Fuselage ID help needed

[dogtags]

Recently I visited a gentleman who is planning on donating a historic military vehicle to Military Veterans Museum and Education Center. While there I noticed this camper sitting at the end of a line of trucks and trailers.

The gentleman said it was built in Florida and brought up here around 1968-1969 and has stayed in northern Wisconsin ever since. Many people have guessed at what this fuselage is from but no one has been able to positively ID it. Could you be the first?

Thanks for looking!

~Robert

 

[trukhead]

Lockheed Y1C-37

 

[dogtags]

I'll add more photos later for better ID.

All Lockheeds I've seen have square windows not round like this plane does. Also this one appears to have had a turret up top. I doubt a cargo plane would have such a feature.

~Robert

 

[Heath_h49008]

I'm thinking PV-2/Electra/Hudson... the top hole might be the nav bubble and not the turret that was farther back. The windows could be due to a later civilian conversion.

But I could be wrong.

 

[Heath_h49008]

http://cdn-www.airliners.net/aviation-photos/middle/5/9/4/1248495.jpg

Beech AT-11

 

[M813rc]

I second Heath's AT-11.

Cheers

 

[Scar59]

Heath is right on, civilian model was the Beech 18, worked them for several years before jets.

 

[dogtags]

Thanks for your quick answers. Here are the rest of the images for your viewing pleasure.

~Robert

 

[Recovry4x4]

What a cool looking aircraft. Are there any of these still airworthy? Going to google now.

 

[Scar59]

There are several flying (AT-11) as collectable warbirds, they were navagation trainers, Civilian Beech-18 would be pretty tired by now. The Beech 18 I worked carried cancelled checks and other loose freight at night. Twin Pratt & Whitney R-985, 9 cylinder radials. Haven't seen one in the air or taxi by for a while.

 

[Scar59]

[h=2]

[/h]Here is what we use to carry packages at night now.

 

[marchplumber]

Huh, can hardly see the difference. (man, I MISS aviation!)

God bless,
Tony

LOL

 

[Heath_h49008]

There are tons of C-18s out there. Actually, that fuselage might be valuable if it's intact enough to be used to build a AT-11 clone out of a civi-Beech. It would make for a good entry level warbird with some utility.

I know the EAA had one they used to haul VIPs around. I marshaled and chocked it at the last big High On Kalamazoo airshow. They are beautiful birds.

 

[Scar59]

Oh man, you think rebuilding a truck is expensive, it would cost millions to make that airframe fly again. An airworthy Beech can be had for less than 100K.

Lets get one and start a little expedited truck parts business. We could air drop the light stuff.

 

[doghead]

That trailer is awesome. I love to see surplus reused into something out of the ordinary.

The knowledge base of the members on theis site is awesome. We have so many members with a very broad range of knowledge and experiance!

This is a very cool thread.

 

[Scar59]

This could haul the heavy stuff.

 

[Heath_h49008]

I have friends who work for National. Actually, my buddy Jamie was one of those who died in the crash in Afghanistan last month. We lived together in a bachelor pad years ago with some friends.

His dad and brother both work for them as well.

If you wanted to use that AT-11 chunk, the only rational thing I could think of would be to use those panels and cut them into an existing C-18. I doubt the bottom box around the main spar is any good if that was used as a trailer in the salty north for very long. Then you would only be a glass nose and a polish/paint job away from having your own warbird. (Although you'd be missing the bomb bays the AT-11 had as well.)

Wow... kinda makes me want an AT-11!

 

[Scar59]

Bad scene, so sorry, that crew never had a chance. RIP. That National jumbo was on our ramp this past Peak season (Christmas) hauling packages for Big Brown.

 

[USAFSS-ColdWarrior]

Heath:
So sorry for your loss. Civilians who died in the war effort. May they be as honored as all others who have sacraficed.
John

 

[Heath_h49008]

Thanks. He was doing what he loved. How many 34 year old guys do you know in the right seat of a 747? You know what I mean? Before he left for the AF we rebuilt our bikes in his dad's hanger/garage and he ended up riding his to Chicken Alaska. He was that kind of guy.

I just wish they would have stopped that **** video from being released. It has done nothing good for any of the families. The last thing anyone needs is to remember their loved ones death in flames. Still makes me sick to think of it.