Harvard 4 | D-FATE |

Harvard 4 | D-FATE

Baujahr: 1953

Motor: P&W Wasp R-1430 PC-1

Leistung: 600 ps

MTOW: 2420 kg

Abmessungen: 12,8 m

Stationiert in: EDOI

Eigner: Flugschule & Lufttaxi Berlin Brandenburg D-BB-ATO 019

Beschreibung: Das Flugzeug wird von der ATO „Flugschule & Lufttaxi Berlin Brandenburg“ auf der Bienenfarm operiert. Einsatz des Flugzeugs im Rahmen von „Bienenfarm Advanced Taildragger Training“, sowie Kunstflugausbildung und Stepdown Programme für Kunstflug unterhalb der Sicherheitsmindesthöhe. Zum Flugzeug selbst: HARVARD MK4 SERIAL NO: CCF4-498 USAF: 52-8577 REGISTRATION: ZU-SAF NAME: VICKI JEAN TA-577 MANUFACTURER: CANADIAN CAR & FOUNDRY COMPANY SHE WAS BUILT IN 1953 BY THE CANADIAN CAR AND FOUNDRY COMPANY IN FORT WILLIAM, ONTARIO, CANADA. THE USAF PAID 80`000 USD FOR HER AND GAVE HER TO THE NEWLY RECONSTITUTED WEST GERMAN AIR FORCE-LUFTWAFFE. THIS IS HOW SHE ENDED UP IN AFRICA AND NOW IN SWITZERLAND: ONE OF THE VERY LAST BATCHES OF HARVARDS EVER BUILT WAS A BATCH OF 285 DELIVERED TO NATO COUNTRIES UNDER THE MUTUAL DEFENSE ASSISTANCE PROGRAM (MDAP). ALL CARRIED USAF SERIALS AND ALL WERE DESIGNATED `MK4. THE CANADIAN SOMETIMES REFER THE TYPE AS A T6-J MANUFACTURE OF THIS HARVARD WAS COMPLETED ON DEC 18TH 1953. SHE WAS FERRIED TO HILL AFB, UTAH IN APRIL 1954, THEN SHIPPED TO BELFAST, IRELAND AND FLOWN TO ERDING GERMANY IN 1954. AT THIS TIME SHE WAS CARRYING USAF MARKINGS EXACTLY AS YOU SEE HER NOW. THE AIRCRAFT WAS FORMALLY HANDED OVER TO THE LUFTWAFFE AT A CEREMONY ON 24TH SEPTEMBER 1956 AT WHICH TIME SHE WAS PROBABLY OVER PAINTED IN LUFTWAFFE COLOURS. ACCORDING TO HARVARD HISTORIAN REG RIVERS, SHE WAS TAKEN ON CHARGE AS AA+065 AT FFS LANDSBERG IN SEPT 1958 WITH ONLY 37 HOURS FLYING TIME. IN 1962 SHE WAS TRANSFERRED TO TS KAUFBEUEREN AND RENAMED BF-065 THEREAFTER SHE WAS SOLD TO THE FORCA AEREA PORTUGUESE IN JULY 1964, WHERE SHE BECAME FAP 1762. SHE WAS THEN COMPLETELY STRIPPED AT OGMA BASE IN ALVERCA AND PAINTED SILVER, PROBABLY WITH DAY-GLO WINGTIPS. NO TRACE OF YELLOW REMAINDED EXCEPT IN PLACES AROUND THE COCKPIT IN 1965 SHE WAS SHIPPED TO MOZAMBIQUE AND SAW SERVICE AS FORCA POPULAR DE LIBERTACAO DE MOZAMBIQUE FAP 1762 AT NAMPULA, NOVA FREIXO, TETE, BEIRA AND LOURENCO MARQUES, RENAMED MAPUTO AFTER INDEPENDENCE IN 1975 AS FPLM 3101. THE NUMBERS WERE FOUND 1762 CLEARLY VISIBLE UNDER FRELIMO`S COAT OF SILVER PAINT. HER LAST FLIGHT IN MOZABIQUE WAS IN SEPTEMBER 1981 BY WHICH TIME SHE HAD ONLY FLOWN JUST OVER 2300 HOURS. SHE THEN STOOD ROTTING IN A FIELD OUTSIDE MAPUTO UNTIL 1988, WHEN BRIAN ZEEDERBURG AND IAN POPPLEWELL TRANSPORTED HER BY TRAIN TO SYFERFONTEIN AIRFIELD NEAR JOHANNESBOURG SOUTH AFRICA AND IN TURN SOLD HER TO PINETOWN BUSINESSMAN MAC KUSTER. SHE WAS SOLD IN 1996 AND WITH THE HELP OF PILKINTONS GLASS TRUCKED TO JOHANNESBURG WHERE A COMPLETE REBUILD WAS COMMENCED ON 27 APRIL 1996. SHE WAS RENAMED TO VICKI JEAN IN HONOUR OF THE WIFES OWNER. SHE WAS SOLD TO THE SWISS WILLY TSCHOPP IN SOUTH AFRICA ON THE 29.NOVEMBER 2008 AND FLOWN TO WORCESTER SOUTH AFRICA WHERE SHE TOOK PART ON MANY AIRSHOWS AROUND CAPE TOWN AND FLOWN REGUARLY. IN OCTOBER 2022 SHE WAS DISASSEMBLED BY MICHAEL WEBER AND MICHAEL POHL AND SHIPPED TO SWITZERLAND BY A 40FT HIGH CUBE CONTAINER WERE SHE ARRIVED IN NOVEMBER 2022.