UC-43 Traveller / U.S. Army

Beechcraft UC-43 Staggerwing airplane model. Three examples of the popular Beech commercial Model 17 "Staggerwing" aircraft, delivered in June 1939 for US Army evaluation, were designated YC43s. These were assigned to the US air attaches at the American Embassies in London, Paris, and Rome in 1939 and were operated by US Army Air Corps personnel. In 1942 the US Army ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service in America and overseas re-designated as UC-43s. These differed only in minor details from the commercial model. The US Navy designated them the GB-2 and used them for administrative and logistic operations. They were also procured for lend-lease delivery to Britain and classified as the Beech UC-45 Traveller, 105 sent under lend-lease, the majority (75) of British deliveries went to the FAA.

Mahogany wood. Scale 1/32. Wingspan 13 inches, length 10 inches.