LtlRichard

No the 196 in Lakeland is N4395N it was the first of four 196 converted for aerial survey in the 1950's the aerial survey company who owned them was forced to replace them with multi-engine airplanes as a term of thier government contracts in 1968. My dad Bob Porter purchased 95N and made it into our jump ship at Z-hills in the summer of 1968, and it remained at Z-hills until about 1984. 78V used to come to Z-hills when Frank from Rainbow owned it he later sold it and the new owner leased it out to another DZ who totaled it back in the early 80's. The only other surviving 196 is N4383V it was never a jump ship. since I was raised on the airport and DZ in Z-hills I grew up with the 196 and always had a fondness for it. After 95N was sold I missed flying it so much that I decided to make my own 196 conversion. While searching for a suitable airframe to convert I ran across N4383V which was the fourth and the last of the 196's converted. I bought it in 1988 and have owned it ever since.

The N# is N4395N and it is presently for sale for $199.500.00 It lives at the south Lakeland airport in central Florida. It has not flown jumpers in many years. It has been fully restored as a classic aircraft complete with leather interior and full IFR panel. It was used at Z-Hills from 1968 thru 1984 then sold to a man in Texas who was afraid to fly it, he sold it to Jones after he put three hours of taxi time on it in three years of owning it. Also this is the highest total time 195 airframe in existance with over 17,000 hours on it.

Roger, N4395N was the original 196 used at Z-hills, it was purchased by my Dad in 1968 when he still owned the DZ, he used it to support the US team training that year. There is a picture of it with the US Team on the cover of Parachutist at that time. Dad latter sold it to Jeff Searles along with the DZ, that's when Tuna came to Z-hills and started flying it, in the meanwhile Frank Younquist had 78V and was flying jumpers at Jeff's old DZ in Rainbow, WI. Frank came down with 78V in the late 60's and early 70's and the two airplanes did many formation loads at Z-hills. My aircraft is N4383V it has never seen a jumper and will always stay that way, it is the sister ship to 95N and still has the tip tanks and shortened wings which 95N had in the begining but were latter changed to regular wings. Steve's report on the fate of 78V is accurate and the only surviving 196's of the four that were made is mine and 95N which is owned by a friend of mine who has restored it to like new condition in spite of it's having over 17,000 hours of jump time on it.

Howard, Do you know the real story behind this article? If not I remember it well and could share it with you.

Pat, that picture was probably taken on the first weekend right after my Dad bought it back in 1967, he flew it home and I helped him remove the right side upholstery to access the door bolts to remove it, he flew that first weekend with the dual yoke still in it. It was the next week that his mechanic Jim Cooper installed a 182 front seat that faced rearward on the right side so a jumper could sit on the floor in front of the door. That was a long time ago, the airplane to date has been flown over 17,000 hours and about 12,000 of that was hauling jumpers. It has been retired from a jump plane and restored to an airshow award winning classic.

Hey Tuna, one of your pictures is not of N4395N it's Frank's from Rainbow that he used to bring down to Z-hills for the formation loads. It was wrecked and rebuilt by Frank and then sold to a guy in Wisconsin who let one of his weekend pilots total it. N4395N is now owned by a good friend of mine in Lakeland, FL. I test flew it for him after the $150K rebuild and restoration. I also own 95N's sister ship it is the last of the four 195's that Parks Aerial Survey built into 196's. It has never been a jump plane, but if you want to fly either mine or 95N sometime let me know, I live in Ocala on the Leeward Air Ranch. Would be good to see you some time.

Looks Like a turbine DC-3