Pacific
Airmotive (Beech) C-45H Tradewind N9980Z
(c/n AF.816)
Any resemblance between this aircraft and the
original Beech C-45H from which it was converted
(52-10886) must,
surely, be coincidental. Pacific Airmotive Corporation converted
a number of
these surplus
Expeditors in 1960s. These utlized the "Volpar-type" tricycle
landing gear, and replaced
the twin
fin and rudder configuration of the original with a large single
stabilizer. Actually, the CIA
with its
covert operations under
the Air America banner were fond of these tri-geared Beechs,
although this one, so far as I can
tell, never did wind up in South East Asia. I shot it in a
hangar
at Van Nuys in
1964.