Thursday 6 April 2017

Chris Bellhouse's T-6/ Harvard G-BGHU, Pent Farm airfield, Postling, Kent, T-6/Harvard walkaround








 T-6/Harvard G-BGHU seen last summer at Postling, Kent, England. The aircraft is painted to represent a T-6 G as flown in Korea by the 64th TCGP in August 1950. All markings, numbers etc are as originally worn during its service with the U.S.A.F. In this guise T-6's were used in the Korean war for forward air control and target marking. They were armed with phosphor rockets and machine guns, although the guns were removed later in the campaign as the pilots spent too much time shooting up targets rather than marking them for others to destroy!

Between 1942/56 this machine served with the U.S.A.A.F. and U.S.A.F before being sold to the Armée de l'Air in 1957. Toting four wing mounted machine guns, two bombs and six rockets it saw service in the Algerian campaign before being sold in 1962 to the Portuguese Air Force seeing service in both Portugal and West Africa. Modified to take under wing multi-racket launching pods and anti SAM flare system fitted. In 1979 it was de-mobbed and moved to the UK, with all armaments and fittings removed. In 1986 this machine was purchased by the current owner, Chris Bellhouse (standing on the wing below) - making it one of the oldest Harvards under continuous ownership on the UK register. The aircraft is now based at Pent Farm airfield, Postling, Kent.