80-year-old bush plane up for auction

An 80-year-old bush plane will be sold at auction later this month, probably for at least $1 million.

The 1929 Hamilton Metalplane was first bought by Canadian forestry officials from a Boeing plant in Wisconsin. It was likely used for aerial photography and forest fire patrols, according to the National Post, a Canadian newspaper. The Metalplane was eventually used for flying services in Alaska, most likely in the 1940s and early 1950s.

According to the auction website, only 29 were manufactured and this is the only airworthy one left. The renovation of the aircraft took place in the early 1970s, and included re-skinning of the fuselage and wings. New gas and oil tanks were installed, and the Pratt and Whitney 525-horsepower engine was overhauled.

Read the National Post's story here, and see the auction website here.