Lockheed Twin Tails (was: Lodestar lands at flight museum)

[Hanno Spoelstra]

Originally Posted by Hanno Spoelstra

There were sixteen L-212’s and two L-12’s delivered to the East Indies, the balance of the orders, eighteen L-12’s, were diverted initially to Australia, India, and to the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School (RNMFS) in Jackson, Miss.

Speaking of the RNMFS, here is the sole survivor of a batch of "The Other Twin Tail" which were bought by the NEI Government.

From airwarweb.net I learned Beech AT-11 c/n 3069 was one of 24 ordered by the Dutch for their Naval Air Services in the East Indies. Original serials were A1 to A24. After surrender of the East Indies the aircraft were confiscated by the Americans and they got fake serials by adding the fiscal year number '42' to the manufacturers' construction number. So c/n became 'serial' 42-3057 and so on. During the service the aircraft flew with these 'fake-serials'. When the aircraft were no longer needed they were passed to the USAAF where they got official serials. 44-72005 and on. In 1943 the Dutch Flying School lent a further six AT11s from the USAAF to speed up the training courses.

H.