In January, 1937, the Beechcraft Model 18 made its first demonstration flight at the factory in Wichita, Kansas and it continued in production for thirty-two years. This low-wing, all-metal, twin-engine monoplane was originally intended as a six-to-eight-passenger executive or feeder airline transport. When production began on the Model 18 in 1937, there was virtually no market for this airplane in the United States. At the time, air transportation in the United States was a trunk line operation and few feeder lines existed. Acceptance of the Model 18 by foreign and charter lines was immediate, however. Also, businessmen were favorably impressed with the performance of the Model 18 as an executive transport. In 1939, Beech began negotiations with the U.S. government and later that year, he also started negotiations with the Chinese government for a bomber trainer. This version had a clear plastic nose, a single gun turret on the upper fuselage and a machine gun in a tunnel in the rear floor. It also had internal bomb racks, which carried up to twenty 25-pound bombs. World War II brought more orders for military versions of the Beech 18S (C-45) from the United States and foreign governments for a wide range of uses. About 90 percent of the U.S. Air Forces navigators and bombardiers received their training on Beech 18’s.With the end of the war came the end of military production. By October 1945 Beechcraft corp. was back into full commercial aircraft production. The first aircraft off the line was the newest model, the D18S, which incorporated a number of improvements. Structural modifications allowed for an increase in maximum weight and a new landing gear, brakes and tires were installed. Two 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp, Jr., engines with Hamilton Standard constant speed propellers powered the D18S. It was the premier executive transport among businessmen and it was also used by the new local service airlines that emerged after the end of World War II. In December, 1953, the prototype of the Super 18, the last version of the Beech 18, made its first flight. The last three production aircraft were delivered in November 1969. More than 9,000 Model 18s were produced. There are now few commercial operators left anywhere flying the Beech 18 and certainly only a handful still operating the “Twin Beech” on floats. Nestor Falls and Ear Falls in Ontario are two of the few places left where you can still enjoy the distinctive sight and sounds of the venerable Beech 18 floatplanes in regular operation.
Posted on: Sat, 13 Sep 2014 16:44:58 +0000
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