Thomas Jay Park in Tucson in Pima County, Arizona — The American Mountains (Southwest)
Beechcraft UC-45J
UC-45J
Expeditor
Transport
1943-1965
On loan from the
National Naval Aviation Museum
Erected by Pima Air & Space Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in this topic list: Air & Space.
Location. 32° 8.361′ N, 110° 52.22′ W. Marker is in Tucson, Arizona, in Pima County. It is in Thomas Jay Park. It can be reached from East Valencia Road 0.3 miles west of South Wilmot Road. The marker is located in the southwestern section of the Pima Air & Space Museum. Touch for map. Marker is at or near this postal address: 6000 East Valencia Road, Tucson AZ 85756, United States of America. Touch for directions.
Regionally, this marker is in Arizona’s Sky Islands, in the Sonoran Desert, and in the Phoenix Metropolitan Area. It is also in the American Southwest. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once New Spain and also the Gadsden Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: Grumman HU-16A (a few steps from this marker); Ryan AQM-34L (a few steps from this marker); Convair T-29B (a few steps from this marker); Lockheed C-130D (within shouting distance of this marker); Lockheed C-130A (within shouting distance of this marker); Lockheed/Vega PV-2 (within shouting distance of this marker); North American CT-39A (within shouting distance of this marker); Convair C-131 (R4Y-1) (within shouting distance of this marker). Touch for a list and map of all markers in Tucson.
More about this marker. The marker is located on the outside section of the Pima Air & Space Museum. There is an entry fee required to visit both the inside and outside sections of the museum.
Also see . . . Beechcraft UC-45J (SNB-2) Navigator.
The Beech Model 18 is one of the most successful designs to come out of the 1930s. The American military recognized the utility of the design and adopted it for use in various models as a transport and as a trainer. The SNB-2 is the Navy equivalent to the Armys AT-7 navigation trainer with provision for three student navigators and an instructor. In the early 1950s, the SNB-2s were returned to Beech for re-manufacturing and modernization. They returned to service as SNB-5s. The designation was finally changed to UC-45J in the early 1960s when the Navy changed their primary mission from training to utility transport. The Beech 18 remained in constant production from 1937 to 1969 and stayed in military service until the 1970s. Many ex-military and civil production Beech 18s remain in use in civilian hands. Source: Pima Air & Space Museum(Submitted on November 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.)
Credits. This page was last revised on November 12, 2021. It was originally submitted on November 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas. This page has been viewed 389 times since then and 17 times this year. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on November 12, 2021, by James Hulse of Medina, Texas.


