Barnstormers Beech AT-11

[David J Burke]

Noted on Barnstormers a Beech AT-11 up for sale - does anyone know any details of her history?

[Tim Savage]

Noted on Barnstormers a Beech AT-11 up for sale - does anyone know any details of her history?

It is reportedly on of the 24 aircraft ordered by the Dutch for the Netherlands East Indies. With the fall of that territory it was transferred to the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School in Jackson, MS. I am not sure if this its actual history, but it is what is has been represented as over the years. Pretty neat if it is actually one of the 24.

[Taigh Ramey]

Take a look at her props. She still has the original Hamilton Standard 2D30 constant speed non feathering props. She also has her original dog house style landing gear, 33SC wheels tires and drum brakes. I believe that this is the only WWII Twin Beech or C model presently flying with her original 2D30 props.

A few years back I was looking at this aircraft at Oshkosh when I noticed a lot of patches on the top of the fuselage. Later when I saw the photo below I figured that this might be the same aircraft as the radar equipment would explain the configuration of the patches.

Here is a shot of what I believe to be the same aircraft being used to test radar equipment:

[DB2]

The aircraft Taigh posted is N6251C, used by the Raspet Flight Research Lab at Mississippi State during the '50s and '60s. Landings.com lists this aircraft as being currently owned by Star Aviation, who is selling the AT-11 on barnstormers.

The bulbous dealio on top is actually a scale model of a blimp, used for aerodynamic testing. You can find more pictures and history here:

http://www.ae.msstate.edu/rfrl/pages/at11.html

I worked at Raspet for a while and actually have one of the original prop blades from this aircraft in my garage.

[Taigh Ramey]

Hello DB2,

Thanks for the link about this Beech. How did they do the aerodynamic testing on the shapes? Did they measure actual forces on the blimp shape or was it tufted?

Here is an e-mail that was sent to Bob Parmerter and copied to me by the present owner Mike Allen:

Hello Bob,
Taigh Ramey suggested that I E-mail you. He indicted that you might have some history on my airplane. The aircraft was manufactured in 1942. It is I have been told the only survivor of the 24 lend/leased to the Royal Netherlands East Indian Air force. The Netherlands S/N: 42-3069. This airplane was used at Jackson Miss to train escaped Dutch to became pilots, bombardiers and gunners. It was returned to the USAAC in 1944 and was given the S/N: 44-72015. It was later put into storage and sold to the University of Mississippi in 1952. They used it for some kind of research. The University Mississippi sold it to seven partners around 1980. The Dutch airman that trained at Jackson Mississippi had a reunion and ask the prior owners to bring this aircraft to Miss. for the reunion. They informed the prior owners that this was the only survivor of the 24 that was assigned to them. After the reunion the prior owners verified that this was in fact one of those aircraft and proceeded to paint it in its original RNEIAF colors. I purchased the aircraft from them in 1994. It has its original non-feathering props and 33 in. tires as well as the original tailwheel. It is one that somehow escaped any modifications whatsoever. It is a great flying airplane and I am just finishing a new annual. If there is anymore that you could add in regard to this AT-11, I would appreciate it.
Thank You,
Mike Allen
North Carolina

[DB2]

I suspect the aerodynamic testing was done both by recording the behavior of tufts as well as a strain gauge/spring steel arrangements on the mounting points of the model. That testing was well before my time!

Anyway, I sent a note to Mike Allen (via his Barnstormers ad) with the names of some folks who can provide a lot more info on the plane (I think one guy who flew it is still around).

[bdk]

How did they do the aerodynamic testing on the shapes? Did they measure actual forces on the blimp shape or was it tufted?

My guess is that they would have had pressure ports around the blimp model. Tufts would tell you the flow direction, but I don't know how you would correlate that mathematically to performance. I suppose you could strain gage the struts, but I think your chances of getting a uselful result would be unlikely.