Beaver Tails master index
"The Tucson Twins" |
Can you help identify these two?
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Latest news: 17 November 2006.
I just located reports this morning of c/n SA592 and c/n SA1027 being at Tucson in 1979, which confirms one as being 592 http://www.dhc-2.com/id806.htm which looks correct...but note short exhaust stack on USAF machine and chin scoop. Source: Aviation Letter No: 154 P.7 and No: 149 P.11 Aircraft logged 10/01/79 at TUS. The second should then be http://www.dhc-2.com/id827.htm We need to find a report on the USAR to show N8034J being registerd circa 1979/1980. Or the S2- being de-registered. Neil |
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Photos: Trevor Davies © 14 October 1979
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Photo: via James E. Bernhard © December 1979 - Aird Archives
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Photo: Unknown photographer © October 1978 - Aird Archives
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The story so far - with sincere thanks to correspondents on AB-IX
Trev Davies, Bob Parmerter, John Davis, Clive Martin. Good evening all,
Trev:
Thank you for putting the pictures on the site for review - those visuals help, although do not give the answer. Evidently they were destined for Colombia, and I would suggest that they came from D-M to Tuscon International where they were repainted and got ready for sale. The titling "A. E. Colombia," and the winged logo, containing the initials 'AE', both identify the aircraft as being destined for Aerolineas Especiales de Colombia Ltda. "A.E." was the government approved abbreviation for this air taxi operator. However, there does not seem to be any evidence that they were delivered, as no appropriate registrations - probably in the HK-22oo or HK-23oo series have ever shown up. I do not know if there was a dealer at Tuscon who bought a couple (or more) Beavers at around that time, or if a couple suffered some sort of change on the USCAR. Also, whoever owned them probably tried to unload them without a new paint job........... Do not know if any of that helps at all - looks like a giant detective game to me! Best wishes John M Davis # 2111 Re: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers Hi Trev & John, Nothing specific to add to the DHC-2's at Tucson in Oct79 however it raises a question in my mind: did the US Border Patrol operate various AE Colombia marked airplanes (such as these Beavers) that had connections with Hamilton Aviation in Tucson, AZ? Hamilton Aviation seems to have had some connection with AE Colombia that keeps coming up in the histories of several turboprop Beech 18 conversions and a piston 18, and there are often questions concerning the identity of the aircraft involved. In addition, Brian Gates saw one of those Hamilton/AE Colombia 18s HK-1296 at DeKalb Peachtree in Atlanta,GA on 26Sep79 and noted that it was being used by the US Border Patrol! Some time ago, John Davis turned up a Jul81 letter from Hamilton to the FAA in which Hamilton tries to explain the convoluted trip through various registrations taken by Volpar Turboliner c/n AF-754 N353V that illustrates how complicated it can get. It went to Indonesia as PK-WWD in Mar70 then supposedly to a US citizen in late 70's, then to a Colombian buyer, who supposedly avoided taxes by registering it with a serial number from an old wrecked Beech 18 (HK-1296 A-366). The FAA reportedly agreed to re-certify it in the USA following importation as N4234A but would not change the c/n to the correct AF-754 and left it as A-366, which Hamilton said was scrapped in Colombia. I haven't sorted out all the Beech 18 questions involving Colombian registrations yet but am working on it. Regards, Bob Parmerter Morning all, Re: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers
Clive:
The 1978 date allows for the possibility of registrations in the HK-21oo series, as well. We will probably never identify the aircraft, but at least we have pointers Thanks John Subject: RE: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers > Hi All, > > Not often I can add to the commentary, but I recall seeing two such Beavers > at Tuscon AZ in March 1978. > This may have a bearing on register changes you could be looking for.I never > did found out their identities either !! > > Best Regards > Clive Martin Re: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers Bob: Thanks I had forgotten about our Beech 18 mess. Will be interesting to see if Neil Aird finds any suitable Hamilton Aviation aircraft at the time in question. John Subject: Re: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers |
Note Beavers behind Stratocruiser in this photo taken February 1979
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Photo from web source - photographer unknown
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