Aircraft Identification V

[kool kitty89]

And the glazing looks the same to me.







They may also just be NA-50's modified as 2-seaters, like's been done with many warbirds.



and for pics, again:

Aviation Photos: North American NA-50
Aircraft: North American P-64 NA 50

[kool kitty89]

I was wrong there is only 1 NA-50 left (in Peru) and a couple real NA-68 P-64's around. But neither match the a/c in those immages. (both had square wings)


That is an AT-6 Harvard. (aparently modified to look like a NA-50, although I don't know where they got the tail)
At least according to: Commerative Air Force 50th Anniversary Airsho'

Here's the same a/c I think:

[Wildcat]

KK is correct, its a replica P-64 made from a T-6. See A Warbirds Resource Group Site :: View topic - 05-03-08 Temple, TX air show photos Scroll 3/4 of the way down.
BTW, Wirraways have 3 blade props not two.

[Graeme]

G'day Wildcat,

Thanks for that forum site. And from it...

"That airplane was built as an NA-50 replica, but is now being called a P-64. It was originally started by Les Crowder and then finished up by Ezell Aviation. I worked on that airplane a fair amount while at Nelson's place, but most of the modification work had already been done by Les Crowder when we got it. It started out as an AT-6, but had the wings shortened, rudder enlarged, T-33 wheels installed, and an R-1820 bolted to the front. The firewall forward is a booger to work on, but I'm told the airplane is a real hoot to fly.Gary"

So lets clarify this. It started life a North American T-6 Texan. They modified it, as Gary states, to look like a NA-50, with obvious vertical fin surgery...



But it is "now being called a P-64" (but still retaining the NA-50 Surgery).




To me, it STILL looks more like a NA-50 than a P-64, but the correct answer is a modified North American T-6 Texan?

[Waynos]

Originally Posted by Wildcat

KK is correct, its a replica P-64 made from a T-6.

Wildcat, you wound me.

But I'm just being a prima donna, having said that about two pages ago

KK, Graeme;
Bearing in mind the tail shape and the three blade prop, isn't it more likely to have been modified from a Wirraway in the first place, otherwise it seems a lot of trouble to go to to fit the 'wrong' shape tail?

As far as I can tell, the curved rudder trailing edge is only a feature of the Wirraway and never appeared on the NA-50 or the P-64. I am looking at the rudder shape in KK's aerial shot at the top of the page and the two side profiles posted by Graeme, all three rudders are different but the one in KK's photo matches the Wirraway, but I rattle on too much, what do you guys think?

[kool kitty89]

Yeah I thought the same thing, if you want a P-64 use a T-6, if you want a NA-50 use a Wirraway, though the only (noticible) difference is the rudder its self, the fin and tailplane being the same so it may not be a big deal.

In fact it apears to be a Wirraway's fin as it is somewhat different from the NA-50's rudder, more rounded trailing edge, so if the rudder was obtainable and they already had a T-6 why not? and I'd immagine Wirraway's are not nearly as common as T-6's (particularly in the US).


And that replica's got a Jet's (T-33) landing gear! I thought it might have been a typo, but looking closer those shre look like a Shoting Star's gear.

[Graeme]

Originally Posted by Waynos

isn't it more likely to have been modified from a Wirraway in the first place, otherwise it seems a lot of trouble to go to to fit the 'wrong' shape tail?

Originally Posted by Waynos

what do you guys think?

Hi Waynos,

"Gary", who worked on the aircraft, says it started off as a NORTH AMERICAN AT-6 TEXAN. I have no reason to doubt his experience. Accepting this, they wanted it to LOOK like an NA-50 fighter.

Is it possible that detailed plans for the NA-50's tail are no longer in existence?

Is it possible that they used Wirraway/Boomerang tail plans instead, which Australian warbird restorers would be knee-deep in, as they are flying in this country?





It certainly looks more like a Wirraway/Boomerang tail than either the NA-50 or Texan/P-64 tail, but maybe that was their only alternative.

But why they now want to just call it a P-64, is beyond me. It looks more like a hybrid, but the longer nose, elongated canopy and second seat, still smacks of Texan to me.

[Waynos]

Yes, I think that is all entirely possible. The guy must surely know what aircraft he started out with.

[Waynos]

From the long silence can I assume we are done with that one?

Here's another to have a go at;

[David Cohen]

Hmmm. I think its either a DC-12 or some other transport judging by the part in the foreground

[Waynos]

Don't know what a DC-17 is, but it is a transport.

[David Cohen]

I just checked and I made that up. I was thinking about the DC-3. Its the DC-3 or the C-54

[Waynos]

Sorry no, not that. Think post war. Just to be clear, what you see in the photograph is the rear fuselage of the aircraft with its own wing in front of it during assembly, they do belong together if it helps..

[David Cohen]

What year are we talking about?

[Waynos]

1955, and here is the same scene from a different angle;