• 52-6135 USAF #1297 L-20 No: 298 Command AF-3. Delivered 16-Jul-1953. Built as L-20A and re-designated U-6A in 1962.
• 52-6135 Stored at MASDC Davis Monthan AFB., AZ. Arrival date unknown. Departed to US Army 13-Apr-1966
• 52-6135 US Army Aviation Museum. Fort Rucker, AL.
• N463MH J.W Duff, dba., J W Duff Aircraft Co., Denver. CO. Regd 23-Jan-2012. Canx 01-Sep-2013.
Note: Was on loan to Yesterday’s Air Force, St. Petersburg / Clearwater, FL.
USAF History.
52-6135 was made available on 19-Jun-1953, accepted on 07-Jul-1953 by the 6600th Air Depot AMO (Air Material Overseas Unit), at Downsview, ON., after which it was delivered to the Tactical Air Command and the 1st Liaison Squadron at George AFB., SC., on 16-Jul-1953 remaining with the unit until 18-Jan-1954.
It then moved to the Air Material Command San Antonio Air Depot at McClellan AFB., CA., and then the San Francisco Port of Embarkation on 24-Mar 1954 prior to transportation to Eniwetok Atoll in the Pacific Marshall Islands arriving on 03-Apr-1954. Here it was assigned to the Air Research and Development (ARD) Command initially attached to the 4931st Test Squadron, part of the Special Weapons Centre and also served with the 4930th Support Test Group and Wing and the 4951st Support Test Squadron. It suffered category 3 (medium/serious) damage during a landing accident at Runit Island, Eniwetok Marshall Islands, South Pacific on 07-Dec-1955. It was taken to Showa/ Tachikawa in Japan for attention and then returned to the Continental USA where it was repaired and returned to service.
It returned to the US Mainland, still with the Special Weapons Centre to Indian Springs and the 4935th Air Base Wing on 08-Feb-1957 staying until 05-May-1958 but with a short deployment to Kirtland between 01-May-1957 & 09-May-1957. After Indian Springs it found itself back at Eniwetok Atoll but only until 17-Sep-1958.
Now it was back to the mainland and a few days at San Antonio Air Depot, CA., until 30-Sep-1958 before returning to the Special Weapons Centre at Indian Springs on 30-Sep-1958 and then to Kirtland.
It is recorded as returning to McLellan between 06-Nov-1958 and 07-Jan-1959 and then again returned to Kirtland on 14-Feb-1979. It now passed to the Air Material Command at Minneapolis-St Paul, MN., for attention between 16-Feb-1979 and 05-Jun-1959. It followed the theme of returning to the Special Weapons Centre but this time to Indian Springs until 31-Jul-1959. Kirtland appears on the scene again until the 01-Oct-1960.
A new assignment with the Tactical Air Command saw the aircraft move to Nellis AFB., NV., where it was attached to the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing between 01-Oct-1960 and 31-Dec-1960. Once again the Special Weapons Centre at Indian Springs called. It stayed until 31-Jul-1962 and then returned to the 4520th Combat Crew Training Wing at Nellis until 29-Apr-1963. It certainly knew the way to go when it was again transferred to Kirtland on 29-Apr-1963 staying until 23-Oct-1963. A new location with the Air Training Command saw the aircraft serve for a short time at Stead AFB., NV., up to 15-Nov-1963. Then again the Special Weapons Centre called, now part of Systems Command, first at Kirtland until 31-May-1964 and then again at Indian Springs. It is recorded as being at Davis Monthan but the arrival date is currently unknown, however it departed on the 13-Apr-1966 having been passed to the US Army and was later seen at Fort Rucker Army Aviation Museum.
• Photo in "High Viz" by Michael O'Leary (Osprey ISBN 1 85532 450 4 Pages 110-111)
