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18 DECEMBER 07

Expedited Delivery

Photo By ERNEST WHITE / McCHORD AIR MUSEUM

With its cowlings removed the museums UC-45/JRB-5 Expeditor sits in the Museums restoration hangar.

The long awaited arrival of the Museums newest aircraft, the Beech UC-45 Expeditor occurred on December 18 with the arrival of a 62d AW C-17. Over the last month, McChord Air Museum Curator Ray Jordan has played an important roll in bringing together all the groups necessary to bring the C-45 home, in fact, Mr. Jordan made two trips to North Dakota in order to lay out the ground work to bring this project to fruition.

Immediately after arrival, Museum volunteers reassemble the aircraft and began work on areas that need attention. As of now, Volunteers are concentrating on the external areas of the C-45, once complete the aircraft will be repainted in Military Air Transportation Service colors and re-serialed as C-45H S/N 52-10613. The aircraft (s/n-106113) has some special history with Northwest Air Force bases.

Before its modification into a C-45, the AT-11 (S/N 43-10374) served with the 62d Troop Carrier Wing at both McChord AFB & Larson AFB the 62d in the early 50's. Like many AT-11's, the aircraft was remanufactured by Beech Aircraft between January and October of 1953 and re-delivered to USAF as C-45H S/N 52-10613. As a C-45, the aircraft served with the 326th Fighter Group at Paine Field, assigned to McChord's 25th Air Division.

In January of 1959, the C-45 was dropped from USAF Inventory and continued to serve with U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture. In 1989 the aircraft was acquired by The Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles Lexington, NE and restored by the Confederate Air Force in 1989-90. The C-45 is presently flying in the air show circuit as the “Beech Baby”.

Below you can find the complete history of C-45H 52-10613 (courtesy of beechbaby.com)

BEECH AT-11 S/N 43-10374 / C-45H S/N 52-10613

Manufactured In 1943 at Beech Aircraft. Wichita.

Accepted by USAAF 1 March 1944 (S/N 43-10374)

10/1944 -Midland Army Air Field, Texas……………. 2528th Air Base Group (Air Training Command)
03/1945 -Perrin Field, Texas…………………………. 2537th Air Base Group (Air Training Command)
06/1946 -Stewart Army Air Field. Georgia………….. 2002nd Air Base Group (Air Training Command)
09/1946 -Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio…………4163rd Air Base Group (Air Defense Command)
07/1947 -Godman Field, Kentucky…………………... 315th Air Base Group (Air Defense Command)
10/1947 -Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio…………4163rd Base Air Base Group (Air Training Command)
12/1948 -Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio…………2240th Air Force Reserve Training Center
08/1949 -Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio…………2757th Air Base Squadron (Air Materiel Command)
12/1949 -Cleveland Municipal Airport, Ohio…………2240th Air Force Reserve Training Center
10/1950 -Greenville AFB, South Carolina……………433rd Troop Carrier Wing, Medium (Tactical Air Command)
07/1951 -Greenville AFB, South Carolina……………375th Troop Carrier Wing, Medium (Tactical Air Command)
12/1951 -McChord AFB, Washington………………62nd Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy (TAC)
04/1952 -Larson AFB, Washington…………………62nd Troop Carrier Wing, Heavy (TAC)
12/1952 -McConnell AFB, Kansas……………………Dropped from the USAF Inventory for reclamation.

Remanufactured by Beech Aircraft and delivered to USAF as C-45H from Jan-Oct 1953 (S/N 52-10613)

10/1953 -Hamilton AFB, California……………………Western Air Defense Force (Air Defense Command)
03/1955 -Norton AFB, California………………………27th Air Division (Air Defense Command)
09/1956 -Paine AFB, Washington…………………..326th Fighter Group – 25th AD, (Air Defense Command)
07/1957 -Paine AFB, Washington………………326th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (ADC)
07/1958 -Oxnard AFB, California……………………..414th Consolidated Aircraft Maintenance Squadron (ADC)
12/1958 -Transferred to Davis-Monthan AFB. Arizona, aircraft declared as excess.
01/1959 -Aircraft dropped from USAF Inventory.

- After USAF service this aircraft continued to serve with U.S. Forest Service and U.S. Department of Agriculture.

- Acquired by The Heartland Museum of Military Vehicles Lexington, NE in 1989, restored by the Confederate Air Force in 1989-90, presently flying as the “Beech Baby”.

For additional information on the "Beech Baby" visit beechbaby.com

Website provided and maintained by:

The McChord Air Museum Foundation

P.O. Box 4205

McChord AFB, WA. 98438-0205

253-982-2485

e-mail - mamfound@mcchordairmuseum.org