NAS GROSSE ILE

Beechcraft SNB / JRB

    


Photo from the William Larkins Collection

 


Photo from the Tim Tyler Collection

Comments on the photo from the Larkins Collection:
The dark areas of this aircraft are probably blaze orange in color while other of these aircraft were white or gray.  During the early to mid 50s they may have also had an orange stripe around of the fuselage.  They were normally parked east of hanger 1 and sort of in front of the fire hall as far back as the mid 50s. The dark bulb on the rear center fuselage is the ADF antenna. Occasionally they had two installed.
When the squadrons went on their annual cruises the skipper of some squadrons would take it along as the CO plane. They also used it for aerial photography.
They were noted for being a difficult aircraft to land, but maybe no worse that R4D. The pilots all grumbled about flying them and very few if any ever greased one on. It was considered it a smooth landing if they only bounced twice.

Comments edited from: Hal Neubauer and Larry Needham

Comments on the photo from the Tyler Collection:
This aircraft is displayed on the grounds of the museum at Selfridge ANG Base just north of Detroit, MI. which is also where the NASGI activity moved at the closing of NASGI. At the time of the move it was known as NAS Detroit. As far as we can tell this aircraft did not actually serve at NAS Grosse Ile but was painted to resemble one that would have serve there. -- Stanley Outlaw

Specifications
Equivalents C-34, AT-7, AT-10, UC-45, F-2, CQ-3, DC-45, C-45, T-7, T-11, Model 18
Type Five to seven seat utility transport
Crew Two
Engine Two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 Wasp Juniors
Horsepower 450 each
Max Speed 215 mph
Ceiling 20,000 ft.
Range 700 miles
Empty Wt 5890 lbs
Max Takeoff 7850 lbs.
Wingspan 47 ft. 8 in.
Length 34 ft. 3 in.
Height 9 ft. 8 in.
Wing Area 349 sq. ft.
Beechcraft's model 18 first flight was on 15 January 1937 and was only moderately successful until 1940 when the Army Air Corps ordered 11 aircraft designated C-45's as staff transports. After the initial order there were orders for A, B, C, D, E and F models. All were later designated UC-45's.
CQ-3 = Drones

DC-45F = Drones

At-7 (Navigator) = Navigations trainers, later re-designated T-7.

AT-11 (Kansas, Kansan) = Advanced trainer (carried machine gun and a small bomb load).

F-2 = Photo recon.

The Navy and Marines procured a total of over 1500 Model 18's.

JRB- = Photo recon
JRB-2 = Transport
JRB-3 = Transport
JRB-4 = Transport
SNB-1 = Advance Trainer
SNB-2 = Navigation Trainer
SNB-3 = Navigation Trainer
SNB-2H = Ambulance
SNB-2P = Photo recon
SNB-3Q = ECM Trainer

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Revised: March 20, 2014