In 1934 the US government issued a contract for a primary trainer to meet the ever expanding US Army Air Corps training requirement. In answer, North American Aviation, based in Southern California answered with what would ultimately become the most numerous training aircraft ever produced.

The first prototype, the North American NA-16, which first flew on 1 April 1935, evolved into the AT-6 Texan. This aircraft was produced in several variants, with several power plants ranging from 400 to 600hp. Production initially started with the BT-9 type for the US Army Air Corps in 1936 with a contract for 95 and this series was again ordered in 1937 with a contract for 248. In 1937 the addition of retractable undercarriage, a Pratt and Whitney R-1340 power plant and some other refinements to the airframe produced what is now seen as the classic “Harvard” shape. Further developments with construction and different materials led to the AT-6A, which was first produced in 1939.

With America’s entry into WW2 in December 1941, production of the intermediate trainer was contracted out under licence to several companies, one of those being Noordyne Aircraft Ltd. Based in the old Curtiss-Reid Aircraft factory in Montreal, Canada, Noordyne began construction of AT-16 aircraft (a licensed version of the AT-6A). Eventually the factory produced 3,985 examples, mainly for the USAAF and RCAF, by the time of the sale of the company in 1946. By end of production, in total over 17,000 “Harvard” aircraft of all variants had been produced

G-AZSC was built by the Noordyne factory, rolling off the production line on the 2nd November 1943 and was allocated the USAAF serial 43-13064. After the factory test flight she was selected for shipment to the RAF and was ferried to Newark, New Jersey. Shipped aboard the SS Morgenue, she departed dock on the 24th December 1943, arriving in Liverpool docks on the 6th January 1944. SC was allocated the RAF serial FT323 and was shipped by road to 46 Maintenance Unit at RAF Speke (now Liverpool John Lennon Airport) arriving there on the 13^th February 1944.

During 1943, 46 MU had been tasked with the mass assembly of USAAF aircraft arriving in the UK in preparation for D-DAY, SC of course was one of these and following assembly stayed at Speke as a communications aircraft. Rootes Securities, also based at RAF Speke, had in 1941 been awarded a contract for building Halifax aircraft. In November 1944 with the war progressing and demand for increased aircraft production, SC transferred to Rootes to be their communications aircraft. Evidently SC was not a popular aircraft for this task as by the 6^th February 1945, she had been transferred back to 46 MU and was put in storage.

On the 29^th October 1946 SC was removed from storage and put back in the air in preparation for a new life in continental Europe. In November 1946 SC was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Air Force, being accepted by them on 26^th December 1946 and given the serial B-19. The Royal Netherlands Air Force had been almost completely wiped out during the German invasion in 1940. A few crews had escaped to England and served with the RAF throughout the war, however following cessation of hostilities, the RAF showed its appreciation of the Dutch by donating aircraft to rebuild its armed forces. It seems however that, this somewhat dated technology by then wasn’t so well received and SC was subsequently shipped to Sweden in 1947.

Used very little, it next appears on the register in 1969 in private hands based at Veen, in the Netherlands. Here, with its new registration of PH-SKK she was used by a Skywriting company, and was fitted with an oil smoke system. It appears though, that love for her was not high, as there were two attempts to sell her, firstly to the USA in November 1971, and then again to Switzerland in January 1972, both times the sale fell through. However in April 1972 she was bought by Doug Arnold at Fairoaks to be part of his expanding collection of aircraft. His Warbirds of Great Britain Collection is responsible for saving many of the historic aircraft we enjoy seeing today, this Harvard being one of them.

When Doug bought her she was in a blue and gold paint scheme, and he chose to paint her in what he thought to be her original RAF scheme. Confusion led to her being painted as RAF Harvard FT830, before her proper identity of FT323 was discovered. Sold to Michael Stowe, she moved to Blackbushe airport from November 1977, a move only temporary, as Doug Arnold bought her back again in January 1981. Here enters 80s pop star, Gary Numan.

Gary had always wanted to be a pilot, and although having attended Brooklands Technical college, lacked the academic qualifications for the airlines. He had however enjoyed some time in the Air Training Corps, and with a Private Pilots License and a love for old aeroplanes. He bought SC from Doug in February 1984. He painted her to look like a Japanese “Zero” fighter and for many years he flew her on the display circuit, appearing at shows across the UK and Europe. Gary formed the Radial Pair, a Harvard aerobatic display team with his friend Norman Lees, this eventually grew to become a group display with up to 5 Harvards taking part.

During the 80s and 90s as Gary moved around so did SC, being based successively at Fairoaks, White Waltham, and North Weald. With increasing hours being logged, her paint was fading and it was decided by Gary to paint her in her current scheme in 1996, before a move to Duxford in Cambridgeshire. Here Gary kept her until October 2005 when she was sold to Goodwood Road Racing Company, moving to her current home at Goodwood shortly after.

SC now earns her keep introducing people to the technicalities of heavier tail wheel aircraft. Ideal both for training and pleasure flying, SC was an aircraft that Plane Heritage has long wanted to offer flights in. After some negotiating Plane Heritage and Goodwood Road Racing Company came to an agreement in December of 2008, and we are delighted to have this aircraft available to us from the start of 2009.