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Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 2:24 pm
by V529
I was contacted by a gentleman out of Texas that is trying to track down his grandfathers aircraft. As close as he has gotten so far is a location in Diamondhead MS.

Apparently that area was hit hard by Katrina in 2005 and its possible the aircraft was destroyed or used for parts for another project. If anyone has any knowledge of this aircraft and it's disposition I would like to pass it on to the gentleman.

N77262 s/n 11333. It was a 1946 C-140. The registration was "de-resistered" in 2013, due to expiration of the registration.
This man's search so far determined that person that owned it on the last registration passed away in 2014, so who knows what may have become of the aircraft.

If you have any knowledge of the aircraft or even that area (to confirm that many airplanes were lost, this man was told about 50 airplanes at Diamond head were damaged/destroyed during Katrina) we would appreciate it.

Thank you

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 3:26 pm
by 6643
How about contacting the local airport authority to see if they have any information?

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Mon Mar 11, 2019 7:53 pm
by V529
Good point. It is my understanding the Texas man has visited Diamondhead personally and came away with very little info.

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Mon Jul 29, 2019 7:16 am
by 8466
I don't own the airplane you were looking for but my 1946 C-140 is registration number N77264 and serial number 11332 so I'm assuming that my aircraft was made on the assembly line just before your grandfather's aircraft. i would like to send a picture of it but I don't know how to. The attachment keeps saying it's too large.

Thayne Inman

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Tue Jul 30, 2019 6:59 pm
by VIP529
Thank you for the offer, send me a pm with your email address and you could email it directly to me and I'll pass it on to the man from Texas.

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 5:29 am
by VIP529
8466 wrote: Mon Jul 29, 2019 7:16 am I don't own the airplane you were looking for but my 1946 C-140 is registration number N77264 and serial number 11332 so I'm assuming that my aircraft was made on the assembly line just before your grandfather's aircraft. i would like to send a picture of it but I don't know how to. The attachment keeps saying it's too large.

Thayne Inman
Thayne,

I've sent you a private message,

Thank you

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:44 pm
by 7950
S/N 11334 is G-BVUZ. Cessna 120 shipped directly from the factory (in a crate I think) to Southern Rhodesia for use by COMAIR as their dealership demonstrator in 1946/47. History is a little sketchy as I think a lot of documents got lost in recent years when the aircraft was still based in Zimbabwe. Now based in the UK in Yorkshire.

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:07 pm
by VIP529
7950 wrote: Thu Aug 01, 2019 2:44 pm S/N 11334 is G-BVUZ. Cessna 120 shipped directly from the factory (in a crate I think) to Southern Rhodesia for use by COMAIR as their dealership demonstrator in 1946/47. History is a little sketchy as I think a lot of documents got lost in recent years when the aircraft was still based in Zimbabwe. Now based in the UK in Yorkshire.
Wow! cool information, thank you!
Would you have any original pictures of the aircraft when it was new by any chance?

Re: Looking for an old airplane

Posted: Thu Aug 01, 2019 6:22 pm
by 7950
I am afraid not - I wish I had but there is only this one

https://www.airphotographicinternationa ... cessna-120

which I think may date from the 1950's that I have been able to track down until photographs of GUZ's rebuild here in the UK in 2008.