This airplane was built on August 29, 1942, was given serial number 3108 (Plate Number 147407) and was designated a Model D17S. It was delivered to the U. S. Navy to transport Officers for the War effort and to provide instrument training for Navy pilots as a GB-2. Most probably, it was painted silver with a large circled star on the fuselage. This particular aircraft was used through the end of WWII and in October of 1946 it was
transferred to the Civil Aeronautics Administration for it's use. It was assigned to service by J.P. Morris (Aircraft Control Officer) on September 9, 1946 and registered on Octobr 10th. In September of 1948, it was declared surplus by the War Assets Administration.
On September 1, 1948, the airplane was sold to a civilian by the name of Ray W. Roberts of Kannapolis, NC for $2,060.00. It went to United Aero Service in Charlotte NC on September 9, 1949 and was subsequently mortgaged. The mortgage was in the amount of $80,000.00 the airplane was chattel. The mortgage was released in 1952 and it was sold to Dale A. Rose of Los Angeles CA for $2,600.00 in June of 1952.
It went to Frank J. Abel of Dallas TX in 1953...Fred Wambaugh in Elkhart IN in 1954...M.L. Alson from Elkhart in 1955. Next it went to Oconto, WI and the Oconto Flying Service...then D.E. Brown of Garden City MI in 1955...then to Vest Aircraft & Finance, Denver CO...and then to Hazel Flying Service in Artesia NM in 1957. Vest Aircraft bought it back in 1957. Vinton Jones from Benkelman, Nebraska bought it in 1959 and then to Valley Aviation in Las Animas, CO who in turn sold it to Empire Supply Company in Longmont, CO who then sold to John M. Welch of Roswell, NM in 1959. Goetz Oil from Sherman TX acquired it in1959. In May of 1969 it went to Ypsilanti MI to Kenneth R. Mullins. Then in May of 1991, T.W. Smith, Bob Strunk and Neal Schaefer (SSS, Inc.)bought the airplane for the sum of $60,000.00 and the certification is dated November 27, 1991. On July 26, at Airventure 2005 at Oshkosh WI, Mr. Tony Raftis acquired the airplane. It was then shipped to Melbourne, Australia and assembled at the airport at Wangaratta, where it is now located.
The logbook, started in 1950, showed the time brought forward from the old book of 1414 hrs. In 1952 (1447 hrs) a new engine was installed. In 1955 (1498 hrs) new Rusco seat belts were installed. 1955 (1561 hrs) saw new cabin heat valve, gear retract chain adjusted, patch belly where battery leaked, replace battery, etc. The last airframe and engine logbook entries were made at 1643 hrs on November 15, 1959. The engine time was 238.
In 1990, the airplane was in Florida in the very early stages of restoration by a craftsman named Arnold Niemann. At that time it was puchased by SSS, Inc. based at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati OH.
A STAGGERWING COMES FULL CYCLE...
Eleven years later, in May of 2001, the engine once again belched forth smoke and fire and roared into life. On July 4, 2001 the airplane taxied to runway 21L at Lunken Airport and became airborne with all the grace and beauty the original designers had intended. And 3 weeks later Beech Staggerwing N1532M was parked in the Vintage section at AirVenture Oshkosh WI and was an award winner.
The airplane has made 4 trips to AirVenture Oshkosh...a couple of trips to Tullahoma, TN for the "Beech Party" at the Staggerwing Museum. It has never been wet (no rain).
