VT-ATN Harlow PC-5A
(c/n 4 ?)
This blurry image came from a
Hindustan Aircraft brochure, circa 1946. The Harlow PC-5 was
a trainer version of the PJC-2 cabin monoplane.
Unfortunately the design came out in late 1940
and strategic materials (i.e. aluminum, rubber et
al) were being commandeered by big name manu-
facturers and, since the
Harlow did not have government orders for the PC-5, its continued out-
look for series production
was thwarted. In 1941 Harlow was acquired by the
Intercontinental
Corporation (basically an import/export concern) who used three of the
extant four PC-5 aircraft
as overseas demonstrators. It was then reported that 50
PC-5As were sold and supplied to the
Indian Air Force in kit form to be
assembled by the Hindustan Aircraft Ltd. I have never been
able to establish whether more
than one was actually ever assembled. Some reports state
that
they were, in fact, used by the Indian Air Force as trainers. I
seriously doubt it. And if 50 were,
in fact, exported, what happened to them?
In the event, the first (and only?) one assembled,
VT-ATN was sold to a private
party and put on the Indian Civil Register.