In the early 1950's the US Air Force contracted with the Canada Car & Foundry for 285 aircraft to be built to T-6G specifications and then designated them as T-6J models for the Mutual Defense Assistance Program (MDAP).
CCF-4-452 was manufactured by the Canada Car & Foundry in 1953. US Air Force personnel tested and accepted -542 and designated it with USAF serial number 53-4623. It was then exported to the German Air Force as part of the MDAP.
-542 served as a trainer with the designation AA-682 for the newly reformed German Luftwaffe when it joined NATO in 1955. It served with the Luftwaffe until it was exported to the Portuguese Air Force and designated as -1781.
Now serving in the Portuguese air force -542 was sent to Portugal's then Province of Mozambique. From 1964-1969 -542 and the other Portuguese Air Force T-6's saw combat as a ground attack air-craft in what was called the Mondlane Insurgency. At the close of the conflict, It was abandoned by the defeated Portuguese and designated as written off.
The victorious new regime put -542 on static display as a war trophy in the town square of the capitol city of Maputo. It was displayed there until 1989. It was then that Tony Watson of South Africa purchased a lot of 12 ex-Mozambique Air Force T-6's and Harvard's Including –542 and ex-ported them from Mozambique to South Africa.
-542 changed hands several times within South Africa and was finally purchased by a collector who exported it for restoration. He has the sister ship to -542 restored and flying in original German colors and markings in Johannesburg.
The restoration of -542 began when it was exported from South Africa to AvSpecs in New Zealand who began some initial tear down of the project. It was then sent to Historic Aircraft Restorations and renowned warbird restorer Ron Greinert in Australia. A restoration plan was created that called For complete disassembly treating all components as “Unserviceable” and replacing all life limited parts with new or overhauled components.
The aircraft was placed in jigs where airframe components were refurbished to new standards. Power Plant and Prop were sourced with “0” time since overhaul and Installed. all new wiring harnesses and hoses and cabling were installed. Period cockpits were created using overhauled and refaced original instruments with the addition of only necessary modern warning lights and avionics.
It was decided by its owner that it should be returned to its original German Air Force livery upon completion. Authentic placarding and stenciling is found throughout the aircraft.
In 2018 The aircraft was ground run in Australia and then disassembled for shipping to PJ Aviation in the United States for reassembly, certification and final restoration. Work on the aircraft was completed in St. Paul, Minnesota by Two Brothers Aviation.
The aircraft has only test time flight time and ferry since reassembly and is certified and registered in the United States.
-542 is a rare combat veteran aircraft that has never been on the civilian registry prior to its restoration. It likely is the nicest flying version of the T-6/Harvard in the world and shows as new as the day It rolled off the Foundry's assembly line.

1953 Harvard Mark IV (T-6J)

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