N2ES in the autumn of its life at Opa Locka, Florida in the mid 1980s - Gary Vincent
Another one of Howard's "one-offs" - the Howard 400 was a pressurised
Howard 350* of which only one (or four depending on your sources) was constructed.
The 'one' was c/n 5599, after service with the RCAF as a Ventura, the aircraft
had ended up as a display on a garage roof in Tacoma, Washington. The Freuhauf
Trailer Co. acquired it for $8500 in May 1951 and within a year it was in
service. Initially converted to a Howard Super Ventura for Firestone Tyre
& Rubber Co. it was finally converted to a BACC BA-400 by Business AirCraft
Corp. by November 1964 (Howard Aero had become Business Aircraft Corp. by
this time). The aircraft was last seen in Bogata, Colombia with a Venezuelan
registration. Eventually abandoned by owners it has been assigned to the
Aeronautical Museum at CATAM AFB, Eldorado and will be repainted in full
1940s Colombian Air Force markings to represent the Presidential Lodestar
aircraft of that era. For static display.
* However some publications claim that the Howard 400 was a Howard 500 fuselage
with Howard Super Ventura wings!
Apparently 4 aircraft were built to Howard 400 standard, aircraft known to me are: C/n Reg Date of conv. Notes 5497 N510N Early 1960s a) 5500 N456 Early 1960s b) 5599 N5034F 10/11.64 c) ???? N? Forth aircrafta) Conv. from Howard Presresurised Ventura #28. Painted up as "Howard 500" for publicity shots in 1961 as N100M. To N2ES.