Artifact of the Month
U-8F Seminole being inspected at an airfield.
U-8F Seminole on display at the TC Museum.
U-8F Seminole in flight.
U-8F Seminole in flight in amoungst the clouds.
When the US Army began testing off the shelf variants of the Beech commercial twin engine aircraft the Model D50B proved its worth in the utility transport and liaison roles. Designated the YL-23, the low wing monoplane was powered by twin Lycoming engines. Over the next thirty years the Seminole would go through several variants, to include this one, the U-8D. Originally designated the L-23D, this aircraft is the equivalent of the off the shelf Beech E50 Twin Bonanza. Eighty-five new L-23Ds were built for the Army along with over 90 upgrade older models. In 1962, the L-23D was redesignated the U-8D.
The U-8 family of aircraft provided general utility transport service for over three decades, and examples of different variants remained in service with the active Army, Army Reserve and Army National Guard into the early 1990s.
This particular U-8D ended its operational flying career as a maintenance trainer here at Fort Eustis before coming to the museum in 1978.