Page 26 - Nov 2015 Volume 9, Number 11

Ted’s Twin (Part Two)
During more than 30 years of production, the Beechcraft Model 18 series distinguished itself in peacetime and in war, emerging as one of the most successful small, twin-engine transports in aviation history.
by Edward H. Phillips
Beech Aircraft Corporation test pilot H.C. “Ding” Rankin eased both throttles forward as the latest version of Ted Wells’ Model 18 accelerated down the runway. Sitting in the right seat, and acting as Rankin’s co-pilot, was none other than Walter H. Beech himself. Beech scanned the engine gauges for any signs of trouble as the sleek Model 18S gained airspeed. Rankin eased the control column forward as the tail came up to takeoff attitude and the ship continued to accelerate. Moments later the Beechcraft’s wings were full of lift, leaving terra firma behind for the blue skies above. “Gear up!” hollered the pilot, and Beech complied, but kept a close watch on the engine gauges to make sure all was well with the two Pratt & Whitney radial engines.
January 6, 1940, was a cold, snowy day. Beech and Rankin had just departed Lambert Field in St. Louis, enroute to Miami, Florida, where they hoped to capture the Macfadden Trophy. The race presented Walter Beech with a splendid opportunity to demonstrate the latest Beechcraft’s capabilities to the aviation world and the public. Although he spent a majority of his time flying a desk as president of the company, Walter had racing in his blood and his thirst for speed was insatiable.
The Model 18S was the first “Twin Beech” to feature the R-985 static, air-cooled radial engine that was rated at 450 hp. Previous versions, including the Model 18A, 18B and 18D built in 1938-1939, were powered by Wright
Aeronautical R-760, Jacobs L-5 or L-6 radial powerplants. Initially developed in 1929, the R-985, also known as the “Wasp Junior,” was designed by Connecticut-based Pratt & Whitney as a direct competitor to the R-975 built by Wright Aeronautical Corporation located in Paterson, N.J. Both engines featured nine cylinders and similar displacement. The R-985 produced 450 hp at 2,300 RPM, with a cylinder bore and stroke of 5.2 inches and a dry weight (no oil or fuel) of 653 pounds. Thousands of R-985s were built during the war, many of which would find their way onto the wings of military Model 18 Beechcrafts.1
As for Beech and Rankin, they flew the Model 18S to victory by covering the 1,084 nautical miles between St. Louis and Miami in four hours, 37 minutes, at an average speed of more than 234 mph. Up to that time, it was the fastest speed recorded by a licensed commercial airplane during an event sanctioned by the National Aeronautical Association. As Beechcraft Model 18 historian Robert K. Parmerter recalls, “the R-985 engines were operated at 52 percent of their rated 450 hp for the duration of the race, and although 330 hours had been logged on each engine up to that time with only routine servicing, total oil consumption was a mere 1.5 quarts,” whereastheenginesgulped208gallonsofaviationfuel.2
The first major technical upgrade to the legendary “Twin Beech” was
the Model 18S introduced in 1939. In January 1940, Walter H. Beech and co-pilot H.C. “Ding” Rankin won the Macfadden Trophy race in the prototype Model 18S. It was the first Model 18 to feature Pratt & Whitney R-985 static, air-cooled radial engines. (WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES)
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
DECEMBER 2015