A VARIETY OF PROP TYPES - USA 1970s

In keeping with the motto of the early PROPLINER magazines Jets Are For Kids, this is a selection of my photographs
of propeller driven aircraft seen in USA in the late 1970s

Fairchild C-82 Packet N9701F at Anchorage, Alaska in September 1979, still in TWA scheme from its days carrying spare engines
for TWA's Constellations in Europe and North Africa.  Now she was hauling fresh fish from Kenai and Kodiak.
The jet pak on the roof was part of the Steward Davis Jet Packet 3400A modifications installed in 1963. 


Also at Anchorage, but stored pending future use was Northern Air Cargo's Douglas C-133B Cargomaster N133B.
The company kept another C-133B N199AB airworthy for 30 years on government oversized cargo contracts

Anchorage International Airport includes two large lakes for floatplanes. An effective way to photograph the hundreds of
aircraft around the edges of the lakes was a helicopter joyride.  Here's SeaAir's DHC-4 Caribou N580PA in September 1979.


Some of the fascinating scenes along the banks of Lake Hood on the airport

Another Caribou at Anchorage in September 1979 was N539Y in the same all metallic finish it wore in SE Asia with Air America

Thanks to Tony, our Alaskan bush chopper pilot, for the low level circuit of the Anchorage Airport lakes

Military disposals Cessna T-50 Bobcats were in widesprerad commercial use after WWII, but their wooden construction
made them a rare sight by the late 1970s.  This pair were at Rosamund, California in September 1977

This restored Bobcat N30L visited the Confederate Air Force annual airshow at Harlingen Texas in October 1977

Another visitor to that 1977 Confederate Air Force airshow was this USAF Fairchild C-123K 54-618 still in military service

Douglas B-23 Dragons were modified for the civil market after WWII as executive transports.
Only a few survive and N880L was parked at Ryan Field, Arizona in November 1977 for some engine work

Another B-23 Dragon N747M was parked among light aircraft at Salinas, California in September 1977.
The following year it was acquired by Ed Daly, president of World Airways, and renovated as his own classy executive aircraft

Most surviving North American B-25 Mitchells were flown as warbirds, but N5865V at Fort Lauderdale, Florida
in October 1977 had faded civil paintwork from its days as an executive transport fitted with airstair door and other refinements.
Damaged by a windstorm, it was for sale "as is" - the new owner restored it to military standard to join the other B-25 warbirds

Douglas A-26 Invaders were the elite of the corporate executive transports in the pre-Learjet days. Many were also in use as
fire tankers in USA and Canada.   Here's privately-owned N550 at Opa Locka, Florida in October 1979


N7705C at Chino, California in September 1979 was a typical A-26 Invader executive modification, with On-Mark modifications
including the lengthened nose.  Despite the fading paintwork, it was later restored and still flies today
The ultimate A-26 corporate aircraft was the high performance On Mark Marksman with pressurised passenger cabin.
This A-26 N26AB seen at Fort Lauderdale in October 1977 had some Marksman modifications, but not the deepened fuselage.
Privately owned,  it was painted in glossy grey pseudo USAF markings as Intimate Invader
Intimate Invader from the other side, showing the passenger cabin windows

 
On Mark Engineering modified 40 USAF Invaders as strengthened B-26K Counter Invaders, redesigned A-26A, for SE Asia.
A-26A N99218 ex 67-17657 was at Mojave, California in September 1977 still in tactical camouflage with rocket rails.
Owned by experienced warbird operator Wally McDonnell, it crashed on approach to Chino the following year.


Consolidated PBY-6A Catalina N7057C was parked at Fort Lauderdale, Florida in October 1979

PBY-6A N16KL at Long Beach, California in September 1977 had been purchased from the Danish Air Force in 1972

PBY-5A N68756 at Harlingen, Texas in October 1979 had just been acquired by Australian Mike Wansey.
It had been converted to a Landseaire luxury air yacht in 1952 and had a series of corporate owners

Catalina N5907 was modified in 1967 as the one and only Bird Innovator, with two Lycoming GSO-480 engines installed
outboard of the upgraded P&W R-1830s, a Super Cat squared tailplane, boats under each wing and a luxury interior
This unique aircraft was at Long Beach, California in September 1977. It has since been returned to standard Catalina configuration

Percival Pembroke N51948 at Ft Lauderdale Florida in October 1979 was one of a group of former Belgian Air Force Pembrokes
sold in USA the previous year.  It was still showing its Belgian Air Force serial RM2

Parked nearby at Fort Lauderdale was N51962, the former Belgian Air Force RM6

Hawaiian Air Tour Service flew De Havilland Doves and Herons on tourist flights from Honolulu for many years.
Their Dove N42S seen at Honolulu in September 1979 was fleet number 6

Hawaiian Air Tour Service Dove N134G at Honolulu in September 1977 was fleet number 7

DH.104 Dove N4916V was at Mojave. California in September 1979

Hawaiian Air Tour Service DH.114 Heron N16721 at Honolulu in September 1979 was fleet number 10

Prinair of Puerto Rico had a large fleet of Riley Herons. Here's their N553PR at Opa Locka, Florida in October 1979

Swift Aire Lines Nord 262 Mohawk N419SA at San Francisco in September 1977

Japanese NAMC YS-11 turboprop airliners retired by domestic airlines were purchased by several US operators in the late 1970s.
Here's Pinehurst Airlines freighter YS-11 N165P at Wilmington Ohio in September 1979

Another Pinehurst Airlines YS-11 N169P at Wilmington. operating on contract to freight-forwarder Airborne Charter Express

This sad looking Vickers Viscount N7973 was retired at Fort Lauderdale, Florida in October 1977

Another Viscount at Fort Lauderdale in October 1977 was Air Caribbean's VP-LAU, still in NZNAC scheme

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