In the late 1940s, the USAF made a wise purchase when they ordered a militarized version of the Cessna Model 195 – the LC-126A. Outfitted with floats for service as a rescue bird in Alaska, the USAF never bought the plane in great numbers (only a dozen or so). Still, what it lacked in numbers, it made up for in style because the Cessna 195/LC-126, in this man’s opinion, is one of the most handsome aircraft ever built.
In the photo, 49-1949 of the 10th Rescue Squadron, Elmendorf AFB, Alaska, undergoes riverside maintenance out in the bush. It’s summer, but that only means hordes of mosquitoes – all of whom have a million children – are swarming unseen in the picture. This particular plane was saved for posterity by the Air Force and now resides in the USAF Museum, painted as seen here 75 years ago.
The Jive Bomber 