The North American NA-64 (NA-64 P-2 or NAA-64 P-2 in French service, Yale in Canadian service) is a low-wing single piston engine monoplane advanced trainer aircraft that was built for the French Air Force and French Navy, served with the Royal Canadian Air Force, and with the Luftwaffe as a captured aircraft during World War II.
Ordered as a follow-on to the NA-57 as a two-seat advanced trainer, the NA-64 P-2/NAA-64 P-2 represented a major structural improvement, with a longer all-metal fuselage replacing the fabric covered fuselage of the NA-57. As well as metal skin replacing the fabric on the fuselage, the fin was changed from having a corrugated skin to being a smooth stressed skin structure and was moved slightly aft, lengthening the rear fuselage while the engine was moved forward to maintain the center of gravity. The rudder was also changed from the rounded shape used previously to one with a roughly triangular shape with the broadest part being at the bottom to improve handling at high angles of attack. In one respect however, it was a step backwards from its immediate predecessor, the BT-14, with which it is often confused, in that the earlier straight wings were used with the result that in RCAF service, when compared to the later and more powerful Harvard II it was flown alongside, it had different handling characteristics and lower performance.
The British Purchasing Commission bought the 119 aircraft that had not yet been delivered to France in 1940, and transferred them to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) for the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan between August and September 1940, and all were operational by November. The type was named the Yale Mk.I following British naming practice of naming trainers after education institutions and US-supplied aircraft after American locations, in this case, Yale University, and were used initially as intermediate pilot trainers taking pilots from the de Havilland Tiger Moth and Fleet Finch to the much faster and more complex North American Harvard, until this category was dispensed with as being unnecessary. They were then relegated for use as airborne wireless radio trainers, along with the contemporary Fleet Fort intermediate trainer in 1943. Prior to service entry, the throttle and engine mixture controls were modified from the system used by the French whereby the throttle was pulled back to increase power, and the mixture control pulled back to lean out the mixture, to the system used on the Harvard. Wikipedia
Known Squadron Assignments: ;2
All Yales originally ordered by France, order taken over by UK and assigned to RCAF. Used at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Later with No. 2 Wireless School at Calgary, Alberta. Category C damage in 1941 at Durham, Ontario. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
Used at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 30 October 1940 near New Dundee, Ontario. Lone occupant, student pilot LAC R. Armstrong, killed. Had 238:00 airframe time when struck off. 2011-10-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
First used at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Later to No. 6 SFTS. Category A crash at 13:50 on 14 December 1940 near Dunnville, Ontario, resulting from an unintentional spin. LAC J.D. Bilkey killed, first fatality of No. 6 Service Flying Training school at Dunnville. Had 243:05 airframe time when struck off. 2011-10-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
Used at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 23 January 1941 at Dunnville, Ontario. LAC J.S. McMartin and Sgt. G.D. Pomeroy killed. Had 350:25 airframe time when struck off. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
Used at No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 11 February 1941 at Essa, Ontario. Had 515:15 airframe time when struck off. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
Category B damage on 13 August 1941 at Picton, Ontario. With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario at that time. Later used at No. 4 and No. 2 Wireless Schools. Had 1801:45 airframe time when struck off. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
With No. 6 Service Flying Training School at Dunnsville, Ontario. Category A crash on 27 March 1941 3/4 mile NW of Mount Hope, Ontario, from a spin. Investigation reported that contributing factor was "Pupil freezing to the controls". 2 fatalities, instructor Pilot Officer D.A. Angus and student LAC C.J. Gough. Had 59:50 airframe time when it crashed. 2014-01-12Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
First served with No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 13 August 1942 at Midland, Ontario. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
First served with No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 24 February 1942 at Camp Borden, mid air with Harvard 2623. Both aircraft crashed 2 miles south of main aerodrome. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 26 May 1941 at Kohler, Ontario. Had 604:25 airframe time when it crashed. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 11 July 1941 when it spun in 1 mile west of Byng, Ontario. LAC W.A. Tibbetts of Maine killed. Had 646:05 airframe time when it crashed. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 23 February 1941 at Alliston, Ontario. Had 336:15 airframe time when it crashed. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;14
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 26 August 1942, while with No. 14 Service Flying Training School at RCAF Station Aylmer, Ontario. Mid air north of Stratford, Ontario with Tiger Moth 8909 of No. 12 Elementary Flying Training School at Goderich, Ontario. Flying Officer Mosher and LAC McVicar, RAFVR killed in this aircraft. 2013-08-15Known Squadron Assignments: ;2
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category C damage on 28 September 1940 at Camp Borden, Ontario. Delivered to Air Armament School at Mountain View, Ontario on 26 September 1941, to be used for night flying training for School staff pilots. Also with No. 2 and No. 4 Wireless Schools, no dates. 2016-01-19Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage at 08:45 on 30 April 1941 near Cookstown, Ontario. Spun in during authorized solo spinning practice. LAC H.B. Douglas, RAAF, killed. Had 435:30 airframe time when struck off. 2011-02-02Known Squadron Assignments: ;6
With No. 1 Service Flying Training School at Camp Borden, Ontario. Category A damage on 3 March 1943 on Barrie Road, 4 miles SW of Orillia, Ontario. Two fatalities, student WO2 L.H. Dean and instructor F/S J.A. Paterson. With No. 6 SFTS at Dunnville, Ontario at that time. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;4
Served with No.31 Service Flying Training School, and with No. 6 SFTS at Dunville, Ontario. Category C damage on 22 January 1943 at Aylmer, Ontario. Category A damage on 11 October 1943. Aircraft marked with this serial displayed at Canadian Aviation Museum, Winnipeg, Manitoba, exact identity not known. 2016-02-13Known Squadron Assignments: ;1
With Test and Development Flight at RCAF Station Rockcliffe, Ontario, dates not known. Served with No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands, Ontario, and No. 4 and No. 1 Wireless Schools. Category A damage on 26 March 1945 while with No. 1 Wireless School. 0000-01-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;14
First served with No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands, Ontario. With No. 14 Service flying Training School when it suffered Category A damage on 1 October 1942. Spun in near Calton, Ontario, 5 miles east of Aylmer, Ontario. Pilot Officer D. Smith and LAC J. McKinnon killed. 2013-09-25Known Squadron Assignments: ;2
With No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands, Ontario. Category A damage on 27 September 1940 at Uplands, when it failed to recover form an intentional spin. Crashed on aerodrome. Flying Officer D.S.T. Young and W/C G.H. Shaw, RAF killed. 2011-10-01Known Squadron Assignments: ;4
With No. 2 Service Flying Training School at Uplands, Ontario. 0000-01-01