Belgian Wings
Belgian Air Force, past and present.
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Percival P.66 Pembroke C.51
Twin engine transport and communications aircraft.
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In 1953 the Belgian Government ordered 12 Percival Pembroke's through Conbtract N° SP140 as a replacement for the ageing Avro Anson.The aircraft was used for short-range transport and liaison flights. Between 1956 and 1957 several brand-new Pembrokes were stored at Wevelgem awaiting a future detachment to the Belgian Congo, which eventually never materialised.
A number of Pembrokes were also used for the benefit of the Belgian National Geographical Institute that used the aerial photographs obtained with the Pembrokes to produce very detaild maps of the country. In 1978 the Pembrokes were struck of charge after their replacement, the Swearingen Merlin III became operational. All but two Pembrokes were sold to the rather dark company Air America (not to be confused with the CIA-supported Air America that was operational in South-East Asia), which was owned by a drugsdealer. After some very adventurous carreers in Souith America, several former Belgian Pembrokes were acquired and preserved in the USA.
C/N
P66/0014
RM-01
Date In
Feb 1954
Date Out
Jan 1975
History
RM-1/OT-ZAA (BAF 61), N51973 (Air America), Yankee Air Force, stored Caldwell Wright Apt (NJ USA).
C/N
P66/0017
RM-02
Date In
May 1954
Date Out
Jul 1974
History
RM-2/OT-ZAB (BAF82), N51948 (Air America), N66PK, Puyallup/Thun Field, (WA USA), preserved near Taylor's Stateside Liquor Store, Neelyville, Missouri (MO, USA)
C/N
P66/0020
RM-03
Date In
May 1954
Date Out
Jan 1977
History
RM-3/OT-ZAC (BAF83), N51951 (Air America), Paul Kennedy-Newark (NJ USA)
C/N
P66/0021
RM-04
Date In
Jun 1954
Date Out
Aug 1976
History
RM-4/OT-ZAD (BAF84), Preserved at the Royal Army Museum (WHI), Brussels
C/N
P66/0024
RM-05
Date In
Jul 1954
Date Out
Feb 1974
History
RM-5/OT-ZAE (BAF85), N51961 (Air America),Hubert Cotton, Atlanta, (GA USA), for sale...
C/N
P66/0025
RM-06
Date In
Aug 1954
Date Out
Aug 1975
History
RM-6/OT-ZAF (BAF86), N51962 (Air America), stored at Fort Lauderdale (FL USA), ...
C/N
P66/0027
RM-07
Date In
Aug 1954
Date Out
Mar 1976
History
RM-7/OT-ZAG, preserved at Molenheide amusement park, Gate guardian at Melsbroek airbase.
C/N
P66/0028
RM-08
Date In
Sep 1954
Date Out
Feb 1975
History
RM-8/OT-ZAH (BAF88), N51963 (Air America), Ketch Wayne-Gainsville (NY, USA), 30 Oct 1978 crashed in a banana plantation near CiƩanaga, Columbia, while involved in an illegal flight. (Source: https://www.baaa-acro.com/crash/crash-percival-p66-pembroke-cienaga )
C/N
P66/0029
RM-09
Date In
Sep 1954
Date Out
Mar 1976
History
RM-9/OT-ZAI (BAF89), N51964 (Air America), HR-ITA, N702JM, N510RP Anoka County - Blaine Airport, C-GBGT to be restored at Vancouver (Can.) to Round Engine Aero - 9854 Curtis Road, 49073 Nashville (Michigan), USA
C/N
P66/0031
RM-10
Date In
Oct 1954
Date Out
May 1976
History
RM-10/OT-ZAJ (BAF90), N51966 (Air America), Stored at Mojave (CA, USA)
C/N
P66/0032
RM-11
Date In
Oct 1954
Date Out
Jun 1976
History
RM-11/OT-ZAK (BAF91), N51970 (Air America), last noted at El Mirage-Adelanto Field, (CA USA)
C/N
P66/0033
RM-12
Date In
Oct 1954
Date Out
Jun 1975
History
RM-12/OT-ZAL (BAF92), N51972 (Air America), stored at Watsonville (CA, USA)