WW2 non-combat aircraft that saw combat?

[Dimlee]

Military versions were proposed almost immediately on the type being used in the Soviet Union. The first military version to be built was a pure transport, in 1939, but the first combat variants, i.e. a bomber was proposed as early as 1937, although metal was not cut for some time afterwards.

Thanks for your correction. Is this information from Gordon/Komissarov's book? I need to read it eventually.

 

[Dimlee]

The DC-3 also offered avionics that Russian aviation had never heard of before. Of course modern direction finding networks also relied on ground based radio transmitters, which the Russians certainly didn't have.

Soviets (not Russians, of course) did have those transmitters before WWII. Russian Imperial Navy began to use direction finding for navigational purposes in 1915. In USSR radio beacons appeared not later mid 1930s, first for marine navigation. There were 67 radio navigation beacons of various types and transmission power in USSR in 1939, some of them installed in polar regions and in the Far East.

 

[gjs238]

The threat "WWII - Aircraft produced in large quantities that did not see combat - or very little" got me thinking about the flip-side of the question. What about non-combat aircraft that ended up seeing combat?

For this discussion, I'm not thinking of aircraft like the Wirraway which, although developed from a trainer, was actually intended to have a combat function. I'm thinking more about dedicated trainers/transport aircraft that, through force of circumstance, ended up in combat situations.

I have a few initial suggestions but will hold onto them until others have pondered the topic a wee bit.

How about the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
It seems that a number of commercial/civilian aircraft were pressed into service, as well as military versions being manufactured.
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing - Wikipedia

From the above article:

World War II
As World War II loomed, a number of Model B17Ls were pressed into service as bombers by the FARE, the air forces of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. China ordered a number of Staggerwings to use as ambulance planes in its fight against Imperial Japan. Finland had one C17L as a liaison aircraft between 1940–1945.[2] On October 2, 1941, Beech shipped a special camouflaged D17S to Prince Bernhard of Lippe, who was in exile in London after the German invasion of the Netherlands. He used it for refugee work in and around London.

YC-43 Traveler
The Beech UC-43 Traveler was a slightly modified version of the Staggerwing. In late 1938, the United States Army Air Corps purchased three Model D17Ss to evaluate them for use as light liaison aircraft. These were designated YC-43 (Y designating a development aircraft or non-standard type, C standing for Cargo). After a short flight test program, the YC-43s went to Europe to serve as liaison aircraft with the air attachés in London, Paris, and Rome.

Early in World War II, the need for a compact executive-type transport or courier aircraft became apparent, and in 1942, the United States Army Air Forces ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service within the United States and overseas as the UC-43 (USAAF designation for Utility, Cargo). These differed only in minor details from the commercial model. To meet urgent wartime needs, the government also purchased or leased (impressed) additional "Staggerwings" from private owners, including 118 more for the Army Air Force plus others for the United States Navy. In Navy service, the planes were designated as GB-1 and GB-2 (under USN designating convention signifying General (purpose), Beech, 1st or 2nd variant of type). The British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy acquired 106 "Traveller Mk. I" (the British name uses the UK double "l" spelling) through the Lend-Lease arrangement to fill its own critical need for light personnel transports.

The production UC-43 differed in minor details from the service test YC-43. Two distinguishing external features of the UC-43 are the circular automatic direction finder antennae mounted between the main landing gear and landing lights near the lower wingtips. They were all powered by the 450 horsepower (336 kilowatt) Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine.

 

[buffnut453]

How about the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing
It seems that a number of commercial/civilian aircraft were pressed into service, as well as military versions being manufactured.
Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing - Wikipedia

From the above article:

World War II
As World War II loomed, a number of Model B17Ls were pressed into service as bombers by the FARE, the air forces of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War. China ordered a number of Staggerwings to use as ambulance planes in its fight against Imperial Japan. Finland had one C17L as a liaison aircraft between 1940–1945.[2] On October 2, 1941, Beech shipped a special camouflaged D17S to Prince Bernhard of Lippe, who was in exile in London after the German invasion of the Netherlands. He used it for refugee work in and around London.

YC-43 Traveler
The Beech UC-43 Traveler was a slightly modified version of the Staggerwing. In late 1938, the United States Army Air Corps purchased three Model D17Ss to evaluate them for use as light liaison aircraft. These were designated YC-43 (Y designating a development aircraft or non-standard type, C standing for Cargo). After a short flight test program, the YC-43s went to Europe to serve as liaison aircraft with the air attachés in London, Paris, and Rome.

Early in World War II, the need for a compact executive-type transport or courier aircraft became apparent, and in 1942, the United States Army Air Forces ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service within the United States and overseas as the UC-43 (USAAF designation for Utility, Cargo). These differed only in minor details from the commercial model. To meet urgent wartime needs, the government also purchased or leased (impressed) additional "Staggerwings" from private owners, including 118 more for the Army Air Force plus others for the United States Navy. In Navy service, the planes were designated as GB-1 and GB-2 (under USN designating convention signifying General (purpose), Beech, 1st or 2nd variant of type). The British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy acquired 106 "Traveller Mk. I" (the British name uses the UK double "l" spelling) through the Lend-Lease arrangement to fill its own critical need for light personnel transports.

The production UC-43 differed in minor details from the service test YC-43. Two distinguishing external features of the UC-43 are the circular automatic direction finder antennae mounted between the main landing gear and landing lights near the lower wingtips. They were all powered by the 450 horsepower (336 kilowatt) Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine.

The question isn't about civilian aircraft being repurposed for military use. It's about non-combat aircraft in the military serving an actual combat role (eg trainers dropping bombs etc). Now, if you can find an example of a Staggerwing that was used offensively (or defensively) in combat, I'd really love to hear about it 'cos it would be a great addition to the discussion.

 

[swampyankee]

Not the Beech 17 (Staggerwing), but "18R 1940 = Two 420hp Wright R-975. POP: 6 delivered to the Nationalist Chinese government as M18R (aka AT18R) with bomb racks, machineguns and a bombardier position in the nose, 1 delivered to Sweden equipped as a flying hospital. Six M-18R appeared on the US civil register [NX25474/25479], possibly the Chinese airplanes. " (www.aerofiles.com/_beech.html)

Maybe they were used in combat or not, but it seems like somebody was planning on doing so.

 

[GrauGeist]

The question isn't about civilian aircraft being repurposed for military use. It's about non-combat aircraft in the military serving an actual combat role (eg trainers dropping bombs etc). Now, if you can find an example of a Staggerwing that was used offensively (or defensively) in combat, I'd really love to hear about it 'cos it would be a great addition to the discussion.

I posted way back in the thread (I think post #10?) that the Spanish Republicans used the Beech as a bomber during their Civil War.