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"The Tucson Twins"


Can you help identify these two?
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

Photos: Trevor Davies © 14 October 1979 
Photo: via James E. Bernhard © December 1979 - Aird Archives
Photo: Unknown photographer © October 1978 - Aird Archives
The story so far - with sincere thanks to correspondents on AB-IX

Trev Davies, Bob Parmerter, John Davis, Clive Martin.

Good evening all,
>
> I wonder if I might ask for your help in
> identifying a couple of Beavers that I shot at Tuscon back in 10-
> 1979. They didn't carry any markings that I could see, but then I
> didn't crawl all over them. I have been in contact with Neil Aird,
> Air-Britains Beaver specialist, who is also working on the problem ,
> but I thought I would tap the wealth of knowledge that exists within
> this forum as well. I have downloaded the pictures to the "
> ABpic.co.uk "web site & their respective references are 1025799 &
> 1025800.
>
> Any help in identifting these aircraft would be greatly
> appreciated & I know that Neil would also be happy to have the
> matter resolved so that he can add a couple more entries to his
> excellent web site on the Beaver 'www.DHC-2.com '.
>
> many thanks in anticipation
>
>
> Trev Davies
>
> 06865
Re: [AB-IX] Unidentified Columbian Beavers


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,

May I just say thanks to those who replied to this
question & the options offered. I never realised they were going to be
so difficult to identify. If I had have known where the c/n plates
were, then perhaps the mystery would have been solved, but then
considering some of the options being offered, perhaps they had had
those items removed !! who knows. Maybe Neil Aird will be able to come
up with something in due time.

Many thanks again to all, off to my slide collection now to
see what else I can come up with.

Trev Davies

06865

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

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

Note Beavers behind Stratocruiser in this photo taken February 1979
Photo from web source - photographer unknown