Page 28 - Volume 10 Number 12

the U.S. Air Force and Navy were looking for airplanes that would give them “the most bang for the buck.” In March 1950, the Air Force placed an order for three YT-34 Mentors for in-depth evaluation as a primary/ basic pilot training airplane. Their projected economy of operation, which was predicted to be significantly less than existing aircraft employed in that role, was a major factor in the decision to test the new Beechcraft.
According to company records, the three airplanes were designated Model A45T by the factory and YT-34BH by the Air Force. As part of the evaluation, two of the three airplanes were powered by Continental E-185-8 engines rated at 185 horsepower, while the third airplane was equipped with a Continental E-225-8 powerplant that produced 225 horsepower for takeoff. All three Mentors were tested thoroughly not only by experienced pilots, but also by pilot instructors and their students as part of the daily training routine. During the testing period, the trio of YT-34BH accumulated more than 400 hours of flight time in only 32 days. That feat was followed by a function and reliability check that lasted nearly 24 hours and involved seven landings with rapid turnarounds to refuel and change pilots. These flights were conducted at the remote site of Edwards Air Force Base, California.3
One other feat that was unintentional but did much to convince Air Force officials of the Beechcraft’s “battleship” construction, it was reported that during one of the evaluation flights a pilot accidently struck a cable while flying at more than 180 mph. The cable, stretched across the wide span of a canyon, did not break but nearly stopped the Mentor’s forward motion before spinning it around. With less than 400 feet of altitude to work with, the pilot managed to regain airspeed and control before striking the ground, and flew back to the base. Upon inspection, only the right-wing surfaces and leading edge suffered damage and bore the imprint of the cable.
Satisfied with every aspect of the rough-and-ready Model 45, in 1953 the Air Force ordered a small number of Mentors designated T-34A (company designation A45). The first two Mentors were delivered in September of that year, followed by another 88 trainers one year later. All of these airplanes were powered by the Continental O-470-13 engine rated at 225 horsepower. Performance included a maximum speed of 189 mph and a cruise speed of 175 mph at a gross weight of 2,950 pounds. Service ceiling was 20,000 feet. When production ended in October 1956, the factory had delivered 353 airplanes.4
The Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF) also wanted the T-34A, and in 1954 the Canadian Car & Foundry Company, Ltd, of Fort William, Ontario, obtained a license from Beech Aircraft Corporation to build the Mentor. The Canadian company built 25 airplanes for the RCAF and eventually another 100 for the U.S. Air Force, bringing total production of the T-34A to 453 airplanes.
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Meanwhile, the U.S. Navy had been giving serious consideration to modernizing its aging fleet of primary trainers. The Navy Bureau of Aeronautics conducted a series of very tough evaluations at Naval Air Station Pensacola, Florida. Beech Aircraft provided the Navy with one of the earliest Mentors built, but it easily held its own against competing aircraft. Despite its age, the airplane was praised by Navy pilots for its rugged construction and particularly its nearly indestructible landing gear. During testing that lasted from September until December 1953, the airplane was subjected to abuse at the hands of pilots learning how to land on the deck of an aircraft carrier. Unlike the Air Force that had long runways to land on gently, the Navy taught its aviators to slam the airplane down on the deck to catch the arresting cable and “trap” the airplane. Although the landings “washed out” the gear of some competing aircraft, the Mentor’s tricycle landing gear never failed under those severe conditions.
During the summer of 1954, the Navy announced that the Model 45 (company designation D45) had won the competition and would become the Naval Air Training Command’s primary trainer. Initial deliveries began in December. There were only a few distinctions between production Mentors for the Air Force and Mentors for the Navy. These included:
 A small, triangular fillet at the bottom of the rudder was deleted.
 Provision was made for differential braking that allowed nose wheel steering for maneuvering on the ground (the T-43A featured a steerable nose wheel using the rudder pedals, much like that of the commercial Model 35).
 Rudder pedals were adjustable instead of adjusting the seat.
 The wing dihedral was increased slightly.
 The overall exterior paint scheme used a highly visible, bright yellow color that Navy officials believed would make the airplanes more visible in the air and around the training airfields.
Production of the T-34B began in October 1954, and continued unabated until October 1957, when the last 12 airplanes were delivered. During those three years, a total of 423 Mentors rolled off the assembly lines. In 1954-1955, 45 were delivered, followed by 219 in 1955-1956, 147 in 1956-1957 and 12 in 1957-1958. Performance was almost identical to that of the T34A, with a maximum speed of 188 mph at a gross weight of 2,985 pounds (empty weight was 2,170 pounds). Maximum diving airspeed was 280 mph. All T-34B were powered by six-cylinder, air-cooled, opposed Continental O-470-13 engines that developed 225 horsepower for takeoff, and were fitted with Beech-built two-blade, constant-speed propellers that helped the Mentor achieve
DECEMBER 2016