Beech AT-11 Kansan
Manufacturer: Beechcraft
Model: AT-11 Kansan
Role: Advanced Trainer
Year of Manufacture: 1943
Construction Number: 3700
USAAF Serial Number: 42-37217
Civil Registration Number: N6956C
Model Background:
The AT-11 is a version of the venerable Beech Model 18 (often called the “Twin Beech”) built as a bombing and gunnery trainer for the USAAF in World War II. More than 1,500 were built for the USAAF. Today, just a handful remain.
History of this Aircraft:
This aircraft spent its operational military life during World War II being used as a bombardier and navigator training aircraft at Childress Army Air Force Base in Childress Texas. While there it was almost certainly operated by Army Air Force pilots and WASP (Women’s Air Service Pilots). After the war it was converted to be a sprayer and fire bomber.
| Military History | |
| April 14, 1943 | Delivered to 1107th Bombardier Training Squadron, 2512th AAF Base Unit, Bombardier Training School, Air Training Command, Childress AAF, TX |
| May 7, 1943 | Accident when hit by taxiing AT-11 41-9473. Damage repaired. |
| November 1944 | To 2528th AAFBU (Bombardiers School, ATC), Midland AAF TX |
| January 1946 | To 4132nd AAFBU (Air Materiel Command), Garden City AAF KS (storage) |
| July 1946 | To 4112th AAFBU (AMC), Olmstead AAF PA (storage) |
| September 1946 | To 138th AAFBU (Air Defense Command), Lowry AAF CO (to T-11) |
| December 1948 | To 2468th Air Reserve Training Center (US Air Force Reserves), Lowry AFB |
| June 1949 | To 2466th Air Reserve Training Center (AFRES), Stout Field IN |
| February 1950 | To 2466th Air Reserve Training Center (AFRES), Atterbury AFB IN |
| April 1951 | To 3800th Air University Wing (Air University), Maxwell AFB AL |
| January 1953 | To Ogden Air Materiel Area, Hill AFB UT (storage) |
| October 1954 | Approved for reclamation at Hill Air Force Base |
| February 14, 1957 | Disposal Agent at Hill Air Force Base sold the airplane to Marshall E. Long of Oakland, CA for $3,051 and registered as N6956C |
| Civilian History | |
| July 23, 1959 | Certificate of Airworthiness issued. (FAA registration index card mistakenly shows c/n 3700 as registration N52933 which was actually c/n 968) |
| January 16, 1958 | L.H. & Grace E. McCurley/McCurley’s Aero Agriculture, Corning, CA BS |
| September 12, 1958 | Aero Atlas Inc, Red Bluff, CA BS |
| November 10, 1958 | Certificate of Airworthiness issued (restricted category ag & pest control) |
| July 21, 1959 | Two 1500 lb liquid capacity cabin tanks installed 21Jul59 |
| July 28, 1961 | P & B Aviation Inc, Red Bluff, CA BS (assigned Region 5 fire tanker #E28) |
| September 26, 1961 | Accident Red Bluff, CA landing gear collapsed on landing on fire fighting flight. |
| July 15, 1963 | Graubart Aviation Inc, Valparaiso, IN BS |
| February 4, 1964 | Lee Maples/Maples Aviation Inc, Rolla, MO. |
| May 7, 1975 | Reported by Maples as destroyed in 7 May 75 accident in letter to FAA. |
| November 29, 1979 | Sold to Robert C. Hood, Carthage, MO BS. |
| Feb 6, 2016 | Sold to Paul Ehlen to join the Wings of the North collection. Aircraft transported to AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, MN to begin restoration in partnership with Wings of the North. |
| Feb 1, 2017 | Donated to Wings of the North. |
Special thanks to Bob Parmerter for contributing to this history. He is the author of “Beech 18: A Civil & Military History” available through the beechcraftheritagemuseum.org gift shop.