As a shortage of aluminum may become a problem in the Second World War, the Budd company from Philadelphia developed a stainless steel cargo aircraft. The RB-1 Conestoga had 2 Pratt and Whitney R-1830 engines and the high wing configuration was quite different with a raised cockpit area for the 3 crew. It was envisaged to carry 24 troopers or stretchers. The RB-1 first flew October 1943. Only some 17 were built as aluminum materials for other aircraft types like the Douglas C-47 remained available and the Budd type had manufacturing problems. The few aircraft were used at Navy air stations in a utility role. One single aircraft was even used in Brazil by V.A.S.D. shortly after the end of the War. 

conestoga profile


RB-1 Conestoga

This RB-1 aircraft with serial no. 39307 (civilian N33308) needs restoration. The main aircraft structure is seen here at the Pima Air and Space Museum, Tucson, Arizona.

Photographed Summer 2019 by Ronald van Voorst (C) Copyright IPMS Nederland

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  • Budd_RB-1_Conestoga_3
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Just a few plastic scale models are known: in 1/144 a resin kit from Anigrand and Execuform had a rudimentary 1/72 vacuform kit.

 

This walk around page was first published March 11, 2020 by M. de Vreeze