ended

[The Inspector]

Congratulations on finding an aviation job in this sucky economy!!! The unemp rate in Wash state is over 10% right now.

[Second Air Force]

Great project, good luck with it! Too many of those are languishing behind barns and hangars.

Somewhere I read an article about how Beech rebuilt all the trainers and wartime transports into C-45G/SNB-5s.

IIRC...Flew them to Oklahoma, cut off fuselages, sent center sections somewhere (I don't think Witchita) and built a new plane around them.

If anyone here has the whole story, I'd love to refresh my memory.

Yep -- Beech did almost 1000 of 'em. The wing panels and empennage were removed, possibly along with the seats and inst panel (?). Engines were O/H'ed and props were changed to Hydramatics as required. The original fuse/gear was crushed, and new parts were built up with an updated, stronger, center section and gear.

The original wings/emp were re-installed, along with O/H'ed engines and either new or O/H'ed props. I do not know about the panel -- was it R&R'd or replaced?

I would expect that some AT11 types were reman'd into the UC-45J/SNB-5 setup at this time, as required by the military.

The re-man'd ship carried the same S/N, and time in service was brought fwd -- the ships were not '0 timed'. Mine has about 3500 hrs since this O/H process, and ~13000 total. 1 wing panel was also changed out after a windstorm in the late 50s, otherwise she is more or less 'original', I guess.


Carry on!
Mark

Mark,

I have just now read your post on the remanufacture program. I am on my way to work, but I'll post some photos and part of the teardown procedure for y'all later. The airplanes were sent to the former Herington Army Air Field (processing center for overseas-bound B-24s and B-29s) in central Kansas, not Oklahoma. I've spent many, many hours tramping around Herington, and it's neat to talk to someone who has an airplane that went through there!

Scott

[Second Air Force]

Here's a quick and dirty on what Beech did at Herington from the little research material I've found. The selected airplanes were flown or otherwise shipped to Herington for teardown. The wings, nacelles, engines, and empennage were removed and cleaned near the smaller hangar at the far end of the first photo. These components were shipped by rail to the Beechcraft plant. I have heard that the remaining fuselages were scrapped on site, but a few locals I've talked to said the fuselages left the field and were supposedly disposed of elsewhere. Perhaps Taigh has the full story on what went on at Beech/Herington.

Overhead shot of the field:

The two center hangars are no longer standing. The square hangar burned in the early eighties while Beech was storing excess aircraft inventory at Herington, and the other hangar was destroyed by a small tornado in the early seventies. The south hangar and sub-depot are still in fine shape and being used by non-aviation businesses.

And a nice photo of the south hangar:


This hangar and the one that was blown down had/have a vertical fin door in the back wall to allow two B-29s to be accomodated at one time, nose to nose with both aft fuselages sticking outside.

Scott

[racemech11]

Nice project. I'm in the middle of one just like it, helping a friend. We are fitting the spar strap now and just had a little set back. Found some corrision on an extruded angle in the right wing tank.

We've got the elevator, rudders and ailerons completed as well as the left wing with spar strap and now working the right wing.

Fun stuff that's for sure.

[Project Warbird]

I love all the info and pics about the Beeches. Keep it coming.

Chip,
Great to hear about your friends project. Can you post a couple pics?

I have started getting some of the elevator back together. Started on the leading edges.

More later.

[Project Warbird]

Hi everyone,

Made some progress this past weekend. Saturday I was able to go down and work on the SNB. With the help of a young man that lives next to the runway, we got the bushes and small trees cut out first. Then I cut the screw heads off the horizontal attach point to remove it. Daniel helped me get it up on the trailer and then, just for the fun of it, we tried to fill up the main tires. I couldn't believe it,( the tubes held air. ) After taking another good look over the plane I thought that I should take out everything that a souvenir hunter would take. Knowing that if people see the plane being worked on, they might think they need to get something before it is gone. So we took out all the radios, seats,loose panels,yokes,and some instruments. I'm hoping to get back down soon and finish getting it ready to move. Next I will have to move all the items around the plane so it can be pulled over to the runway. Then it can be put on a trailer from there.

What it looked like when I drove up.


The screws I had to cut. I used a dremel tool and it worked perfect. No cuts into the plane skin that way.






Back home later after a great day. It's a 4 1/2 hour drive each way.

[Project Warbird]

Got a new toy this weekend. Needed this to move the SNB around some day. It's a 1977 Harlan Tug. Was owned by US-Airways to move luggage around. I also got two luggage trailers, but I still have to dig them out of the snow. I don't know how I will use the trailers yet. Maybe clean the tug and trailers up and give rides.

FUN FUN!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Cvairwerks]

If you had a need for a variable height work stand, the one in the background of the trailer pics might be a nice score if it were cheap enough...

[Rajay]

Excellent project! Great and give us lots of updates as you progress. You will probably want to get a hold of Taigh Ramey, as he is the local Beech 18 expert and he posts here a lot. Here is his website:

http://twinbeech.com/

By "local" I assume that you mean to the forum. Stockton CA is a LONG way from the Asheville NC neighborhood. Heck, I'm just down hill on I-40 to the east of Asheville in Chapel Hill (228 miles according to Mapquest) and I feel like I'm way too far away. If Eric was any closer, I'd be right there to help him out every weekend!

There used to be an old Beech 18 derelict in Burlington, NC at a municipal/county garage/warehouse about 1.5 miles from the local airport. I don't know what ever happened to it -it's been gone for about 10 years now. It was N6418C and it is still registered to Harry Doan in Daytona Beach - long after he died! According to the FAA registration database, it was a "1956" C18S s/n 41-1181. Of course, they probably got the 1956 from its CAA A/W certificate and the s/n looks like an old USAAC number which Baugher lists as a former AT-7. I really wish I knew what happened to it....

Eric, I'm not personally into all of the details of the old radios, but you seem to have something really special there. It would be really cool to be able to restore them and the whole aircraft to their original condition and configuration. It's probably extremely rare these days to have that much of a head start on a completely authentic and original restoration. What a "gift"!

Best of luck!

Last edited by Rajay on Mon Sep 06, 2010 4:13 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[PBO]

Great project - i'm in the UK and helping restore a 1951 Beech being restored as a 1943 JRB-3, when it flies (hopefully this year) it'll be only the third airworthy Beech 18 over here

http://www.beechrestorations.com/

[Project Warbird]

Hi everyone,

It's been a long time. I now have a great update to share. After moving from San Diego 2 years ago, I have finally got a hanger at the Asheville Regional Airport. I have started moving the project into it and will have things set up in a week or so. Then the restoration work will start.
The only problem with having a hanger at this airport is that there is no other Warbird or radial aircraft. So if any of you guys happen to be flying by, Please feel free to stop in. I work at Belle Aircraft Maintenance on the GA side. We can get a
PBO: Great project you are working on. I'm glad to see a group restoring Beech's over the pond.
Is anyone doing any in Australia?

[Steven M. Dennis]

That's excellent news Eric! Looks like a great place to keep your SNB.
Did you guys ever get over to Tullahoma to the Beech museum yet?

Talk to you later,

Steve

[Project Warbird]

Update time,

This weekend I was able to work in the hanger and get things set up. Then I started working on the project. I was able to remove the vertical stabs from the horizontal stab.









I started to drill apart one of the Vert stabs and found some fun stuff.




I hope to make more progress this week.

[AviationArtist]

Hi Eric,

You've got me green with envy! I have a 1951 SNB-5 instrument panel that I'm restoring at the moment. I would love to get a whole airframe or even a cockpit. It looks different to your one so I'm guessing your's is a later mod? I have an original manual that shows the different variants if that will help, I could just as well be wrong about that though. I am in the UK so parts for the Beech 18 are very hard to come by. Keep posting, the photos are an inspiration.

All the best!

[Project Warbird]

update time.

Made a trip down to the project on the weekend of the 26th and 27th. Made some good progress on getting the plane ready to move. The plan is to drill the nose and tail sections off. Then move the last large section on a truck. During this trip I was able to cut down all the bushes around the plane and reinstall the wheels. I took them off the trip before and serviced the bearings and axles so that it will move easy. I was able to jack the tail into the back of my truck and move it to a better spot to work on. The next day I started to drill off the nose and removed the nose fuel tanks. I should have the nose off this coming trip this weekend. I also removed the instrument panel and some other small parts.

AviationArtist,
I would like to see a pic of your instrument panel. I really like the drawing you have as your avitar. Did you do that?











Just to let everyone know SORRY THE STEARMAN IS NOT FOR SALE!!!