Genuine and Authentic WWII UC-78 Bamboo Bomber Wooden Propeller from USAAF Aviation Cadet Training Program at Randoph Field , Texas with “NAMED” Collection of Aviation Officer Uniforms

Up for sale is a very rare and extremely scarce WWII Hartzell Bamboo Bomber ( AT-8 / UC-78 ) Cessna Bobcat Military Training Aircraft 90″ Wood Propeller. This propeller was sent home after being damaged on an military base airfield in Randolph Field, Texas during WWII by flying cadet Donald Delano Dudley of the United States Army Air Forces. It was then hand signed Post-War by all of his childhood friends back home from 1946 to 1948 as you can see from the autographs on the propeller. D. D. Dudley was a flying cadet during World War 2 in the year of 1940 and retired in 1960 from the United States Air Force as a Major. He was born on December 11th, 1917 in Christopher, Illinois and he died on August 13th, 2001 in Standish, Michigan. I also have his “named” officer uniforms from when he served during WWII in the U.S. Army Air Force and also when he served Post-WWII for the U.S. Air Force. Overall, this is such an incredible collection that deserves to be truly admired and displayed proudly by a serious aviation collector. It will look amazing on display with your other WWII war time memorabilia or aviation collection. Here is your chance to add such a rare piece of WWII History to your collection. Stuff like this usually only comes up for sale from private collections. Please feel free to reach out to me regarding any close up photos or if you have any questions concerning its provenance. There is a small chip on each side of the edge in the exact same spot approximately 9″ inches from the tips. I was told that he had a minor crash landing during training and was able to send it home to his family in Standish, Michigan. I have researched all of the names on the propeller and they were all residents of Standish, Michigan who are deceased.

Propeller Is Marked As Follows:
Serial #33656 – A.T.C. NO. 457 – H.P. 225 – PIQUA, OHIO – R.P.M. 2000 – DESIGN C 707 80 (90)

SELLER NOTES CONDITION OF PROPELLER AND UNIFORMS BELOW:
PROPELLER IS IN ORIGINAL “UNTOUCHED” VINTAGE CONDITION SHOWING NORMAL SIGNS OF USAGE WHICH IS APPROPRIATE WITH THE AGING PROCESS SUCH AS A LOT OF WEAR INCLUDING NATURAL PATINA. THE PROPELLER HAS A SMALL CHIP ON EACH EDGE IN THE EXACT SAME SPOT, APPROXIMATELY 9″ INCHES FROM THE TIPS. THAT WAS THE DAMAGE WHICH OCCURED DURING THE CADET’S CRASH LANDING. ALL OF THE UNIFORMS HAVE BEEN “DRY – CLEANED” SO THEY ARE NICE AND CRISP BUT THERE ARE A FEW MOTH BITES AND MOTH HOLES HERE AND THERE FROM STORAGE OVER THE LAST 70 PLUS YEARS!!! THE FACT THAT THEY STILL EXIST ALONGSIDE THE PROPELLER IS TRULY SOMETHING SPECIAL…

THE CESSNA UC-78 BOBCAT KNOWN AFFECTIONATELY AS THE “BAMBOO BOMBER” BECAUSE OF ITS WOODEN CONSTRUCTION, WAS WELL KNOWN AS A MULTI-ENGINE TRAINER OF WWII. MANY OF BOMBER PILOTS SAW TRAINING ON THIS AIRCRAFT BEFORE GOING OFF AND TRAINING TO FLY B-17s or B-24s.

CESSNA AT-17 BOBCAT ( USAAF MILITARY VERSION UC-78 )
IS A TWIN-ENGINED ADVANCED TRAINER AIRCRAFT DESIGNED AND MADE IN THE UNITED STATES, AND USED DURING WWII TO BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN SINGLE-ENGINED TRAINERS AND TWIN-ENGINED COMBAT AIRCRAFT. THE AT-17 WAS POWERED BY TWO JACOBS R-755-9 RADIAL ENGINES. THE COMMERCIAL VERSION WAS THE MODEL T50, FROM WHICH THE AT-17 WAS DEVELOPED.

DESIGN AND DEVELOPMENT OF AIRCRAFT BELOW:
THE AT-17 WAS A MILITARY VERSION OF THE COMMERCIAL CESSNA T-50 LIGHT TRANSPORT. THE CESSNA AIRPLANE COMPANY FIRST PRODUCES THE WOOD AND TUBULAR STEEL, FABRIC-COVERED T-50 IN 1939 FOR THE CIVILIAN MARKET, AS A LIGHTWEIGHT AND LOW-COST TWIN FOR PERSONAL USE WHERE LARGER AIRCRAFT SUCH AS THE BEECH 18 WOULD BE TOO EXPENSIVE. A LOW-WING CANTILEVER MONOPLANE, IT FEATURED RETRACTABLE MAIN LANDING GEAR AND WING TRAILING EDGE FLAPS, BOTH ELECTRICALLY ACTUATED. THE WING STRUCTURE WAS BUILT UP OF A LAMINATED SPRUCE SPAR BEAMS WITH SPRUCE AND PLYWOOD RIBS. THE FIXED TAILWING IS NOT STEERABLE AND FULL-SWIVELLING. THE PROTOTYPE T-50 MADE ITS MAIDEN FLIGHT ON 26 OF MARCH IN THE YEAR OF 1939. IN 1940, THE UNITED STATES ARMY AIR CORPS ORDERED THEM UNDER THE DESIGNATION AT-8 AS TWIN-ENGINED ADVANCED TRAINERS.

OPERATIONAL HISTORY OF AIRCRAFT BELOW:
THIRTY-THREE AT-8 WERE BUILT FOR THE U.S. ARMY AIR CORPS, AND PRODUCTION CONTINUED UNDER THE DESIGNATION AT-17 REFLECTING A CHANGE IN EQUIPMENT AND ENGINE TYPES. IN 1942, THE U.S. ARMY AIR FORCE (the successor to the Air Corps from June 1941) ADOPTED THE BOBCAT AS A LIGHT PERSONNEL TRANSPORT AND THOSE DELIVERED AFTER JANUARY 1, 1943 WERE DESIGNATED UC-78s. BY THE END OF WORLD WAR II, CESSNA HAD PRODUCED MORE THAN 4,600 BOBCATS FOR THE U.S. MILITARY, 67 OF WHICH WERE TRANSFERRED TO THE UNITED STATES NAVY AS JRC-1s. IN ADDITION, 822 BOBCATS HAD BEEN PRODUCED FOR THE ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCES AS CRANE-1s, MANY OF WHICH WERE USED IN THE BRITISH COMMONWEALTH AIR TRAINING PLAN. THE AIRCRAFT DID NOT LAST LONG IN NORTH AMERICAN POSTWAR MILITARY SERVICE. FEW (if any) BOBCATS WERE IN SERVICE WITH THE UNITED STATES AIR FORCE WHEN IT WAS FORMED IN SEPTEMBER, 1947. SURVIVING MILITARY AIRCRAFT WERE DECLARED OBSOLETE IN 1949 BEFORE THE BEGINNING OF THE KOREAN WAR ERA. DUBBED THE “BAMBOO BOMBER” BY THE PILOTS WHO FLEW THEM.

WOWZERS!!! 100% THE REAL DEAL – ONE OF A KIND COLLECTION HERE GUYS!!! ALL ORIGINAL , GENUINE AND AUTHENTIC AS THEY COME!!! THIS VERY RARE WWII PROPELLER DESERVES TO BE APPRECIATED BY SOMEONE WHO WILL ACTUALLY PUT IT ON DISPLAY WITH THEIR CURRENT WWII COLLECTION OR VINTAGE AVIATION COLLECTION!!! THIS ITEM WAS FOUND IN THE LOFT OF A BARN ON A FARM HERE IN STANDISH, NORTHERN MICHIGAN AND I WAS ABLE TO FIND OUT A LOT OF INFORMATION ABOUT DONALD D. DUDLEY FROM THE GENTLEMAN I PURCHASED IT FROM WHO HAD PURCHASED THAT PROPERTY FROM D. D. DUDLEY’S SON. HERE IS YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO ADD SUCH A UNIQUE PIECE TO YOUR CURRENT COLLECTION OF ORIGINAL WAR TIME MEMORABILIA!!!