Warbird Information Exchange

JRB Expeditor

In 1939, the U.S. Army Air Corps (USAAC), superseded by the U.S. Army Air Forces (USAAF) on 20 June 1941, ordered two versions of the Model B18S for military service. These two aircraft, like all Model 18s in U.S. military service, were powered by two 450 hp (336 kW) Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior nine-cylinder, single-row, air-cooled, radial engines with Hamilton-Standard constant-speed propellers. The first order, placed in April 1939, was for fourteen specialized photographic reconnaissance aircraft, designated F-2; these aircraft had two multiple-lens mapping cameras located in the cabin floor and a special device installed in the cabin door permitting side-view or oblique-angle photography. In August 1939, eleven aircraft intended for use as six-passenger staff transports, designated C-45, were ordered. [In 1943, the USAAF redesignated transport and cargo aircraft that could accommodate up to eight persons, including pilot, or a cargo weighing no more than 1,400 pounds (635 kg) as utility transports and cargo aircraft (UC) and the C-45s were redesignated UC-45s.] In June 1940, the USN placed an initial order for five Model B18Ss similar to the USAAC's F-2 to be used as photographic and drone-control aircraft. These five-place aircraft, designated JRB-1, had a hatch within the cabin door to allow an oblique camera installation; they also had a fairing over the cockpit and forward cabin to allow for the radio control of drone aircraft. The fairing had numerous windows permitting the drone controller to observe and control the drone aircraft. Two other orders following bringing the total number of aircraft ordered to eleven; all were delivered by late 1940. Initially, the JRB-1s were named Voyager but the name was subsequently changed to Expeditor.

The USN placed a second order in 1940 for fifteen five-passenger aircraft, designated JRB-2, intended to serve as transports for senior officers. During the war, two USAAF C-45s and a civil Model B18S, were transferred to the USN and designated JRB-2. All future Model 18s acquired by the USN would be ordered by the USAAF and transferred to the Navy.

In 1942, the USAAF ordered 243 eight-passenger C-45B-BHs; included in the order were 20 for the USN which designated them JRB-3s. These aircraft were fitted with photographic survey equipment and could be used as either transports or photographic aircraft. All were delivered to the USN in 1942 and 1943.

The final production version of the C-45 series was the UC-45F-BH. In 1943, the USAAF ordered 1,465 of these aircraft including 328 JRB-4s for the USN. This version had a slightly lengthened nose and could accommodate seven-passengers. Deliveries began in 1944

A JRB-1 launched the very first Air to Surface guided missile attack on the 9th April 1942 when the control JRB-1 guided a TG-2 Torpedo Assault Drone against the USS Aaron Ward.

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Zero Surprise!!...

And so the huge question for me is "Were these aircraft deployed and used in Combat?" Does the Joe Baugher website listed loss data below support this assumption?



2543 SOC jan 31, 1946
2544 (VJ-8) lost at Russells in south Pacific May 14, 1945. SOC Jun 30, 1945
2545 SOC Oct 31, 1944
2546 (POOL) SOC at Pearl Harbor Jul 31, 1945
2547 (VJ-8) lost at Russells in south Pacific May 14, 1945. SOC Jun 30, 1945.

No loss data on the later 47xx serial aircraft

AGAINYou have to be my biggest fan LINK - http://axis-and-allies-paintworks.com/e ... .php?17921

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When I was young "sex was safe & flying was dangerous".

AGAIN your wrong. Glad to see you too have an interest.

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Zero Surprise!!...

An interesting sub variant to me as well. At first glance I would have skipped it over thinking just another Twin Beech, but the raised glazing and drone control role is quite interesting.

The last line on the initial post regarding the TG-2 Assault Drone and the 1942 attack on the Aaron Ward got me searching as 1942 seemed awfully early for a combat drone launch, I was not familiar with TG-2 designation? (wiki seems to indicate the TG-2 was the controller aircraft and perhaps the unmanned Curtis N2C-2 Fledgling was the drone? https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/History_o ... l_vehicles ) not to mention why a US aircraft would "attack" a US ship.....perhaps a 1942 "test launch"?

The Culver PQ-14, the Naval Aircraft Factory TDN and Interstate TDR were all in the timeline as well.

Neat post.

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Neal Nurmi

---Wingman Photo---