1941 HARVARD II – FE788
Believed to be the oldest flying Harvard in Europe and the third oldest in the world. G-CTKL was the 31st Harvard built by Noorduyn and was supplied directly to the Royal Canadian Airforce.
- Completed at the Noorduyn factory at Cartierville, Montreal, Canada, 23rd July 1941.
- Delivered to Royal Canadian AF as 3064 Aug 5th 1941.
- On its delivery flight from Uplands to Alymer, it suffered aileron lock up over Trenton, where the pilot F/Lt ‘Bitsy’ Grant made a precautionary landing. It soon entered service with the 14th SFTS at Alymer, where it served with both A and C flights with the line number ‘59’ painted on the side of the fuselage.
- Struck off charge: Oct 11th 1957.
- Rebuilt by CCF as Harvard IV and delivered to the Italian Air Force under the Mutual aid programme as T-6H-2M/MM54137 Dec 1957-1974.
- Last flight June 14th 1974.
- Stored, Bergamo, June 1974-1981
- Robs Lamplough, Duxford, UK, Nov 21st 1981
- Stored Botley (Later Woolston), 1982-1983
- Registration G-BKWZ reserved but not taken up, 1981-1983
- Tim Lane, Dorchester, Apr 22nd, 1983-1987
- Registered as G-CTKL
- Restored to airworthy condition, at Dorchester from 1983-1987.
- First flight off rebuild, Dunkeswell, June 10th, 1987.
- Jeff A. Carr, Dunkeswell, Sept. 8th, 1987.
- Gavin Keegan, North Weald, 1991-1992.
- A.P. Williams, 1998.
- Michael Simpson July 26th, 2001-2008.
- Based North Weald, USN/SNJ-3/54137/69
- Painted as FE788, a Harvard IIB, which was operated by the Aeroplane and Armament Experimental Establishment at Boscombe Down from December 1943.
- Based at Biggin Hill Heritage Hangar 2011.
- Europe’s Oldest Harvard.