TheaterFire

Beechcraft RC-45J (Model 18)

Posted by N40189@reddit | aviation | View on Reddit | 20 comments

Taken near Janesville, WI

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20 Comments

magnumfan89@reddit

One of my favorite cargo planes, only behind the c97, dc3 and c46
View on Reddit #7769591

N40189@reddit (OP)

The DC-3 is my favorite
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Festivefire@reddit

I didn't know the army air Corp or USAAF ever operated the 18.
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N40189@reddit (OP)

About half of the production run was delivered to the government. This one had Bu No 51218 and was delivered to the Navy September 1943 to NAS Corpus Christi.
View on Reddit #7752793

Festivefire@reddit

What did they use them for? Coastal recon? I don't imagine sending an unarmed B18 to take photos of German airfields would have worked very well.
View on Reddit #7753124

N40189@reddit (OP)

I believe the most prolific user was the Naval aerial photography school at NAS Pensacola.
View on Reddit #7768456

Chapshtik@reddit

My grandpa had a model 18D when I was between the age of 8 and 14. I logged a couple hundred hours in that plane with him. Some of the most fun I’ve ever had. Once I was tall enough to see over the dash, I was taking it off and landing it. He would work the throttles and the pedals of course haha. Such an awesome plane. We spent countless hours polishing it.
View on Reddit #7749404

N40189@reddit (OP)

Sounds fun we spend about 160 hours a year polishing
View on Reddit #7752870

belinck@reddit

Beautiful. Is that the same animal as the Electra 10?
View on Reddit #7737784

N40189@reddit (OP)

Similar, the Lockheed Electra has the same engines but the cockpit comes to a point like a DC-3 and the horizontal stabilizer extends beyond the vertical stabilizer rudder. The Model 18 in this video has the vertical stabilizer at the very end of the horizontal stabilizer and the cockpit window is flat. Those are the major differences you can see from a long ways away. Electra are very rare too. About 9000 model 18s were made
View on Reddit #7744294

things_most_foul@reddit

No, but they do look very similar.
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Humble-Bag-1312@reddit

Beautiful aircraft aren't they? I remember building a model kit of one as a kid, loved it.
View on Reddit #7740607

Stay-At-Home-Jedi@reddit

How freaking cool is that! Can you buy a ride or is it privately owned?
View on Reddit #7725985

N40189@reddit (OP)

The airplane is used to give “Young Eagle” rides a free airplane ride for kids ages 8-17.
View on Reddit #7736875

Stay-At-Home-Jedi@reddit

I'm 17 in my heart... ..
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things_most_foul@reddit

Thank you for this. My dad flew in C-45D Expeditors as a radio operator in the early 60s with the Canadian Air Force reserves.
View on Reddit #7711747

N40189@reddit (OP)

That is awesome. Your Dad deserves thanks for serving. The last assignment was Alameda Naval Air Station. There are some nice examples of CAF expeditors that are flying.
View on Reddit #7737337

Ivy_Wings@reddit

This looks so angelic ! Thank you!
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N40189@reddit (OP)

She flies like an angel…
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MetaCalm@reddit

What a beauty.
View on Reddit #7720809