Constructed as a B.18S, this aircraft was the last civil delivery of a Beech 18 before production was switched to military orders for the duration of WWII. It flew as NC1040 for a newspaper company until impressed for use by the USN from 1942 as JRB-2 BuNo 09771 and saw service with the Marines. After the war it was based at NAS Corpus Christi, NAS Alameda, NAS Anacostia and MCAS Cherry Point before remanufacture as an SNB-5P in 1953, then serving at NAS Willow Grove, NAS Glenview, NAS Atlanta and NAS Pensacola. Moved to the museum in 1962 (displayed indoors around 2012)

9 Dec 1940: Factory roll-out as model B18S with MSN 434; last civil delivery. December/40: Registered NC1040. February/42: Impressed for service, TOS USN as JRB-2 BuNo 09771; assigned to Commanding General, USMC, Quantico, VA. Ca.1942 to 1948: Several USMC units. 1948: Storage. 1950: Reactivated USMC, MCAS Cherry Point, NC. May/53: Remanufactured as SNB-5P. July/62: Redesignated RC-45J. Last unit was Naval Air Technical Training Unit, NAS Pensacola, FL. 29 Jun '72: National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, FL.

9 Dec 1940: Factory roll-out as model B18S with MSN 434; last civil delivery. December/40: Registered NC1040. February/42: Impressed for service, TOS USN as JRB-2 BuNo 09771; assigned to Commanding General, USMC, Quantico, VA. Ca.1942 to 1948: Several USMC units. 1948: Storage. 1950: Reactivated USMC, MCAS Cherry Point, NC. May/53: Remanufactured as SNB-5P. July/62: Redesignated RC-45J. Last unit was Naval Air Technical Training Unit, NAS Pensacola, FL. 29 Jun '72: National Museum of Naval Aviation, NAS Pensacola, FL.

Registered as B-18S NC1040 in 1940. To the US Navy as JRB-2 09771 in 1942 Converted to an SNB-5P with c/n N975 in 1953. Redesignated as an RC-45J in 1962. To the Museum in 1972.

Model 18S MSN 434 NC1040 impressed by Navy Feb 20, 1942. Remanufactured by Beech as SNB-5P (MSN N975) in May 1953. Redesignated UC-45J in 1962. (Source: Joe Baugher's website)