It
was originally built in 1942 as 42-44514, but then re-built in 1951 and was
delivered to the USAF on the 11/6/52 to the 3301st pilot training
squadron (air training command), Columbus AFB MS. It then moved to pilot
training group (ATC) Moore AB TX, and then to the 3040th aircraft
storage squadron Davis Monthan AFB.
In
January 1957 it was dropped from the USAF inventory by transfer to the Mutual Defense
Assistance Plan. It was sold under MDAP to the French Air force where it
served in Algeria. The picture below shows it flying in Algeria in 1958.
There has been a lot of restoration work done with the main cockpit area virtually complete. Presently (August 2004) work is centered on the major rebuild of the rear fuselage, all the skins have been removed and the frame repaired and painted ready to accept a complete set of new skins. The front fuselage side panels have been repaired and rebuilt, the port side was particularly bad and it needed new skins. See the picture below to see the newly rebuilt side panel standing in front of the stripped rear fuselage.
For more details of the restoration see the Beech Restorations web site, www.beechrestorations.com
