CDR Michael Graves USN Ret. submitted the following photo and note: “A true warbird of World War II. This aircraft served with the USN and Marine Corps from 1943 to 1946 at MCAAS/NAS Mojave. She is just one of a handful of the 100 Navy HE/AE1s delivered to the US Navy from 1942-1942 that remain. She was a stop gap aircraft before helicopters came on line to evacuate injured personnel from the battle field.”
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Thank you for posting our beautiful PIper Navy HE1 5-1456. As a side note, her Piper Historical Record show she rolled out of the Piper factory in Lock Haven, PA, on 21 April, 1943. After she was purchased at El Toro, MCAS in Dec 1946, the owner pulled the Lyc O-235, installed a Lyc 0-290 and registered her as “Experimental”. I believe by doing so they were able to save the hinges on the after turtle deck. I have found that in order for the new owners after the war to register these airframes, (J5C) many were forced to remove those hinges. The research from the FAA/Navy records finds of the 100 delivered to the USN between 1942-1943, only 17 remain on the FAA Reg. Of those only 5 or 6 have been restored back to there original WW2 status. Only 7 of the 100 were assigned to the United States Marine Corps, and 5-1456 happens to 1 of the 7.
Love that plane. I see the turtle deck that was also incorporated into Piper and Aeronca aircraft.
Really great old airplane. I used the HE1 Piper drawings (from Cub Club) to get a field approval to put a banner/baggage bin about 5’ into the tail when I modified a customers banner bird. Gotta watch wt n bal but it worked great!