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I live about 10 miles from Rehoboth and have been researching eight local Beech 18 Mosquito Sprayers. Here is what I turned up on the Rehoboth Beach AT-7. It was wrecked at Sussex County Airport about 0.9 miles from where I"m sitting right now. Enjoy the story.........
Beechcraft AT-7 Navigator, 42-43506, c/n 4309 (N6401C)
The sole AT-7 to have been operated by Hudson must have had a black cat walk across its path as it was rolling out the factory doors, for the aircraft was involved in four accidents in its 33 years in the air. The Navigator, USAAF s/n 42-43506, was delivered to the 729th Navigation Training Squadron at Selman Army Airfield, Louisiana on February 8, 1943. On February 15, 1944 morning 2nd Lieutenant Burton Conrade, with three student navigators aboard, was preparing to depart Lubbock AAF, Texas for a navigation training flight to Kansas City, Missouri. Lt Conrade was taxiing behind a row of three parked and running AT-7s when his right wing struck the left engine of AT-7 #42-56773. In the accident report Lt Conrade states “There was a strong propeller blast from the three ships, which took my attention so that I was unaware of the nearness of ship No. 42-56773.” Sergeant Theo Pullen saw the accident and quickly ran to where the two AT-7s were entangled and used his flashlight to signal both pilots to shut down their engines. Fortunately none of the four crew members aboard either AT-7 were injured. The right wing of ‘506 had been buckled in the collision which required a complete replacement of the wing. The aircraft was repaired locally and returned to Selman to continue its service.
On the afternoon of October 30, 1945 Captain Charles H. Imschwieler, a combat veteran transitioning to multi-engine aircraft, was shooting landings on Runway 17 at Selman. In the right seat acting as instructor pilot was 2nd Lt Joe D. Stautamoyer. At the end of the flight Capt Imschwieler made a normal full flap wheel landing and when the tailwheel touched down the right wheel/tire assembly separated from the strut. As the gear strut dug into the runway the aircraft turned 45 degrees to the right and finally came to a stop after traveling about 200 yards. The crew states they had shot 10 to 15 landings prior to the accident.
The Beech was repaired once again and continued its service until it was mercifully deemed surplus in October 1954. The aircraft was purchased by Gus DeMaio of Miami, Florida on April 9, 1956 and registered as C-18S N6401C. Over the next seven years the aircraft passed through several owners in North Carolina and Florida before it was purchased by Monroe County Anti-Mosquito District, Stock Island, Florida on December 2, 1963. In May 1964 Tom Blake, an A&P from Marathon, Florida, installed a pair of 177 gallon aluminum tanks and the extensive network of pumps, valves, hoses and fittings. It is interesting to note that the 72” x 16” x 35.5” chemical tanks had to be assembled inside the aircraft because they would not fit through the cabin door. The AT-7 was successfully test flown on May 21, 1964 and found to be safely controllable with a 300 gallon insecticide load weighing 2,100lbs.
On October 7, 1964, the pilot was preparing to depart from Marathon Airport, Florida on anti-mosquito mission when it was struck by its taxiing sister ship C-18S N7871B. It is not clear how much damaged N6401C sustained because there is no FAA Form 337 that indicates any repairs were performed. Strangely, there is a 337 dated September 12, 1964 that documents repairs to sections of the left wing, fuselage, and roof section above the cockpit. The reason for these repairs is unknown.
The Beech continued serving with Monroe County until October 16, 1968 when it was purchased by Joe Hudson. In October 1969 the aircraft’s spray system was modified by Elymus ‘Al’ Nase of Rehoboth Beach. Al was a well-known A&P in Sussex County, for decades he ran Sussex Aero Maintenance in Rehoboth Beach and later Georgetown, Delaware. Not only to he work on his customers aircraft he also restored, owned, and flew several Aeronca 7ACs right up until his retirement in the late 1990s. The large volume tanks were replaced by a single removable 15 gallon steel drum with a plastic lining. When installed the tanks were mounted in a recessed plywood frame and secured with a heavy steel cable. These modifications were successfully test flown by Allen Chorman who found the aircraft much easier to fly since the 15 gallon load weighed a mere 210lbs.
On Month? Day? 1975 Chorman took off from Eagle Crest-Hudson Airport and as he retracted the landing gear the chain broke. This caused the left landing gear leg to hang loose and the right gear stuck halfway down. Allen made an expert emergency landing at Sussex County Airport in nearby Georgetown which resulted in very little damage to the aircraft. Today, Chorman still shakes his head in disbelief about how the aircraft was recovered. The crew that recovered the Beech was not at all familiar with aircraft and removed the AT-7 by dragging it tail first off the runway with a tractor. Allen says that the Twin Beech landing gear is like a person’s knees, they’ll bend one way but not the other without doing some damage. That’s what happened to the gear on Zero One Charlie. This hard luck Beech was eventually put back on its gear and sat in a corner of the airport and slowly stripped of parts to keep Hudson’s final two aircraft airworthy.
Today, the once proud AT-7 ‘flies’ forever on a pole at Midway Speedway Park in Rehoboth Beach, Delaware to attract tourists to its go-kart tracks and putt-putt golf courses. This not where most warbird enthusiasts would like to see a historic aircraft, but given its past history maybe it’s safer up there.
Cheers,
Chappie
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Brrring. Dispersal? TWO SECTIONS SCRAMBLE!!
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