Dubbed the Bamboo Bomber by the pilots who flew them, it was one of the aircraft featured in the popular television series “Sky King” of the 1940s and 1950s. During WWII, Robins Air Force Base performed depot repairs and logistics support for all the UC-78s located in the southeast.

The Bobcat was given the nickname "Bamboo Bomber" in US service. Few Bobcats were still in service with the United States Air Force when it was formed in September 1947, and the type was declared obsolete in 1949.

Dubbed the "Bamboo Bomber" by the pilots who flew them, the UC-78 was a military version of the commercial Cessna T-50 light transport. Cessna first produced the wood and tubular steel, fabric-covered T-50 in 1939 for the civilian market.

Some may also recall that Kirby Grant flew a Bamboo Bomber—the original Songbird—in the first 39 episodes of the 1950s television series "Sky King." During the war, this training aircraft was used mainly to "bridge the gap between single-engine trainers and twin-engine combat aircraft," according to ClassicWarbirds.net.

The UC-78, known affectionately as the "Bamboo Bomber" because of its wooden construction, was well known as a multi-engine trainer of WWII. Many bomber pilots saw training on this aircraft.

2021年1月11日 · The airplane earned the nickname “Bamboo Bomber” because of its one piece, 42’ wooden wing. Its U.S. military designation was UC 78 known also as the “useless 78” because of its limited performance and application.

2022年1月4日 · 2021 Marks the 20th Year of Warbirds in Review: Cessna UC-78 “Bamboo Bomber” and Boeing PT-17 Stearman. Owners: National Wasp WWII Museum and Mike Porter. Speakers: Lisa Taylor and John Marsh from the National WASP WWII Museum. In 1942, as the country reeled from the attack on Pearl Harbor, trained male pilots were in short supply.

Known affectionately as the “Bamboo Bomber” because of its wooden construction, it was well known as a multi-engine trainer of WWII. It was first flown in 1939 as the Cessna T-50 civilian aircraft, later received U.S. military designation as AT-8, then AT-17, and finally UC-78 Bobcat.

Known to many as the ‘Bamboo Bomber’ due to its largely wooden construction, the Bobcat played a vital role in training multi-engine aircraft pilots during WWII.

Cessna Bobcat UC-78 "Bamboo Bomber" (USAAF43-7314 FAA Reg. No. N52390) Originally manufactured by Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita Kansas, this aircraft was accepted by the USA Army Air Services on May 4, 1943.