Hmmm...one of these in Biafran war markings... 
I like it! But my starting point will be Jon's comment about lack of bellicosity ...
When, at long last, R-3350 engines became available, a small production run of A-38C
Grizzly attack aircraft was begun. Then Japan capitulated. Left with a cancelled contract and more than a dozen virtually completed airframes, Beechcraft bought A-38C components back from the US government for scrap value. The initial scheme was to produce new fuselages to combine with the
Grizzly powerplants, undercarriage, wings, and empennage. However, by the time that Bill Cassidy's project team had completed the fuselage design, it was clear to Beechcraft management that there was going to be a glut of relatively cheap, surplus airframes available for the fast transport/executive aircraft role.
After a time with A-38Cs sat weathering in the weeds at Wichita, it was decided to either find a role or scrap the stored A-38Cs and unfinished components. The US military showed no interest in a fast target-tug nor were civilian operators interested in a fast photo-survey mount. So, it was decided to adapt the
Grizzlys to the new water bomber role. The rear cockpit was stripped of all equipment other than radios which helped rebalance the c/g without the 75 mm nose gun fitted (although, in truth, civilianized A-38Cs were always tail-heavy). The most noticeable modification, though, was the enormous belly tank for fire retardant.
Bottom The prototype '
Pregnant Grizzly' water bomber conversion of the A-38C. Seen here after being sold, this was the aircraft that Beechcraft test pilot Vern Carstens successfully landed after it threw a propeller in flight.
The
Grizzly water bomber conversions were generally successful in their new role but proved uneconomical compared with other conversions - like the Douglas A-26 and North American B-25. As such, many were 'de-tanked' and sold off for other roles. Most became target tugs with foreign governments. However, one ex-water bomber
Grizzly surreptitiously returned to the type's originally-planned attack role. Sold to Lusaka-based Kariba Aerial Survey plc by the Pan Eurasian Trading Co. of Luxembourg, this aircraft would never arrive in Zambia.
A 'Biafran Bear' - The Grizzly Goes to AfricaTop Beech
Grizzly in fresh Biafran Air Force colours. Beneath the underwing Biafran roundel, traces of intended (or pretended?) ownership can be seen where the Zambian registration 9J-BPS has been removed. On its nose, 'White 5' (
Ocha ise) sports the patriotic slogan '
Ibo kwenu! Yaa!' (Ibo Solidarity). [1] Fixed armament is a single, nose-mounted 37 mm Nudelman N-37 cannon. [2] Note the non-standard glazings - hold-overs from this aircraft's days as a water bomber.
Delivered by Ernest Koenig (via Portuguese Guinea) at the end of April 1967, the aircraft was operational by the first week of May. After test-flights by future BAF commander Godwin Ezeilo, the
Grizzly was turned over to Dutch mercenary pilot, Maarten Dahmen. Plans to augment armament on the
Grizzly were never realized. [3] The BAF
Grizzly was lost on its sixth mission, coming down in the Bight of Biafra. No cause was determined although the aircraft had a history of propeller problems and other mechanical glitches. No trace was ever found of pilot Dahmen or his observer, van Reiseghem.
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[1] These days, this would be rendered as '
Igbo kwenu! Yaa!' ('Ibo' being an out-dated spelling).
[2] The origin of this N-37 is unknown - the Nigerian AF is not known to have lost any of its MiG-17 fighters (or MiG-15UTI trainers). The BAF
Grizzly was fitted with a
Reflexsikte m/37 sight smuggled in from Sweden (where it had been taken from a scrapped Seversky J9 fighter).
[3] It was intended to install wing and belly bomb racks along with fixed 12.7 mm Browning machine guns.
