Dates

Event

1934

Constructed as a B17L.
First production model.

To Beechcraft with new c/r NC270Y.

2 February 1934

First flight.
Also cited as 1934-02-27.

1934

Used for certification flights to obtain type certificate (ATC-560). Also used by Beechcraft as demonstration aircraft for sales.

From 2 February 1935 to 1942

To Charlotte Frye, Griffin, GA keeping c/r NC270Y.
Used for racing and air mail delivery.

1935

At the Detroit Air Show.

September 1935

Involved in an incident.
Suffered landing accident with ground loop, requiring replacement of both lower wings and one landing gear.

From 12 December 1935 to 14 December 1935

Won All-American Air Maneuvres, Miami, FL.

1936

Crashed.
Won the Miami Air Race, but suffered engine failure upon departure and landed in swamp with relatively minor damage.

From 1942 to 1946

At least two owners during this time.

1946

To Stevens College, Columbia, MO keeping c/r NC270Y.

1947

To Keith Flying Service, Russell, KS.
Keith Flying service was the last to fly the plane until it was restored by Hansen and Perry in 1982.

1951

Withdrawn from use.

11 September 1952

Certificate of airworthiness for N270Y (B17L, 3) issued.

From 1958 to 1980

To Major Joe Gildea with new c/r N270Y.

Circa 1964

Disassembled and stored outside a garage in San Francisco Bay area, CA. Had 957 total hours on airframe.

1967

To LT. Col. James T. Winkler keeping c/r N270Y.

1977

To Paul Harper, Los Altos, CA keeping c/r N270Y.

1979

To Hub Johnson, Red Bluff, CA keeping c/r N270Y.

February 1980

To Richard Perry Richard Hansen, Chicago, IL.
Purchased as a pile of parts with intention to restore the plane for Beechcrafts 50th anniversary. They were the 15th owners, not all of them known.

Restored.
Restored to authentic off factory condition, aiming for display at Beechcrafts 50th anniversary in 1982, a rebuildable 1933 Jacobs L-4 was obtained from the Staggerwing Museum, and Dr. Berne Yocke, Aurora (IL) made new landing gear doors from scratch, many parts had to be constructed the same way it was done in 1934, NC270Y had a total 4 recorded accidents but the frame was still within specifications (Beech17.net).

27 August 1982

First post-restoration Flight.
The flight took place at Hampshire, IL., Pilot was Dick Perry.

29 July 1983

Photographer: Glenn Chatfield
Notes: 35mm slide photographed at DuPage Airport, West Chicago. In position for formation take-off with another Beech 17, for flight to Oshkosh, WI

August 1983

Loaned to EAA Airventure Museum, Whittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI.
View the Location Dossier

30 April 1984

To Classic Enterprises keeping c/r N270Y.

3 February 1987

To Beech Aircraft Corporation, Wichita, KA keeping c/r N270Y.

30 April 2007

To Hawker Beechcraft Corp, Wichita, KS keeping c/r N270Y.

1 January 2011

Certificate of airworthiness for N270Y (B17L, 3) issued.

Circa 1 January 2011

To Raytheon Aircraft Company, Wichita, KS keeping c/r N270Y.

21 June 2011

To Hawker Beechcraft Corp, Wichita, KS keeping c/r N270Y.
Last CR action date noted here.

Placed on display.
Displayed at Beech Delivery Center, Wichita, KS.

25 July 2017

Civil registration, N270Y, cancelled.

To EAA Aviation Museum, Whittman Regional Airport, Oshkosh, WI.
View the Location Dossier