Cessna Aircraft Company is usually considered a manufacturer of civilian aircraft - single engine, high wing planes, light to medium twins, or even the Citation series of corporate jets. Military aircraft are usually considered the province of companies like McDonnell Douglas, North American, Grumman, Lockheed, or General Dynamics. And yet Cessna, that premier manufacturer and marketer of general aviation aircraft, has played a significant role in the annals of military aviation since the start of World War II. True, Cessna has never made the latest state of the art air superiority fighter or any long range strategic bombers (although Cessna did churn out parts for front line aircraft throughout the 1940s and 1950s). But if we count all those small, versatile, and necessary adjunct aircraft used for observation, pilot training, forward control of air and artillery strikes, and miscellaneous utility applications, Cessna probably has provided as many aircraft to the military forces of the United States and its allies as any but the largest manufacturers of front line war machines.

Cessna's entry on the military landscape coincided with the entry of the United States into World War II. By that time, Cessna had established itself as a leading designer and manufacturer of cabin class aircraft for the business traveler, and the military was quick to recognize military applications for those already produced Cessnas.

Although there is some disagreement on the total number, in 1942 the U.S. Army Air Force (AAF) purchased at least four Cessna DC 6A Chiefs and four DC 6B Scouts for personnel and cargo transport. (There may have been three others acquired later, but if so, records do not indicate clearly whether these were DC 6A or DC 6B aircraft and the associated s/n were not recorded.) The Army assigned the DC 6A the military designation UC 77 along with military s/n 42 38290, 42 46637, 42 46638, and 42 46639, corresponding to Cessna c/n 238, 232, 231, and 226. These aircraft had originally been issued civilian registration numbers NC302M, NC654K, NC6449, and NR6441, respectively. The DC 6B was redesignated UC 77A and assigned military s/n 42 38292 through 42 38295, with c/n 211, 219, 290, and 200. The civilian registration numbers were NC631K, NC633K, NC14452, and NC9865 respectively.

The DC 6 series aircraft featured four seats and a 3,100 pound gross weight, and was based on the earlier three seat Model BW. The BW's heritage, in turn, can be traced to the four seat A series designs. The DC 6A (UC 77) was a DC 6 with a 300 horsepower Wright R 975 Whirlwind Nine engine, replacing the DC 6's 170 horsepower Curtiss engine. This change resulted in a 25 mph higher cruise speed and a 31 mph higher maximum speed. The DC 6B (UC 77A) was powered by the somewhat less muscular 225 horsepower Wright R 760 Whirlwind Seven engine. The UC 77's cruise speed of 130 mph and top speed of 161 mph compared to the UC 77A's 120 mph cruise and 146 mph maximum. Cessna produced a total of 22 DC 6A and 22 DC 6B aircraft between 1929 and 1930 (an additional four of the original DC 6s were later converted to DC 6B configuration). Wing span for all models was 40 feet, two inches with an overall length of 24 feet, 8 inches…