Chuck_Jodry-VJPL
Charter Member
In the late 1930’s Cessna saw a growing need for an inexpensive, light twin. The popular twin of the day, the Twin Beech, was fairly expensive and was often oversized for roles with small businesses or occasionally, small charter airlines. First flown in 1939 and reaching production in 1940, the T-50 Bobcat was of fabric-covered steel-tube construction featuring retractable main landing gear and electrically actuated trailing edge flaps. With the wing structure built up of laminated spruce spar beams and its fuselage faired with spruce stringers, it gained the nickname, “the Bamboo Bomber.”
The Bobcat quickly found great success as a military multi-engine advanced trainer and utility transport; its wood construction was ideal since it didn’t require diverting a lot of valuable aluminum from the war effort. Over 4600 airframes went into service with US forces, with another 640 flying with the RCAF and the BCATP. Not used for long in post-war service, remaining military Bobcats were declared obsolete by 1949.
The ready availability of surplus T-50’s (available at the time for less than $3000) meant that quite a few made their way into civilian life, finding use in many areas of commercial and private aviation.
The Bobcat also found cinematic fame on the 50's television show Sky King, where a T-50, named Songbird, was flown by the lead character (one of which used on the show was the actor’s own aircraft) until replaced later in the series by a Cessna 310B.
For details please visit the T50 Product Page
The Bobcat quickly found great success as a military multi-engine advanced trainer and utility transport; its wood construction was ideal since it didn’t require diverting a lot of valuable aluminum from the war effort. Over 4600 airframes went into service with US forces, with another 640 flying with the RCAF and the BCATP. Not used for long in post-war service, remaining military Bobcats were declared obsolete by 1949.
The ready availability of surplus T-50’s (available at the time for less than $3000) meant that quite a few made their way into civilian life, finding use in many areas of commercial and private aviation.
The Bobcat also found cinematic fame on the 50's television show Sky King, where a T-50, named Songbird, was flown by the lead character (one of which used on the show was the actor’s own aircraft) until replaced later in the series by a Cessna 310B.
For details please visit the T50 Product Page
