Page 27 - Volume 13 Number 11

Walter H. Beech was chiefly respon- sible for development of the Beech- craft Model 45 Mentor in the late 1940s. The tandem-seat trainer was economical to operate and easy to maintain, unlike the U.S. Air Force’s North American T-6G and the U.S. Navy’s SNJ that had outlived their mission. In 1954 the Model 45 served as a baseline for development of the Model 73 Jet Mentor. (Textron Aviation)
= Speed brakes
= Length – 30 feet
= Height – 9 feet, 9.5 inches
= Fuel tanks –
Total capacity of 180 gallons in two wing tanks
= Empty weight – 2,925 pounds
= Useful load – 1,596 pounds
= Maximum gross weight – 4,521 pounds
The first flight of the Jet Mentor occurred Dec.18, 1955, with company test pilot Tom Gillespie at the controls.
The air-conditioned cockpit featured a conventional, two-seat tandem configuration for the stu- dent and instructor pilot. Both were seated under a large canopy that, if an emergency occurred, could be jettisoned before both pilots acti- vated the ejection seats to leave the airplane. In addition, the clamshell- type canopy was powered open and closed.
In terms of performance the Model 73 could attain a maximum speed of 295 mph at an altitude of 15,000 feet and cruised at 245 mph. Stall speed (flaps fully extended) was a benign
65 mph. Service ceiling was 28,000 feet with a rate of climb (at sea level) of 1,400 feet per minute. Maximum range was 450 statute miles.
In comparing the Beechcraft, Cessna and Temco candidates for the lucrative Air Force contract, all three were similar in size, met military equipment requirements and were very comparable in their overall capabilities. In April 1953 the Air Force selected Cessna’s entry that was developed into the XT-37, and by 1956 three prototype airplanes had logged more than 1,000
test flights. These were followed by an order in 1954-1955 for 11 T-37A trainers and full-scale production of 270 aircraft was underway during 1957-1958. Initial deliveries of the T-37A began in 1957, and the first all-jet pilot training class began flying the trainer in November 1958 and in 1961 the Air Force ceased all primary flight training in piston- powered airplanes.
In 1957 the Temco Model 51 was eventually selected by the U.S. Navy to be evaluated as the service’s primary jet trainer. A total of 14
After failing to win the Air Force competition, the Model 73 gradually faded from the aviation scene. Fortunately, it was not scrapped, and as of 2018 remained in storage at the Kansas Aviation Museum in Wichita awaiting its turn to be restored and placed on static display. (Kansas Aviation Museum)
NOVEMBER 2019
KING AIR MAGAZINE • 25