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RCAF Tractors

Hello massey collectors, I am looking for any information I can find on a tractor we purchased last year. Some of you have already saw this tractor and I am sure my dad has cornered anyone he could find for info as well. We have a 20 Std that is painted blue with the decal of A THRASKA AIR on the side. The gentelmen we purchased this tractor from said it was made for the canadian air force. Some of the people that have seen this tractor say it is original some say it is not however, the question still is "original or not"? I will get a picture of this tractor posted as soon as possible. If anyone has any information about such a tractor please feel free to post or if you cannot post please feel free to give me a call 605-360-1436. Thanks  

RE:RCAF Tractors

the RCAF used the color blue until 1942. They then went to the olive green. This applies to all RCAF equipment.

We did have a 30 that had Blue paint under the yellow. But there was no way to verify if it was military

bill

RE:RCAF Tractors

Is there any documentation that would indicate the serial numbers of tractors used by the RCAF tractors?  I know there were 81s and 82s made for them but were there other models that were contracted through MH for RCAF?

GTE


RE:RCAF Tractors

I will just add some photos for the sake of conversation!  Both from Yuma.
Attachments
81.jpg82.jpg

RE:RCAF Tractors

Does anyone know where theese 2 tractors ended up? I was at the sale but do not remember.  I came across a 55 diesel that was claimed to be a RCAF tractor but was painted yellow. Were any RCAF tractors painted yellow? What military branch used the yellow tractors??? 

RE:RCAF Tractors

The I-244 were the ones painted yellow (over red) for the military.  The Navy, Air Force, and Army Core of Engineers all used the I-244 tractor.  I beleive there is a thread already started on here about those tractors.  They are a little more documented than the RCAF tractors.

The Yuma 82 went to the UK and I am not sure about the 81.

Drew 


RE:RCAF Tractors

I am pretty sure the 81 went to Texas, and as previously reported, one of our own in the UK has the 82 and being well maintained.

For the others, I am probably more skeptical than most (just ask ChrisA, LOL!!) But I need documentation before I can really justify what some of these tractors are and came from.  After I brought out the I-330 ther were several people saying they had one "just like that one." In most cases, it was the "I-244" or something completely different.

I am sure government entities bought several different tractors for local use or state use but to call them military tractors need to have some documentation to go with them.  Brass tags, manuals, shipping papers, etc.

Even the RCAF 81 and 82 had pictures of them coming out of the factory.  We have pics of the I-162 coming out of the factory and shipping information on them as well.  I even have an original parts manual for the I-330 (thank you, Steve333). (who would have thought MH would have made a parts manual for only 6 tractors!!  Maybe their plans were greater than the Navy's plans!?!?!?) 

Show me some documentation and I can quickly become a believer on just about anything!!


RE:RCAF Tractors

On the 81 RCAF tractors all of the original pictures I have seen of them show the cast iron front wheels like are on the yuma 81. So in my opinion if they have the cast front wheels like that, the chances of it being a real RCAF tractor are pretty good. but I think that only works for the 81 and 82?

RE:RCAF Tractors

The Yuma 82 front wheels don't look cast to me.  ??? I dunno.

I hope to hear others thoughts.

RE:RCAF Tractors

when i restored the 82 I found the green paint all over the tractor. It was first painted green then red over the top.  the front wheels were green.

It never had the small gasoline tank for the kerosene. It never even had the bracet for it. In researching other military stuff. All RCAF equipment during ww2 used gasoline. So this 82 never was kerosene. i.e. no tank and no kerosene maifold. 

So with the type of shortages the RCAF experienced during ww2 I believed they to the 82  was purchased right of the line probably, buying it mid production. 

The green paint matched exactly the paint used on RCAF equipement and airplanes. The paint numbers came from airplane historians.

When you find a tractor with RCAF blue it usally has oxidized to a gray. If you rub it you will see the drab blue.