Ellsworth Air Force Base in Pennington County, South Dakota — The American Midwest (Upper Plains)
C-45H Expeditor
Jack-of-All-Trades
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
1. C-45H Expeditor Marker
Utility aircraft are just as essential to the Air Force mission as fighters like the F-100 to your right. Variants of the C-45 trained 90% of our Navigators and Bombardiers in WWII, carried cameras, or—like this Expeditor—hauled light cargo and passengers.
A HECK OF A NOSE JOB
This plane was built in 1942 as an AT-11 Kansan. It had a glass nose fitted with a Norden bombsight to simulate a bomber. In 1952, it was remanufactured as a C-45H, without a glass nose, for light transport duty.
[Photo captions]
LEFT: Student bombardiers carried their bombsights to the plane before a mission.
RIGHT: Trainees dropped practice bombs from their AT-11s to test their skills.
The skills forged in navigator training would be tested a few weeks later, in combat.
DATA CARD
Top Speed mph · 220
Crew · 2-4
Range · Continental
Payload · 6 passengers
Erected by South Dakota Air and Space Museum.
Topics. This historical marker is listed in these topic lists: Air & Space • War, Cold • War, Korean • War, World II. A significant historical year for this entry is 1942.
Location. 44° 7.999′ N, 103° 4.386′ W.
this page online
Regionally, this marker is in West River, in the Badlands, and in Greater Rapid City. It is also in the American Lewis & Clark Corridor, on the prairies, and on the Northern Plains. Globally, it is in North America, the Western Hemisphere, the Western World, and the Anglosphere. Historically, it finds itself in what was once Rupert’s Land and also the Louisiana Purchase.
Other nearby markers. At least 8 other markers are within walking distance of this marker: MIM-3 Nike Ajax (here, next to this marker); LGM-30F Minuteman II (a few steps from this marker); Duke Corning (a few steps from this marker); F-100A Super Sabre (a few steps from this marker); Interceptor Alert Hangar (within shouting distance of this marker); B-25 Mitchell (within shouting distance of this marker); VB-25J Mitchell (within shouting distance of
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
2. C-45H Expeditor Marker
Right marker
Regarding C-45H Expeditor. Although an official field museum of the US Air Force Heritage Program and is adjacent to Ellsworth AFB main gate, the museum does not require access onto the base.
Photographed by William Fischer, Jr., September 20, 2026
3. C-45H Expeditor
Credits. This page was last revised on October 6, 2026. It was originally submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio. This page has been viewed 4 times since then. Photos: 1, 2, 3. submitted on October 6, 2026, by William Fischer, Jr. of Reynoldsburg, Ohio.
