Republic Seabees in Museums and on Display

Republic Seabees In Museums

CF-DLN Photo: Mike Henniger 2006

CF-DLN
Photo: © courtesy Mike R. Henniger

It is more than half a century since the last Seabee amphibian rolled off the production lines at Republic Aviation Corp. This fact alone makes the Seabee a historical airplane.

The Seabee was one of the most popular bushplanes and air ambulances in the late 1940ies and in the 1950ies in countries like Canada, Norway, Sweden and USA. Many stories can be told about life-saving missions flown by hero Seabee pilots to rescue seriously ill persons from remote islands and wilderness. There are also stories of Seabee pilots making 'impossible' take offs and landings from small lakes to bring in supplies to hunters and trappers - and to fly out their catches.

Even today, year 2009, a few Seabees are still earning their keep commercially - as bushplanes, air taxis and school planes! In the World of Aviation, probably only the DC-3 transports have had longer commercial careers than the Seabees...

Even if the Seabees seem to last forever, fortunately some Seabees have been retired to be preserved for the future. This section of the Seabee web-site will list all Seabees known to be stored, preserved and displayed in Museums, as Gate Guards, at malls, parks etc.

If you have any information, photos or corrections on any Seabee on display, please contact Webmaster at e-mail:

CF-DKG (S/N 822)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
822	CF-DKG	Canadian Bushplane Heritage Centre 50 Pim Street Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario Canada P6A 3G4 URL: www.bushplane.com	Acquired Airdale Flying Services in 1999? Displayed in yellow/black color scheme. Photo: © Please tell me!

CF-DLN (S/N 147)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
147	CF-DLN	The Memorial Military Museum c/o Harold Carlaw Campbellford, Ontario K0L 1L0 Canada Tel: 705-653-4848 URL: www.avroland.ca	Photo: ©courtesy Mike R. Henniger, 08 June 2006. July 2022 sold to Chase Reimer, Stittsville, Ontario, for restoration to airworthy condition. URL: www.theseabeeproject.com

CF-DYJ (S/N 135)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
135	CF-DYJ	Canadian Museum of Flight Hangar 3, Langley Airport #200 - 5333 216th Street Langley, British Columbia Canada V2Y 2N3 Tel: (604) 532-0035 Fax: (604) 532-0056 URL: www.canadianflight.org	Seabee not on display. Stored or sold? Photo: © Don Hewins www.abpic.co.uk , 02 August 1994.

CF-FCD (S/N 352)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
352	CF-FCD	Western Canada Aviation Museum; 958 Ferry Rd. Winnipeg, Manitoba Canada R3H 0Y8 Tel: (204) 786-5503 Fax: (204) 775-4761 Email: info@wcam.mb.ca URL: wcam.mb.ca	Stored outdoor. This was registered to Superior Airways Ltd of Fort William, ON and crashed 01 June 1952 in the bush on the north shore of Lake Superior near Rossport, ON. Superior Airways said at the time that it was stripping the aircraft of the doors, instruments, seats, gas tank, flaps & ailerons, tail planes and other material. The wings and fuselage were left in the bush. (Information from Terry Judge 2009-04-23) Photo: © courtesy George Chomokovski, August 2007.

CF-FSG (S/N 919)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
919	CF-FSG	Desperate Dick's & Durty Nellie's Bar and Grill 12 First Avenue S., Box 176 Sioux Lookout, Ontario P8T 1A3 Canada Tel: 807-737-4800 Fax: 807-737-2139 or 737-4145 E-mail: dickandnellies@bellnet.ca	Stored outdoor. Photo: © Trevor McTavish, July 2006.

CF-JLC (S/N 710)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
710	CF-JLC	The British Columbia Aviation Museum 1910 Norseman Road Sidney, British Columbia Canada V8L 5V5 URL: www.bcam.net	Donated to the Museum by Henry & Frank Norie in 1991.

C-GCEK (S/N 149)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
149	C-GCEK	Reynolds-Alberta Museum P.O. Box 6360 Wetaskiwin, Alberta Canada T9A 2G1 URL: www.reynoldsalbertamuseum.com	Photo: © courtesy Trevor McTavish, April 2008.

HL 0825 (S/N ?)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
?	HL 0825	Jeju Aerospace Museum 218 Nokchabunjae-ro Andeok-myeon Seogwipo-si Jeju Island South Korea URL: www.jdc-jam.com	Unidentified Republic Seabee displayed outside museum.

I-SIBI (S/N 149)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
331	I-SIBI	Stored in Trento for 'Museo Aeronautico Caproni di Taledo', Milano, Italy.	Ex HB-SEA. Aero Club "Giuseppe Ghislanzoni" di Como.

N64RN (S/N 416)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
416	N64RN	Chokchai Museum Khu Khot Lam Luk Ka District Pathum Thani 12130 Thailand (14.65387176° / 101.348961°). www.chokchaimuseum.com	Photo: © courtesy of Jean Marc Braun 08 January 2016

N6202K (S/N 398)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
398	N6202K	The Mid Atlantic Air Museum P O Box 105 Middletown, PA 17057 USA 11 Museum Drive Reading, PA 19605 Tel: (610) 372-7333 URL: www.maam.org	1995-09-04 registered on US CAR to Mid Atlantic Air Museum.

N6255K (S/N 462)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
462	N6255K	Pacific Aviation Museum Pearl Harbor 319 Lexington Boulevard Honolulu, Hawaii 96818-5005 USA www.pacificaviationmuseum.org	2014-02-14 donated to museum by owner Robert A. Gould. 2014-09-16 transported by road to museum. 2014-09-18 assembly started at PAM. 2014-09-20 Photo: Robert A. Gould Under restoration.

N6317K (S/N 540)
Photo wanted!
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
540	N6317K	Museum of American Aircraft 21015 Skywest Drive Hayward, CA 94541 USA	This collection was owned by Mike E. Coutches who was sadly injured when one of his Pinto jets crashed near Hayward on 19 July 1987.

N6461K (S/N 712)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
712	N6461K	Cradle of Aviation Museum Postal address: One Davis Avenue Garden City, NY 11530 USA Street address: Lindbergh Blvd. Garden City, NY 11530 USA URL: www.cradleofaviation.org	Donated to the Museum by Leo Hausman. Photo: © Derek Linder, 25 May 2003.

N6481K (S/N 736)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
736	N6481K	Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum 500 NE Capt. Michael King Smith Way McMinnville, Oregon 97128 USA Tel: 503-434-4180 URL: www.sprucegoose.org	Restored 2005 - 2007. Displayed in museum together with the huge Hughes H-4 Hercules ("Spruce Goose") flying boat. Photo: © courtesy Roger "ArmyJunk", 04 August 2007.

N6485K (S/N 739)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
739	N6485K	Museum of American Aircraft 21015 Skywest Drive Hayward, CA 94541 USA	This collection was owned by Mike E. Coutches who was sadly injured when one of his Pinto jets crashed near Hayward on 19 July 1987.

N6518K (S/N 784)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
784	N6518K	Hillier Air Museum 700 Tioga Drive, Hangar 7 Modesto, CA 95354 USA Phone: 209-526-8297 Phone: 209-985-9000 URL: www.hillierairmuseum.com	Flying exhibit, owned by Mr. Thomas F. Hillier.

N6525K (S/N 834)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
791	N6525K	Manitowoc County Airport (KMTW) Wisconsin, USA	Mounted on pylon outside airport. Photo: © Ian Callier, 2006.

N6534K (S/N 800)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
800	N6534K	Mason Bowling Center Albert D. Mason 640 N Main Street Leominster, MA 01453 USA Tel: 978 537-7064 Tel: 617 228-5190	Seabee mounted on poles outside a bowling center, a few blocks away from Fitchburg Municipal Airport in Leominster, MA.

N6537K (S/N 803)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
803	N6537K	Southern Museum of Flight 4343 73rd Street North Birmingham, AL 35206 USA URL: www.southernmuseumofflight.org	On display in museum. Photo: © Ingo Warnecke, 17 April 2008.

(N6564K) (S/N 834)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
834	B-61 (N6564K)	The Israel Air Force Museum Hatzerim Army Postal Office Box 02832 Beer Sheva Israel Tel:972 7 906 428 Fax: 972 7 906 314 URL: www.iaf-museum.org.il	Ex N6564K (ex Robert Hebron). The original Seabee (N6731K/VQ-PAV/IDFAF B-61 s/n 1019) was one of the first aircraft of IDFAF. Israeli Seabee history. Photo: Photo: © Erez S., 05 April 2005.

N6705K (S/N 988)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
988	N6705K	The New England Air Museum Bradley International Airport Windsor Locks, CT 06096 USA Tel: (860) 623-3305 Fax: (860) 627-2820 E-mail: staff@neam.org URL: www.neam.org	Donated to the Museum by owner Romeo A. Lalli's widow. Displayed in Museum on a cermony held on 28 July 1989, celebratiing P. H. Spencer. Photo: © Derek Linder, May 2004.

N6709K (S/N 992)
Photo wanted!
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
992	N6709K	National Air and Space Museum 7th and Independence Ave SW Washington, D.C. 20560 USA URL: www.nasm.si.edu	Donated to the Museum by Robert N. Stine and Alexander D. MacCallum. Delivered to Hyde Field, Maryland, on September 6, 1984. The airplane is currently stored at the Garber Facility at Suitland, Maryland.

N87482 (S/N 33)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
33	N87482	The Hiller Aviation Museum 601 Skyway Road San Carlos, CA 94070 USA Tel: (650) 654-0200 Fax: (650) 654-0220 E-mail: museum@hiller.org URL: www.hiller.org	Displayed in Main Gallery, hanging in wires from the ceiling. N87482 is still on US CAR to Wes H. Stetson, Pleasant Hill, CA, USA (1976-06-08). Photo: © Roger Cain, 1999.

N87596 (S/N 165)
. N87596 Key West, Florida Photo: © via John P. Hooper
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
165	N87596	Conch Republic Trading Co; 725 Duval Street Key West, FL 33040-7403 USA Formerly H.T. Chittum's Mercantile Store; 725 Duval Street Key West, FL 33040 USA	Displayed inside clothing store. Red/white paint scheme and marked N87596. Prepared by Henry Ruzakowski in 1989. Ruzakowski is still listed in US CAR as the owner...!

OH-EGA (S/N 679)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
679	OH-EGA	LUSTO - The Finnish Forest Museum Lustontie 1, SF-58450 Punkaharju Finland lusto`@`lusto.fi Phone +358 15 345 100 Telefax +358 15 345 1050 URL: www.lusto.fi	Crashed on 30 September 1958. Under restoration for display in museum during 2012. Photo: © Matti Mecklin, 26 May 2011.

VT-CST (S/N 973)
Photo wanted!
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
973	VT-CST	Australia's Museum of Flight HMAS Albatross 489 Albatross Road Nowra, NSW Australia Tel: 02-44241920 Fax: 02-44241999 URL: www.museum-of-flight.org.au	Ex India Seabee! Hull only?

UNKNOWN (S/N ???)

S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
?	?	Runaway Bay Miniature Golf Tupelo Bay Golf Center 1800 Business 17 South Garden City, SC 29576 USA Tel: (843) 215-1038 URL: www.tupelobay.com/mini_golf.htm	An unidentified multi-colored Seabee is displayed in this South Carolina 36-hole Jamaican-themed miniature golf course, a part of the Tupelo Bay Golf Center, south of Myrtle Beach. "Jamaican Me Crazy" is painted on the fuselage sides. Photo: © Daniel L. Berek

UNKNOWN (S/N ???)
. Seabee displayed at Congo River Golf & Exploration Co. Orlando - International Drive, Florida, USA 12 April 2005 Photo: © Derek Heley
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
?	?	Congo River Golf & Exploration Co. 6312 International Drive Orlando, Florida USA	An unidentified Zebra-colored Seabee is displayed in a 'Congo River' crash scene in an Orlando miniature golf course.

UNKNOWN (S/N ???)
Photo wanted!
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
78 107 408 940 1054	N87521 N87547 N6208K N28CB N36WT	Philadelphia Seaplane Museum; Philadelphia Seaplane Base 97 Wanamaber Avenue Essington, PA 19024 USA	This museum/SPB was run by Bob Mills. It is believed that this museum is closed and that most Seabees have been sold?

UNKNOWN (S/N ???)
Photo wanted!
S/N	Reg. No:	Location:	Remarks:
?	?	"A Place Called Mango" Orlando, Florida USA	Seabee wreck restored by Henry Ruzakowski for display at a clothing store.