Page 26 - July 2023

The U.S. Navy began operating the T-34B in 1954 and took delivery of 423 Mentors before production ended in 1957. The only visible difference between the T-34A and T-34B was deletion of the small triangular fillet at the bottom of the rudder. The T-34B used the same engine as the T-34A. (Edward H. Phillips Collection)
canopy covered the cockpit and provided both occupants excellent visibility.
A prototype was completed in late 1948, powered by a Continental E-185 six-cylinder, opposed piston engine rated at 185 horsepower at takeoff and 165 horsepower for cruise. The airframe was designed to withstand 10 positive and 4.5 negative g-force – more than adequate for instructing pilots in aerobatics and combat maneuvering. Veteran Beechcraft chief test pilot Vern L. Carstens took the prototype aloft for its maiden flight December 2, 1948. Maximum speed was 176 mph at an altitude of 10,000 feet, with a cruise speed of 160 mph at a gross weight of 2,650 pounds.1
Development continued through 1949 and a Model 45 was sent on a nationwide tour of military bases in the United States and Canada to demonstrate the Mentor to officials of the U.S. Air Force and the Royal Canadian Air Force. Later, the airplane was shipped across the Atlantic Ocean where Beech demonstration pilots flew more demonstrations to showcase the Model 45’s capabilities to military forces in Western Europe. One of the more interesting demonstrations, however, occurred in 1949 during the National Air Fair held at Chicago’s O’Hare International Airport.
On July 4, a Model 45 was flown by two-time women’s aerobatic champion Miss Betty Skelton before thousands of spectators. Beech Aircraft Corporation historian William H. McDaniel described it this way: “Proving that brute strength was not required to put the Mentor through a breathtaking array of maneuvers standard in military combat operations, pretty, petite, 100-pound Betty Skelton – only 22 years old and a two-time women’s aerobatic champion – thrilled the cheering crowds. To
sober-minded military observers, they were a reminder of the need for continued readiness to maintain air power in the defense of the free world – a reminder already accented by the Communist blockade of Berlin.”2
Walter Beech believed in the value of public aerial demonstrations, but he was seeking orders from the military, and by the end of 1949 he had received none. In the wake of major budget cuts to America’s armed forces after World War II, money was scarce and both 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
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
JULY 2023