Cessna Warbirds, The War Years (1941-45): The T-50 Bobcat and the Cessnas Impressed into Military Service

What was Sky's first aircraft in the 1950s TV show Sky King?

The Cessna T-50 Bobcat!

During World War II, Cessna Aircraft Company sold more than 5,000 twin-engine aircraft--the T-50 Bobcat--to US and foreign armed forces with a variety of designations and missions. As the USAAF AT-8 and AT-17 and the RCAF Crane multi-engine trainers, the T-50 prepared new pilots for the bigger bomber and transport aircraft they would fly in combat around the world. As the UC-78 and JRC-1, it provided personnel and light cargo transportation worldwide.

Cessna Warbirds: The War Years (1941-45) details the genesis and evolution of the Cessna T-50 Bobcat from its incarnation as a civilian aircraft throughout its wartime military history. Personal recollections from pilots who flew the aircraft during WW II, a plethora of photographs (some in color), diagrams extracted from the pilot's flight manual, and a collection of Cessna-related wartime ads provide a unique depth of material.

The War Years also chronicles the pre-war, single-engine Cessnas that were impressed into military service.

The War Years includes an illustrated overview of Clyde Cessna the man, the aircraft he designed, and the companies he created. It will soon be followed by Cessna Warbirds: Post-War Adaptations, Volume 3 of the Cessna Warbirds Series.
============
Reviews of the 1996 first edition of Cessna Warbirds

"A true military aviation enthusiast's delight--an in-depth look at a heretofore neglected topic...I recommend Cessna Warbirds without reservation to anyone interested in Cessna aircraft in military service."
US Air Force's Airpower Journal

"Walt Shiel has done his homework and come up with new angles on some familiar aircraft. First-person reminiscences from those who flew the Cessna warbirds lift the book beyond mere catalogued facts and figures."
Pilot magazine

"Your book on military Cessna is going on the reference shelf for sure!"
Dave Menard, researcher, National Museum of the US Air Force
============
Reviews of the Cessna Warbirds Series, Volume 1, T-41 Mescalero

"Thoroughly 'reader friendly' T-41 Mescalero is a seminal and indispensable addition to personal, academic, and community library Military Aviation reference collections and supplemental reading lists"
Midwest Book Review

"This long overdue tribute to the Cessna T-41 Mescalero is well researched, well written and beautifully illustrated."
Walter J. Boyne, author & historian