Beech 18 Production List Part 3
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Last updated 10 March 2021 BEECH 18 PRODUCTION LIST Compiled by Geoff Goodall PART 3: BEECH C-45G & C-45H (Earlier military models remanufactured by Beech to USAF contract 1952-1954) A number of USAF Beech C-45Gs and Hs were transferred to the US Army. 52-10748 (c/n AF-678) was based in Europe 1959-1963 and is seen here at Gatwick in May 1963 Photo Geoff Goodall collection Civilianised C-45G N115V (AF-17) at Hawthorne Municipal, California in 1963. This aircraft has been fitted with Volpar trigear, wrap-around windscreen, enlarged windows and raised cabin roof. Photo by Eddie Coates In 1951-1952, the US Air Force placed a series of contracts with Beech Aircraft Corporation for a total of 900 modernised C-45 models, designated C-45G & C-45H. They were rebuilt from obsolete RC-45A, C-45B, C-45F, T-7 and T-11 airframes, remanufactured as zero-time airframes and assigned new Beech c/ns prefixed AF- : C-45G-BH: 372 AF-1 to 60, and AF-157 to 468: P&W R-985-AN-3 (450hp) TC-45G-BH: 96 AF-61 to 156: navigation trainer C-45H-BH: 432 AF-469 to 900: P&W R-985-AN-14BB (450hp), autopilot omitted Beech leased the disused Herington AFB, 75 miles north of Wichita KS for the contract. Hundreds of surplus military Beech 18s were flown to Herington, where an additional 385 arrived by rail boxcars from Air Materiel Command bases such as Hill AFB Utah and Ogden AFB California. At times up to 100 military Beech 18 models were lined up on the Herington ramp waiting remanufacture. At Herington, Beech established works to remove the wings, tail assemblies, engines and accessories. The only fuselage and centre-section parts that were reconditioned were cabin door, No.9 bulkhead door, nose baggage door and landing gear doors and some flooring. Wings and tail assemblies were reconditioned at Herington, and sent with other reusable components by railroad to the Beech factory at Wichita KS. There the rebuilt parts were placed on a new strengthened fuselage/centre-sections and landing gear, on the regular production line between commercial D18S models. All wiring, control cables, hoses, fabric surfaces, attachment nuts and bolts were replaced. New cockpit instruments and avionics, separate flight instruments and brake systems for the pilot and copilot and electric fuel booster pumps. Numerous small improvements and modifications were incorporated, for example the wing leading edge extended between fuselage and nacelles to increase wing area for a smoother airflow to give improved aerodynamics. All this resulted in a 20 percent faster cruise, longer range, improved fuel consumption, maximum all- up weight increase to 9300 pounds and better handling at slow speeds, single engine climb and on the ground. In USAF service, a number of C-45G models were re-engined with Twin Wasp AN-14BBs and Hamilton Standard propellers during field overhauls and re-designated C-45Hs. Most USAF C-45Gs and C- 45Hs had short service lives and achieved a very low attrition rate. From 1957 they began appearing in surplus military aircraft lists from the storage base Davis-Monthan AFB, Arizona. With relatively low hours, these zero- timed Twin Beech models were an attractive proposition for civilian disposal. FAA certification similar to the D18S model allowed their use for commercial passenger operations. AF-1 C-45G 51-11444 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from T-7C 43-33420, c/n 5753 .52 USAF Reclamation Davis-Monthan AFB AZ 6.57 N7205C Henry L. Seale Aviation Supply Co, Dallas TX: purchased ex USAF 17.9.57 Crutcher-Rolf-Cummings Inc, Houston TX 24.10.57 (civil conversion 1.58 using Beech kit) N80323 (2 Crutcher-Rolf-Cummings Inc, Houston TX 3.58/64 Bonded Aircraft Inc 9.8.64 Florida Airmotive Sales Inc 11.8.64 Leon H. Patin, Miami FL 13.8.64/67 Conrad (mods. for Conrad 9360 installed 12.65) 9360 Cape Central Airways 26.9.67/68 Cahokia Flying Service, Cahokia IL 9.7.68/69 Mid America Air Transport, Cahokia IL 11.2.69/71 Edgemont Bank & Trust Co: repossessed 17.3.71 S. W. Sisk/ Sisk Aviation Activities 6.71 Semo Aviation, Malden MO 25.6.71/74 in-flight fire in wheel-well, landed safely, Nashville-Metro TN 17.9.71 Southeastern Airways, Double Springs AL 11.74 Central Bank of Alabama: repossessed 12.74/76 Vero Aero Inc, Vero Beach FL 2.4.76/82 Douglas Shumaker, Las Lunas NM 10.12.82/90 Earl V. Long/ Westport Airport, Wichita KS 3.2.90/05 gear collapsed landing, Jefferson IN 20.9.93 (repaired, flew as "USAF 51-11444") Ken Crites, Lake Jackson TX 5.05/07 Bachus & Son Inc, Wichita KS 10.1.08/20 N80323 accident report 17.9.71: Semo Aviation, fuel line leak caused fire; N80323 at airshow Dayton OH 7.93 "USAF 51-11444"; N80323 noted Jefferson IN 6.94 metallic, both props with tips turned back, nose scraped runway, skydivers rail on fuselage, tailwheel; N80323 noted Sellersburg IN 25.8.98 retired, USAF scheme, "51-11444" under cockpit, parked here for some time but complete, used for parachuting; N80323 noted Westport KS 5.03, 16.8.03 all metallic, USAF mkgs; AF-2 C-45G 51-11445 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from T-7 43-33346, c/n 5551 .52 N5254V reg .59 (visited Malta-Luqa 20.11.59, Idris Libya 12.10.60) - Whitlock Oil Services, Stafford KS 63/65 Wilco Inc 65 Air America Inc, Washington DC: based Saigon 19.5.65/74 overturned on back landing, Ban Ta, South Vietnam 16.8.65 (repaired, returned to service 1.66) undershot runway landing, gear collapsed, Nhon Co, South Vietnam 31.3.66 (repaired, returned to service 6.66) retired Tainan. Taiwan: inactive storage 27.3.69 asset written off by Air America 21.3.70/74 sold for scrap Tainan 6.74 struck-off USCR 24.6.74 (pilot log quotes N5254V as a turbine VTB 8.66 but no mention of conversion in AA records. Retired .69 at same time as other AA non-turbine C-45s) N5254R rep. as converted C-45G noted Idris, Libya 12.10.60 with umerous other aircraft used to support oil search operations in the desert to the south – assumed mislog for N5254V; - N5254V AA pilot logbook entries: 21.7.65 Saigon as C-45 1.8.66 Saigon as VTB: no mention of conversion to turbines in AA records, retired .69 at same time as other AA piston C-45s; Photo: accident 16.8.65 overturned on back, radial engines; N5254V noted Da Nang 12.66 radIals, "Air America" titles, standard scheme; AF-3 C-45G 51-11446 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from C-45F 43-49991, c/n 6413 .52 N4669T reg AF-4 C-45G 51-11447 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from T-7 42-56796, c/n 4686 .52 N9337Z reg N6644R Dumod Corp, Opa Locka FL .64/67 Consolidated Air Parts Co, Los Angeles CA .67/71 struck-off USCR 23.3.71 (no civil conversion, stored stripped in contractor’s yard, Davis-Monthan AFB AZ 73) Dumod Corp commenced ops 10.62 at Opa Locka specialising in Beech 18 modifications. Dumod acquired Coastal States Aviation, Corpus Christi TX 4.64 including 57 (also rep as 59) ex USAF C-45Gs/Hs then stored Coolidge Municiple Airport AZ. Majority were dismantled for spare parts by Consolidated Air Parts and Hamilton Aviation, Tucson AZ; 51-11447 noted in Allied Aircraft’s storage yard on boundary of Davis-Monthan AFB 24.5.73; AF-5 C-45G 51-11448 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech C-45H from T-7 41-1191, c/n 483: redel. to USAF 3.4.52 Davis-Monthan AFB AZ: retired for disposal 2.61 N9939Z American Compressed Steel Corp, Tucson AZ: purchased ex USAF 21.3.61 Phister Manufacturing Co, Tucson AZ 13.4.61 Aero American Corp, Tucson AZ 13.4.61/65 PacAero Pacific Airmotive Corp, Burbank CA 1.2.65 Tradewind (civil conv. using American Turbine Engine STC and Pacific Airmotive STC: completed 2.8.65 as PAC Tradewind with single fin, Volpar tri-gear, airstair door, picture windows, retains R-985s) Cone Bros Construction Co, Tampa FL 16.11.65/69 H. E. Guynn, St Petersburg FL 8.9.69/70 Florence Truck & Implement Co, Florence AL 26.1.70 N954RJ Florence Truck & Implement Co, Florence AL 3.7.70 Tri Cities Newspapers, Florence AL 21.7.70/75 Continental Steel Corp, Rockville MD 5.4.75/79 Mid-Continent Airlines, St Paul MN 26.10.79/84 Robert T. McFarland, New Brighton MN 7.2.84 John F. Whittle/ Royal Airways, Naples FL 2.5.84/88 Jim Nyerges, Midland TX: sale documentation not completed 1.88/95 Polynesian Airways, Honolulu HI 8.97/99 Kamaka Air Inc, Honolulu HI 10.11.99/07 struck-off USCR as "scrapped or destroyed" 24.10.07 (AF-5 also quoted for YV-129CP registered in Venezuala in 1977 until at least 1983) FAA file: American Compressed Steel Corp & Aero American Corp have same address; N954RJ noted Naples FL 2.85 Tradewind "Royal Airways, Naples FL" titles, in service; N954RJ noted Midland TX 10.87 Tradewind, titles " - (painted over) Airways, Naples FL" and name "Beech Party"; SOR 10.07 also Kamaka Air's N9881Z same time; AF-6 C-45G 51-11449 USAF: remanufactured at Wichita by Beech from T-7 41-21121, c/n 1136 .52 N9536Z Atlantic Aviation Service, Philadelphia PA 63 Century Associates Inc, Shadygrove PA 65/66 Col East Inc, Pittsfield MA 69 Flair Airlines, Deland FL 70 Lightbourne Limited, Miami FL 72 crashed Belize, British Honduras 25.5.72 Earl W.