The Italian Aerospace Information Web
by Aeromedia - corso Giambone 46/18 - 10135 Torino (Italy)
Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB G-BWUL/FT375 in decollo dall’aeroporto di Torino/Caselle nel febbraio 2010. E’ uno dei 1.800 addestratori North American model NA.76 (AT-6A) costruiti su licenza – durante la seconda guerra mondiale - dalla canadese Noorduyn Aviation Ltd. Questi velivoli, come moltissimi altri di vari tipi, furono ordinati e pagati del governo USA, per essere poi “prestati” all’alleata Gran Bretagna, in base al Lend-Lease Act. L’aereo illustrato, c/n 14A-1415, ha un motore stellare Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp con elica bipala metallica Hamilton Standard 12D40-305. Costruito nel 1943 con serial number USAAF 43-13116, il 22 dicembre 1943 fu consegnato “per errore” alla Royal Canadian Air Force. Risolto l’equivoco, il 4 marzo 1944, l’aereo fu trasferito in Gran Bretagna, via nave, per essere utilizzato dalla Royal Air Force con l’identificativo FT375. Dopo il conflitto, l’Harvard rimase in servizio col Royal Aircraft Establishment di Farnborough e, successivamente, passò in carico all’A&AEE (Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment) alla RAF Station Boscombe Down (Wiltshire), fino al 1994. Il 4 luglio 1996 l’aereo passò al settore civile, con marche G-BWUL, di proprietà del Nucleo Aereo Acrobatico Parmense Srl. Seguì, dal 3 aprile 1998 al 4 giugno 1999, un breve cambio d’identità, con marche USA N16NA. L’11 luglio 1999, l’Harvard riprese la propria identità britannica G-BWUL, cambiando diverse volta di proprietà, ma sempre in ambito italiano. Il 20 maggio 2006, G-BWUL restò danneggiato in rullaggio durante il 1° Avioexpo - Salone Internazionale del Volo, all’aeroporto di Rivanazzano (Voghera). L’aereo è stato rimesso in efficienza, in Italia, ed il 24 luglio 2008 la CAA (Civil Aviation Authority) britannica ha rinnovato il Certificato di Navigabilità dell’aeromobile. Dall’estate di quell’anno, il notevole aereo storico è basato all’aeroporto internazionale di Torino/Caselle. (Aeromedia)
Noorduyn AT-16 Harvard IIB G-BWUL/FT375 takes off from Turin/Caselle airport in February, 2010. It is one of 1,800 licence-built North American model NA.76 (AT-6A) advanced trainers manufactured, during WW2, by Noorduyn Aviation Ltd of Canada. These aircraft - as many more items of various types - were ordered and financed by the US Government, under the Lend-Lease Act, on behalf of allied United Kingdom. The aircraft in the picture - c/n 14A-1415 – is powered by a Pratt & Whitney R-1340-AN-1 Wasp radial engine driving an Hamilton Standard 12D40-305 two-blade metal propeller. Manufactured in 1943 with USAAF serial number 43-13116, on December 22, 1943, it was “received in error” by the Royal Canadian Air Force. On March 4, 1944, the aircraft was shipped to Great Britain, where it entered the Royal Air Force ranks as FT375. After the war, the Harvard remained in active service at the Royal Aircraft Establishment at Farnborough and, at a later stage, it was assigned, possibly till 1994, to A&AEE (Aircraft and Armament Evaluation Establishment), at RAF Station Boscombe Down, in Wiltshire, Britain. On July 4, 1996, the aircraft was discharged and transferred to the civil sector, taking registration marks G-BWUL and owned by Nucleo Aereo Acrobatico Parmense of Italy. From April 3, 1998 and June 4, 1999, the aircraft carried US marks N16NA. On July 11, 1999, the Harvard took back the previous British identity G-BWUL, and had a succession of Italian owners. On May 20, 2006, G-BWUL was damaged while taxiing at the first edition of “Avioexpo - Salone Internazionale del Volo”, at Rivanazzano airport (Voghera, Italy). The aircraft was carefully repaired to flight status and, on July 24, 2008, its CAA Certificate of Airworthiness was restored. From summer, 2008, the venerable historical aircraft is based at Turin/Caselle airport. (Aeromedia)
