operated by American Flyers (photographed by Austin J. Brown)

May/45: TOS USAAF with s/n 43-47350. 6 Jun 45: Transferred to the Chinese Nationalist government. November/49: Purchased by Gen. Claire L. Chennault and Whiting Willauer; registered N8364C. December/49: Activated with Civil Air Transport (Nationalist Chinese airline). January/53: Civil Air Transport Southeast Asia; operated by the CIA. July/55: L.B. Smith Aircraft Corporation with c/r N1382N. October/55: Zantop Air Transport, Detroit Metro Airport. April/60: Re-registered as N611Z. March/68: Aviation Associates, GA. August/68: RALCO, Inc. October/73: Roger Wilcox. November/75 to October/89: Six owners. 2 October 89: National Naval Aviation Museum.

The aircraft has military background as it was former USAAF 43-47350, but not with Marines. After military services it had registrations N8364C, N1382N, N611Z. To museum 1988. And between that and 1993 when it was placed on display got this colors and registration.

ex USAAF 43-47350 painted to represent a Curtiss R5C-1

A familiar sight at FLL for at least 10 years for sure, but maybe more. By the time I took this shot, and even though a tug was towing it, it had been reported as withdrawn from use and stored since since Mar 86. In 93 it was placed on display, in Marine markings, at the Pensacola NAS Museum painted as 39611.

This aircraft is actually former USAAF 43-47350 which flew in China with CNAC and later CAT. It was registered in the US as N8364C and N1382N before being sold to Zantop and registered N611Z. It was purchased by the museum in 1988 and is still assigned N611Z in FAA records.

Built for the USAAF as 42-47350, seen taxiing for departure at CLE. Other regns include N8364C, N8631C and N1382N.

Unusally, this aircraft also carries its registration on its nose.