G-TVIJ – HISTORY researched by Martin Pengelly

Construction Number CCF4-442
USAF Serial Number 52-8521
  • Manufactured by Canadian Car and Foundry Ltd at Fort William, Ontario, Canada under contract No. AF-20641.
  • 28.09.1953 Date available for collection from Factory.
  • 9.10.1953 Delivered to the USAF and taken on charge on the same date.
  • 11.10.1953 To the 2847th Transport Container Wing (Air Material Command) at Newark New Jersey for containerisation and shipment to Belfast. Upon arrival, was assembled by Shorts Aircraft and flown to Germany via France.
  • 25.01.1954 Delivered to the 7330th Training Group, later Wing (US Air Forces Europe) at Furstenfeldbruck Air Force Base, West Germany.
  • ??.10.1954 The Unit became the 7330th Flying Training Wing.
  • ??.12.1956 On the strength of the 7351st Flying Training Wing (USAFE) at Landsberg AFB, West Germany.
  • ??.12.1957 Dropped from USAF strength as airframe was transferred to the Mutual Defence Assistance Program (MDAP). Joined the newly reformed Luftwaffe and was allocated the serial AA+652.
  • The Harvard served with FFS-A (Flugzeugfuehrerschule A) at Landsberg for all of its service histories with the Luftwaffe.
  • ??.05.1964 Aircraft placed into storage, as was replaced in the basic training role by the Piaggio (Focke-Wulf) 149.
  • 08.06.1964 Flown to Messerschmitt factory at Ausburg for overhaul prior to delivery to Portugal.
  • 25.09.1964 Taken on charge by the Portuguese Air Force (FAP) as 1730. After arrival, it was again overhauled and brought up to FAP standards by DGMFA at Alervca.

Portuguese Air Force FAP – 1730

  • 13.05.1966 Arrived in Mozambique and sent to AB 5 at Nacala for ground attack duties.
  • 10.01.1967 Now with AB 6 at Nova Frexico in the Northern part of the country.
  • 26.11.1968 On the strength of AB 7 at Tete.
  • 04.11.1974 Struck off Charge as written off and abandoned in Mozambique.
  • ??.03.1989 Sold to Zeederberg and Popplewell in South Africa.
  • 05.03.1990 Upon arrival in England took up the registration G-BSBE.
  • 10.12.1993 Registered G-TVIJ.
  • 2020 – Sold to Saudi Arabia