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232
51-16481 with the USAF in the Korean Theatre.
Photo: Bruce Best Collection © via Paul Cabot - Toronto Aerospace Museum
51-16481 unusual extra item when in South Korea.
Photo: Unknown photographer © 1952

232

51-16481

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• 51-16481 USAF L-20A #1050. L-20A No: 51. Command AF-1. Painted 13-Mar-1952. Delivered 22-Apr-1952. Built as an L-20.

• 51-16481 Served in Korea.

• 51-16481 Served with 245th Transport Co., Coleman Barracks, Mannheim, Germany. Circa-1959-61.

• Fate unknown •

USAF History

51-16481 was made available on 28-Mar-1952 to the AMO (Air Material Overseas) unit of the USAF at Downsview, accepted on the 15-Apr-1952 and delivered to the San Bernardino Air Material Command unit at Norton AFB., on 22-Apr-1952. The aircraft was assigned to the Far East Air Force (FEAF), 5th Air Force, and shipped to the Kisarazu AFB., in Japan on 19-Jun-1952 where it was attached to the 6408th Maintenance Unit Group before moving on the 17-Aug-1952 to South Korea and the 10th Liaison Squadron at Yong Dong Po and moved with the same unit to Osan ni until 28 Jun-1954 before moving to Sachon and a deployment with the 6146th Air Advisory Group. This unit was training South Korean engineers to maintain their aircraft and it was attached from 28-Jun-1954 until at least 21-Oct-1954. The code allocated to the aircraft would indicate that it was in storage but this could relate to a maintenance training role.

Its next allocation was with the 6146th Flying Training Group, with deployments at Seoul, Suwon and Sachon until 08-Nov-1956, when it returned to the 6146th Air Advisory Group until 27-Jun 1958. It returned to Showa Aircraft Factory in Japan between 27-Jun-1958 and 15-Sep-1958, possibly following an accident and returned to the 6146th Air Advisory Group at Seoul after which it appears to have been struck off charge quoting “crash” by 23-Nov-1958. Obviously it soldiered on.