Cessna AT-8 and AT-17 “Bobcat”

[daveT]

I think it is about time to talk about the lesser known, but still interesting aircraft of WWII.
Attached is an article I wrote about the Aircraft of Columbus Army Flying School in 1942,
the Cessna AT-8 and AT-17 “Bobcat”
Following primary and basic flight training, Aviation Cadets trained on the Cessna “Bobcat” AT-8 and AT-17 twin-engine advanced trainer aircraft to bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and twin-engine combat aircraft.




I welcome your comments
DaveT

[fubar57]

Great read Mr.T. Would like to build one of the little beasties...1/48 RCAF of course.

Geo

[MIflyer]

Very nice article BobT!

Back around 1976 I saw a UC-78 Bobcat that had been brought into the Pauls Valley, OK airport for restoration. When I saw it the fabric had just been stripped off.

Two things astonished me. One was that the airplane was very obviously totally original. It even still had the original SCR-183 radios installed, sets that were considered to be inadequate at the start of the US entry into WWII. The wood looked as you would expect wood for an aircraft of that vintage.

The other thing was that I later found out it had been flown in to the field. And the pilot got lost in a thunderstorm and had to land on Interstate I-40. When the weather cleared the highway patrol closed the interstate long enough for him to take off and fly to the airport.

I don't know where it had been all that time and I don't know where it ended up after the restoration. And I hope it's still not landing on Interstate highways.