Periodically, we have presented reports from Chuck Cravens detailing the restoration of an ultra-rare Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita WWII advanced, multi-engine trainer, however, it has been more than two years since our last update. As mentioned in previous articles, the project belongs to the Cadet Air Corps Museum and comprises the remains of several airframes, but will be based upon Wichita 41-27322. The restoration is taking place at the world-renowned AirCorps Aviation in Bemidji, Minnesota, and we now have another update on the progress as it stands so far….
AT-10 Restoration at AirCorps Aviation
by Chuck Cravens
We are pleased to report that AirCorps Aviation’s restoration technicians resumed work on the AT-10 project for the Cadet Air Corps Museum this fall. The rudder pedals, forward fuselage, elevators, and vertical fin are all assemblies which received attention. Furthermore, several employees made a trip down to Congressman Sam Grave’s place in Tarkio, Missouri to pick up some original parts and assemblies for possible use in the restoration.
Fuselage:
Work continued on preparing the wooden portion of the fuselage for another coat of protective varnish. Also, a new, removable nose section is under fabrication in the restoration shop.
Vertical Stabilizer
Remarkably, we were able to obtain a new-old-stock vertical fin for the AT-10 project. Although new, we had to remove its skin for a thorough inspection of its interior in case any damage occurred over the 81 years since the fin’s construction. Assemblies like this sometimes tell us their stories in marks, dates, and messages that factory workers may have left within the structure, a possibility that proved true in this case. Aaron found marks which indicated that the Globe Aircraft Corporation built this fin rather than Beech. Indeed, Globe built 600 AT-10s under license for the military.
Another date from inside the vertical stabilizer indicated that December 5, 1942, was the structure’s final inspection date before its covering went on.
3:25 pm is the latest time marked inside the vertical stabilizer. Other time inscriptions for 1:45 pm and 3:27 pm are also visible, although they don’t show up well in photographs.
either the first week of December or the last week of November 1942. (image via AirCorps Aviation)
Elevators
AirCorps Aviation’s technicians also began restoring the AT-10’s elevators this fall.
AirCorps Aviation carefully inspects original parts, and tags each one of them individually. This practice identifies parts by name, part number, customer, and inspector, and helps keep the project organized.
Tarkio Trip
AirCorps Aviation’s Mark Adams and Aaron Prince made the trip down to Representative Sam Graves’ place in Tarkio, Missouri to bring back some original parts and assemblies that will be useful for the AT-10’s restoration.
head back to Minnesota. (photo courtesy of Mark Adams)
Although things looked a little disorganized in the early stages of loading up components for the trip back to Bemidji, every single part will be properly inventoried once it reaches AirCorps Aviation’s facility.
The wings will be carefully reskinned on one side, with the original skin in place on the other surface. Once the first new skin is in place, the other side will be removed and replaced. This procedure will keep the wing structure properly aligned throughout the reskinning process; it will essentially act as its own fixture.
AT-10 Ephemera
Several pieces of AT-10 ephemera were also amongst the treasure trove which Sam has collected over the years. For instance, this cover of the Globe Aircraft Corporation’s company newsletter Global Beam depicts AT-10s on the runway.
Want to get involved?
AirCorps Aviation is constantly looking for new technical material related to the AT-10. Due to the rarity of this aircraft, and the relatively low number produced, acquiring engineering drawings, parts catalogs, maintenance manuals, and other documentation has been much more difficult than with our past restorations. If you have any AT-10 material or know someone who does, the team would love to hear from you!
Be a part of helping the AT-10 return to the skies! Contact Ester Aube, by email or phone [email protected] or 218-444-4478
Furthermore, should anyone wish to contribute to the Cadet Air Corps Museum’s efforts, please contact board members:
Brooks Hurst: phone: +1 816 244 6927, e-mail: [email protected]
Todd Graves: e-mail: [email protected]
Contributions are tax-deductible.
And that’s all for this edition of the AT-10 Restoration Report. Many thanks to Chuck Cravens and AirCorps Aviation for this article.
Richard Mallory Allnutt's aviation passion ignited at the 1974 Farnborough Airshow. Raised in 1970s Britain, he was immersed in WWII aviation lore. Moving to Washington DC, he frequented the Smithsonian’s National Air & Space Museum, meeting aviation legends.
After grad school, Richard worked for Lockheed-Martin but stayed devoted to aviation, volunteering at museums and honing his photography skills. In 2013, he became the founding editor of Warbirds News, now Vintage Aviation News. With around 800 articles written, he focuses on supporting grassroots aviation groups.
Richard values the connections made in the aviation community and is proud to help grow Vintage Aviation News.
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