23E50 hub with three 6353A-18 blades.

cheers
Doug

[marine air]

FWIW, Paul Poberezny himself told me that firewall forward came off of a Lockheed L-18 Hudson.

[Matt Gunsch]

they started with the 875 HP R-1820 and while in service were upgraded to a 1000 HP. I never heard of them having anything larger than that while in service. The replica I helped build had 1425 hp and talking to others that have flown it and a Bearcat said it would run away from the Bearcat from a standing start to about 5500 ft, then the bearcat would catch it. While it was not that fast in a straight line, it would climb like a homesick angel.

[AIRIC]

A shot of the P-64 at Hamilton, ON with the first CWH Firefly.