Beech 18 Expeditor

Описание: The Beech Model 18, feeder-liner first flew in January, 1937 at Wichita, and was an immediate success. It followed Walter Beech's Staggerwing into production with a variety of engine options (Wright, Pratt & Witney, Jacobs), and the last model came off the line in November, 1969 - a longer production run than even the DC3.

The US military ordered it in a variety of guises, such as the AT7, AT11, F.2, SNB-1 to 5, JRB1 to 4, plus later 3n, NM and TM variants, and these variants were used throughout WW2 as trainers. The C45 (-A to F) and UC45 transport versions were used extensively as small transports and VIP aircraft, and served throughout the 40s, 50s, 60s and 70s in the training and transport role. They were operated by the RAF in SE Asia Command and by the Royal Navy, that had some 300 of the type. The USAF continued to use the type into the 1970s and it rendered good service during the Korean War and also to many Western Air Forces post WW2.

This Beech 18 Expeditor 3TM , G-BKGL, was built during WW2 and re-manufactured in 1951 by the Beech company for delivery to the RCAF with the c/n CA164. It was taken on charge by the RCAF on 24th April 1952 and given the Serial No.1564. It was later re-numbered 5193, and posted to Air Defence Command at Chatham, New Brunswick on 29th April 1952. On 3rd March, 1958 she moved to No.104 Communications Flight at St Hubert, Quebec, and later on to the Canadian Armed Forces Mobile Command at the same location. On 31st October 1966 she moved to 3FTS at Portage la Prairie, Manitoba and was operated both there and at Winnipeg by 5 Air Navigation School until 5th February 1970, when she was flown to Saskatoon for disposal by the Crown Assets Disposal Corporation in 1971.

In 1971 she was purchased by the Giltaur Space Research Corporation, registered C-FQPD. Giltaur sold her on 19th October 1972 to Capital Air Surveys of Pembroke, Ontario.This company carried out a lot of aerial survey work, and during one of their missions to Europe, with three Beech 18s, the company went bankrupt, and the three machines, including C-FQPD found themselves in open storage at Prestwick during their ferry flight from North Africa.

Meanwhile, at Duxford, home of the British Aerial Museum (BAM), Graeme Warner had been looking for a Beech 18 to act as a support aircraft for their Blenheim re-build project, and also as a pilot-trainer for this unique and historic British aircraft. Graeme heard about the aircraft stranded at Prestwick, and visited the airfield where he found three nice Beech 18s which were owned by two different finance companies. One aircraft, C-FDTN was in very good shape with low hours and metal covered control surfaces, and it was this machine that Graeme wanted. However, its owner wanted the same sum of money for this single aircraft as the other finance company wanted for their pair of C-FQPD and C-FSUQ (c/n CA203), so Graeme bought the pair with the idea of using UQ as a spares ship. Registered G-BKGL and G-BKGM, the two machines were prepared for a ferry flight to Duxford, whilst the third eventually became G-BKRN and found its way to the Scottish Aircraft Collection at East Fortune. When the pair arrived at Duxford, Anthony Hutton persuaded Graeme to part with GM and this now flies with Anthony's collection in Wales in a USAF SAC Scheme.

Meanwhile, the BAM team under John Romain, stripped GL down to bare metal, overhauled the entire airframe and engines, removed the square Model G wing tips, renewed the cabin floor, and deleted the auto-pilot, cabin heating and de-icing systems. The Cabin was refurbished and fitted with new seating, and the whole aircraft finished in a 1943 US Navy scheme of Dark Sea Blue over Dove Grey with the correct US markings. A UK CAA Standard Airworthiness certificate was applied for, and the aircraft appeared on the UK Air Show circuit from 1983 onwards.

In 1989 the BAM decided to thoroughly overhaul the aircraft again, and this work was carried out over a year with interior fittings being either totally refurbished or replaced, and this 1942 USAAC all silver scheme painted on with the correct insignia. At this time, the BAM became the Aircraft Restoration Company (ARC), and they continued to own and operate her. However, in the late 1990s it was decided to dispose of her and in 1998 she was bought by Tim Darrah, another Cathay Pacific Boeing 747 Captain and colleague of Martin Willing's. Together with Martins T28, G-BKGL became part of Radial Revelation.

In May 2017 ownership of the Expeditor passed to Nick Houghton. Special nose art has been added and the aircraft named 'Good Vibrations'.

Filmed at the Shuttleworth Family Airshow 2018.

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