North American NA-64 Yale explained

The North American NA-64 (NA-64 P-2 or NAA-64 P-2 in French service, Yale in Canadian service) is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and with the Luftwaffe as a captured aircraft during World War II.

Design and development

Ordered as a follow-on to the NA-57 as a two-seat advanced trainer, the NA-64 P-2/NAA-64 P-2 represented a major structural improvement, with a longer all-metal fuselage replacing the fabric covered fuselage of the NA-57. As well as metal skin replacing the fabric on the fuselage, the fin was changed from having a corrugated skin to being a smooth stressed skin structure and was moved slightly aft, lengthening the rear fuselage while the engine was moved forward to maintain the center of gravity. The rudder was also changed from the rounded shape used previously to one with a roughly triangular shape with the broadest part being at the bottom to improve handling at high angles of attack. In one respect however, it was a step backwards from its immediate predecessor, the BT-14, with which it is often confused, in that the earlier straight wings were used with the result that in RCAF service, when compared to the later and more powerful Harvard II it was flown alongside, it had different handling characteristics and lower performance.[1]

Operational history

France

The NA-64 P-2 was built for the French Armée de l'Air and Aéronavale in 1939–1940, which ordered 200 and 30 respectively. Of these, 111 had been delivered before France surrendered to the Germans after the Battle of France.[2] In France, the NA-64, like the NA-57 before it, was known as the North,[3] and was designated as NAA-64 P-2 (abbreviated from North American Aviation modèle 64 perfectionnement, 2 places (North American Aviation model 64 advanced trainer, 2 seats)) but were sometimes attached to reconnaissance units. A small number escaped the Germans to be used by the Vichy French Air Force. Two examples in North Africa survived into the postwar years, having been operated alongside NA-57s, the last only being retired in 1949.

Canada

The remaining 119 undelivered aircraft were bought up by the British Purchasing Commission and transferred to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between August and September 1940, and all were operational by November[4] The type was named the Yale Mk.I[5] following British naming practice of naming trainers after education institutions and US-supplied aircraft after American locations, in this case, Yale University, and were used initially as intermediate pilot trainers taking pilots from the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch to the much faster and more complex North American Harvard, until this category was dispensed with as being unnecessary. They were then relegated for use as airborne wireless radio trainers, along with the contemporary Fleet Fort intermediate trainer in 1943.[6] [7] Prior to service entry, the throttle and engine mixture controls were modified from the system used by the French whereby the throttle was pulled back to increase power, and the mixture control pulled back to lean out the mixture, to the system used on the Harvard. The Yale appeared in the movie Captains of the Clouds. The RCAF sold all surviving examples off as scrap in 1946 but over 30 survive today as a result of a large number of them being bought surplus by a single farmer, with about 15 currently in airworthy condition.

Germany

The NAA-64s captured from the French were used by the German Luftwaffe for all types of flight training, from basic flying to advanced fighter tactics. Dive bomber schools and target tug units and even combat squadrons all used the NAA-64, as they were designated by the Luftwaffe, from the tail markings of the French examples. At least one was used by the Zirkus Rosarius to familiarize German aircrew with the handling of American aircraft before they evaluated captured aircraft.

Operators

Canada

Surviving aircraft

There are many surviving NA-64 Yales today because of Ernie Simmons, a farmer from near Tillsonburg, Ontario. Simmons bought 39 Yales in 1946,[23] along with seven Fairey Swordfish and a Westland Lysander[24] and kept them on his farm until he died in 1970.[25] [26] Most were auctioned the same year, and many have been restored by museums and warbird enthusiasts. Most surviving Yales are from the Simmons collection, but there are at least six surviving Yales that came from Western Canada. Three Yales have been subsequently lost, a major hangar fire took the Musée de l'air et de l'espace's NA-64 3415/64-2224, and 3454/64-2165 & 3395/64-2159[27] were destroyed as the result of flying accidents. Several Yales have been painted or partially modified as BT-14s.Additionally, over a dozen are privately owned in Canada, the US, and Europe or are not accessible, and additional airframes may be held by some museums as a source of spares.

RCAF
Serial		NAA
Serial		Museum or organizationLocationStatusNotes
346464-2033Privately ownedFt Worth, TXairworthy[28]
334964-2171Imperial War Museum DuxfordDuxford, Englandairworthy[29]
335064-2206Canadian Warplane Heritage MuseumHamilton, Ontarioairworthy[30]
336164-2183Milestones of Flight MuseumLancaster, Californiaairworthy – R-985 fitted[31]
336764-2175Privately ownedSherwood Park, Albertaairworthy[32]
337264-2186Privately ownedTillsonburg, Ontarioairworthy
338164-2194Commemorative Air ForceMidland, Texasstored
338364-3037Far North Queensland Aviation MuseumNewcastle, New South Walesstored
339064-3033Privately OwnedWoodstock, Ontariorestoration[33]
339664-2161Musée aéronautique de Presqu'île côte d'AmourLa Baule-Escoublac, Francerestoration[34]
339764-2150Pima Air & Space MuseumTucson, Arizonaon display[35]
339964-2160Canadian Harvard Aircraft AssociationTillsonburg, Ontarioairworthy[36]
340064-2149Canadian Warplane Heritage MuseumHamilton, Ontarioairworthy[37]
340464-2157Bomber Command Museum of CanadaNanton, Albertarestoration[38]
340664-2144Eric DowningMaryland Heights, Missouriairworthy
340964-2158Canadian Aviation MuseumWindsor, Ontario stored, unrestored
341164-2167National Air Force Museum of CanadaTrenton, Ontarioon display
341664-2169No. 6 RCAF Dunville MuseumDunnville, Ontarioon display[39]
341764-2168National Museum of the United States Air ForceDayton, Ohioon display as 'BT-14'[40]
343064-2223Royal Aviation Museum of Western CanadaWinnipeg, Manitobaon display[41]
3445UnknownPrivately ownedNorwood, Ontariorestored
345064-2214Musée aéronautique de Presqu'île côte d'AmourLa Baule-Escoublac, Francerestoration
345664-2221Privately ownedWhistler, British Columbiaairworthy
345864-3024Reynolds-Alberta MuseumWetaskiwin, Albertastored[42] [43]
346264-2190Commonwealth Air Training Plan MuseumBrandon, Manitobastored, unrestored
346364-2207Privately OwnedCasa Grande, Arizonaairworthy – R-985 fitted[44]

References

Bibliography

External links

Notes and References

  1. Fletcher, 1990, p.37
  2. Hagedorn, 1997, p.48
  3. Fletcher, 1990, p.36
  4. Fletcher, 1990, p.38
  5. As there was no Yale Mk.II, the Mk.I part of the designation was rarely used.
  6. Fletcher, 1990, p.42
  7. Fletcher, 1990, p.45
  8. Fletcher, 1990, p.40
  9. Fletcher, 1990, p.172
  10. Fletcher, 1990, p.170
  11. Fletcher, 1990, p.171
  12. Fletcher, 1990, p.43
  13. Web site: "stamm Dx+xx" The LEMB Stammkennzeichen Database Project. luftwaffe-experten.org. 24 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508114718/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-d.html. dead.
  14. Web site: "stamm Nx+xx" The LEMB Stammkennzeichen Database Project. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508115021/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-n.html. dead.
  15. Web site: stamm Rx+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508120312/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-r.html. dead.
  16. Web site: stamm Vx+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508115413/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-v.html. dead.
  17. Web site: Cx+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 1 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140501125804/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-c.html. dead.
  18. Web site: stamm Kx+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508114921/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-k.html. dead.
  19. Web site: stamm Hx+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 24 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508114933/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-h.html. dead.
  20. Web site: stamm Px+xx. luftwaffe-experten.org. 5 March 2019. 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508115130/http://www.luftwaffe-experten.org/stam-p.html. dead.
  21. Fletcher, 1990, p. 41
  22. Web site: Restoration of North American NA-64 Yale 3383. legendofaces.com. 5 March 2019.
  23. Fletcher, 1990, p.48
  24. Fletcher, 1990, p.49
  25. Fletcher, 1990, p.51
  26. http://www.spitcrazy.com/Simmons-2.htm "The Ernie Simmons Story."
  27. Web site: CAROL .
  28. Web site: N13397 (NORTH AMERICAN NA-64 owned by CYRIER MARK) Aircraft Registration ✈ FlightAware. FlightAware. 5 March 2019.
  29. Web site: Imperial War Museum Duxford - Museums. aeroflight.co.uk. 5 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306045815/http://www.aeroflight.co.uk/museums/main/iwm-duxford.htm. dead.
  30. Web site: Aircraft Details. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. 5 March 2019.
  31. Web site: Milestones of Flight Air Museum - Lancaster - California - USA. www.aviationmuseum.eu. 5 March 2019.
  32. Web site: Harold A. Skaarup, author of Shelldrake. silverhawkauthor.com. 5 March 2019. 6 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190306043748/http://silverhawkauthor.com/aviation-canadian-warplanes-preserved-in-alberta_393.html. dead.
  33. Web site: Aerial Visuals - Airframe Dossier - North American T-6/AT-6/SNJ Texan / Harvard, s/n 3390 RCAF, c/n 64-3033. www.aerialvisuals.ca. 5 March 2019.
  34. Web site: Musee Aeronautique Presqu'ile Cote d'Amour - la Baule-Escoublac - France. www.aviationmuseum.eu. 24 March 2019.
  35. Web site: YALE. www.pimaair.org. 24 March 2019. 24 March 2019. https://web.archive.org/web/20190324072920/http://www.pimaair.org/aircraft-by-name/item/north-american-bt-14a-yale. dead.
  36. http://www.harvards.com "NA-64 Yale." Canadian Harvard Aircraft Association. Retrieved: 24 December 2011.
  37. Web site: North American Yale. Canadian Warplane Heritage Museum. 24 March 2019.
  38. http://www.bombercommandmuseum.ca/yale.html Bomber Command Museum of Canada – North American NA-64 Yale
  39. http://www.airport-data.com/aircraft/photo/000681577.html Aircraft 3416 Photo
  40. Web site: Factsheets : North American BT-14 (NA-64). 8 May 2014. https://web.archive.org/web/20140508160427/http://www.nationalmuseum.af.mil/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5055. 5 March 2019. 2014-05-08.
  41. Web site: Western Canada Aviation Museum – Winnipeg - Reportage avionslegendaires.net. Marcel. avionslegendaires.net. 5 March 2019.
  42. Web site: Canada's Aviation Hall of Fame - Wetaskiwin, Alberta - Aviation Museums on Waymarking.com. www.waymarking.com. 5 March 2019.
  43. Web site: Aviation . Reynolds Museum . Government of Alberta . 1 December 2019.
  44. Web site: Aircraft Data N64FL, North American NA-64 C/N 64-2207. www.airport-data.com. 5 March 2019.

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