Budd RB Conestoga
The Budd RB-1 Conestoga is a transport aircraft from the U.S. manufacturer Budd. "R" stood in the designation system of the U.S. Navy for " transport plane " and the letter "B" was assigned to the company Budd.
History
Beginning of World War II, the U.S. feared a shortage of aluminum. Therefore, the Philadelphia-based American car builder Budd developed a punktverschweißtem consisting of stainless steel and therefore corrosion- free and rivet free transport aircraft. The U.S. Navy and the U.S. Air Force ordered 200 pieces of the RB- 1 and C -93 machine known. The first flight of the first of three prototypes place on 31 October 1943, Guy Miller held on board. As never entered a lack of aluminum and delayed the series production the USAF canceled their order and the Navy reduced its order to 25 aircraft, of which only 17 were built then. The machines were used for only a short time and then sold to the Flying Tiger Line. Some were later sold to South and Central America. The only remaining copy is now in the unrestored Pima Air Museum.
Construction
The RB-1 was built of stainless steel wing monoplane. In the machine, no hydraulics was used, but all systems, including landing gear, flaps, etc., were electrically operated.