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[1984.051.001] Aircraft - 'GB-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 23688' |
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GB-2 Aircraft, Bureau Number 23688
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| Accession Number |
1984.051.001 |
| Accession Date |
01/01/1984 |
| Creator |
| Creator |
Creator Role |
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Manufacturer |
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| Object Desciption |
The museum's example of the GB-2 Traveller was received from Mr. Roy Reagan of Chico, California, and is painted in the markings of an aircraft assigned to Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola, Florida. |
| Notes |
Like most of the aircraft procured by the Navy for administrative and logistics duties, the Beech Model
D-17 enjoyed a successful life in the civilian market before entering military service. The airplane featured an unconventional staggerwing configuration in which the lower wing was position forward of the upper wing. The result was a highly maneuverable design with excellent stall characteristics, though it presented some difficulty in landing, and possessed some speed in its class, capturing the Texaco Trophy Race in Miami, Florida, during the early-1930s.
The Navy procured its first example of the Model D-17 in 1937, designating it the JB-1. Equipped with a more powerful engine, the GB-1 entered service two years later, followed by the GB-2, which also was procured for Lend-Lease to Great Britain. All told, a total of 342 examples of the GB-2 were delivered to the Navy, and it was this version that was called by the name "Traveller."
Specifications for the GB-2
Manufacturer: Beech Aircraft Corporation
Dimensions: Length: 26 ft., 2 in.; Height: 10 ft., 3 in.; Wingspan: 32 ft.
Weights: Empty: 3,085 lb.; Gross: 4,700 lb.
Power plant: One 450 horsepower Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 engine
Performance: Maximum Speed: 198 M.P.H.; Service Ceiling: 20,000 ft.; Range: 500 miles
Crew: Pilot and three passengers
Aircraft in the Museum Collection
GB-2 (In Markings of BuNo 23688)- On indoor static display |
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