North American's Yale was a fixed undercarriage, lower powered, lighter weight version of the Harvard. Both evolved from the 1935 NA-16. In 1939 France ordered 230 Yales but when the country fell in 1940, 119 en route were diverted to Canada for use by the British Commonwealth Air Training Plan. Almost 100 already in France were impressed by the Luftwaffe. As Harvards took over the training role, like the Fleet Forts, the Yales were relegated to radio training, carrying heavy gear in the rear cockpit which stressed engines, often needing repair. 3411 was assigned to 1 FTS Camp Borden in 1940.