Page 26 - April 2022

The factory also manufactured the Model 26 twin- engine pilot trainer designated AT-10 for the U.S. Army Air Corps. Built primarily of wood, the Beechcraft was flown extensively to teach airmen how to fly multi-engine aircraft. A total of 2,371 airplanes were built during the war – 1,771 by Beech Aircraft and another 600 by Globe Aircraft Corporation.
After the defeat of Japan in 1945, the company quickly returned to the production of commercial airplanes, beginning with the D18S that incorporated significant technical improvements not found in the B18/C18S designs. The factory delivered 296 D18S in 1946, and records indicate that more than 1,000 were built from 1946-1955. During the mid-1950s, the D18S was replaced by the upgraded Super E18S and Super G18S. Finally, after 25 years of continuous production, the company introduced the Super H18 featuring either a conventional or tricycle landing gear configuration. The last of nearly 8,000 Beechcraft Model 18 monoplanes built since 1937 was delivered to Japan Air Lines in November 1969.
In 1945 Beech engineers created the all-metal, V-tail Model 35 “Bonanza” that first flew in December 1945; production began in 1947. The Bonanza was continually improved during the next 32 years, and a total of 10,399 were built. The last V-tail Bonanza made was a Model V35B, serial number D-10403, delivered to the Beech production test flight department November 11, 1982.
In addition to the Model 35, there were many other versions of the Bonanza including the Model 35-33 “Debonair” (renamed “Bonanza” in 1970) and the six-place Model 36-series that included the A36 and G36 (currently in production as of 2022) as well the turbocharged A36TC and B36TC versions. In 1948 the Model 45 “Mentor” was developed to meet an emerging need for a small, modern, basic trainer for domestic and foreign military services. Engineers borrowed heavily from the Model 35’s airframe and powerplant to develop the T-34A for the U.S. Air Force and the T-34B for the U.S. Navy. Japan, Argentina and the Philippines also bought the B45 export version. A total of 1,904 trainers were built from 1948-1958, and in 1970 Beech Aircraft equipped the T-34 with a Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A- 25 turboprop engine rated at 400 shp (shaft horsepower) to create the T-34C and T-34C-1 (the latter equipped with 550-shp PT6A-25 for export sales).
As customer and Beechcraft dealer demand for more performance, cabin comfort and utility increased during the postwar years, Beech Aircraft introduced the Model 50 “Twin Bonanza” to fill a gap in the company’s product line between the single-engine Model 35 and Model D18S “Twin Beech.” The first flight was in 1949. The Model 50 was adapted for military missions as the L-23A “Seminole” that spawned many versions, including the L-23/U-8D, RU-8D and the L-23 SLAR (Side-looking Airborne Radar). Between 1951-1963 Beech introduced theupgradedModelB50-J50-seriesTwinBonanzathat ›
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
APRIL 2022