Republic RC-3 Seabee # 202 (LN-MAF, SE-BXA, LN-BDT)

REPUBLIC RC-3 SEABEE # 202

LN-BDT (Photo: via Gaute Strøm)

LN-BDT
Geiranger, Norway
1958
Photo: © Gaute Strøm via Fredrik Strøm

AIRCRAFT DATA
Manufacturer:		Republic Aviation Corporation; Farmingdale, Long Island, New York, USA.
Model:		RC-3 Seabee
Type Certificate No:		A-769
Serial Number:		202
Manufacturing Date:		1947-01-??
Engine:		Franklin 6A8-215-B8F (215 HP at 2500 RPM)
Remarks:		Scrapped.

Reg. No.	Date	Remarks
(LN-MAF)	1947-??-??	Reserved registration number at factory.
	1947-01-??	Manufacturing Date.
	1947-01-??	Test flight.
	1947-01-06	US Export C of A # E.11229 issued.
	1947-01-13	Officially delivered from Republic Aviation Corporation to Thor Solberg; Oslo, Norway.
	1947-01-26	Arrived at Bergen on S/S "Stavangerfjord". Assembly at Flatøy SPB, Meland, north of Bergen.
LN-MAF	1947-04-17	Inspection by Norwegian CAA at Flatøy SPB. Temporary flight permit issued?
	1947-04-19	Test flight from Flatøy SPB to Bergen and return. Pilot Edmond Jaquet.
	1947-05-05	Inspection by Norwegian CAA at Fornebu Airport, Oslo.
	1947-05-07	C of R # 149 and C of A # 172 issued. Registered owner: Thor Solbergs Flyveselskap AS; Bergen, Norway
	1947-05-10	Flown Fornebu, Oslo - Flatøy, Meland, by Thor Solberg.
	1947-06-24	Flown Flatøy, Meland, to Sola SPB by Thor Solberg.
	1947-10-31	Crashed on landing, near Atløy, Sogn, Norway. Stored until sold in 1950.
	1950-05-06	Sold to Ostermans Aero AB; Stockholm, Sweden.
	1950-05-11	Temporarily registered on Norwegian CAR. Probably flown to Sweden as LN-MAF.
	1950-06-21	Cancelled from Norwegian CAR as sold to Sweden.
SE-BXA	1950-06-09	Temporarily registered on Swedish CAR.
	1950-06-10	Inspected by Swedish CAA. A/C total time: 256 hrs 55 min.
	1950-06-29	C of R # 816 and C of A # 925 issued. Registered owner: Ostermans Aero AB; Stockholm, Sweden.
	1950-12-10	Not airworthy until 1951-01-12.
	1950-12-14	A/C total time: 453 hrs 20 min.
	1951-07-12	Not airworthy until 1952-06-19.
	1952-06-??	Maintenance inspection.
	1952-06-16	A/C total time: 594 hrs.
	1952-12-19	Not airworthy until 1955-03-24.
	1955-03-23	A/C total time: 647 hrs 45 min.
	1955-05-13	Maintenance inspection at AB Nordisk Aerotjänst.
	1955-10-12	A/C total time: 845 hrs 35 min.
	1956-03-24	Not airworthy until 1956-08-26.
	1956-06-09	A/C total time: 865 hrs 50 min.
	1957-03-06	A/C total time: 955 hrs 50 min.
	1957-03-20	Cancelled from Swedish CAR as sold to Norway.
LN-BDT	1957-03-21	Temporarily registered on Norwegian CAR.
	1957-03-23	C of R # 389 and C of A # 417 issued. Registered owner: Mørefly AS; Ålesund, Norway.
	1957-08-08	Landing accident at Gossen airfield, Aukra. Gear locking bolt failed and gear could not be completely retracted. Pilot Gaute Strøm decided to make an intentional emergency landing with wheels up on the old WW2 airport at the island Gossen. Only minor damages.
	1963-11-15	A/S Sea Bee; c/o Leif Steine; Bergen, Norway. Co-owner: Agnar Hommeland.
	196?-??-??	Accident on Nordåsvannet, Bergen. Wing float and wing damaged.
	1965-09-30	C of A expired. A/C withdrawn from use and stored.
	1972-01-14	Cancelled from Norwegian CAR.
		Aircraft was stored at the hangars of Westwing AS, Sandviken SPB, Bergen, until 1980, when scrapped at Kokstad scrap yard after a "clean-up" at their hangars. Parts (doors, wings, wheels) where rescued by local aviation enthusiasts for museum. Wings are currently stored at Flyhistorisk Museum Sola, for possible rebuild of Seabee in the future.
	Sources:	Benny G. Karlsson/NORARC; Sweden. Kay Hagby/NORARC; Norway. "Fra Nielsen & Winther til Boeing 747". Leif Steine. SFF "Svenskt civilregister 2; SE-BAA t.o.m. SE-BZZ". RAC Seabee Delivery List.