Beechcraft Model 18
Unanswered Questions
Encyclopedia
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
of Wichita, Kansas. This model saw military service during and after World War II
World War II
World War II, or the Second World War , was a global conflict lasting from 1939 to 1945, involving most of the world's nations—including all of the great powers—eventually forming two opposing military alliances: the Allies and the Axis...
in a number of versions including the United States Army Air Forces
United States Army Air Forces
The United States Army Air Forces was the military aviation arm of the United States of America during and immediately after World War II, and the direct predecessor of the United States Air Force....
(USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, AT-11 Kansan; and for the United States Navy
United States Navy
The United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
(USN), UC-45J Navigator and the SNB-1 Kansan.
The Beech 18 is the most modified U.S.-certified aircraft design, with over 200 Federal Aviation Administration
Federal Aviation Administration
The Federal Aviation Administration is the national aviation authority of the United States. An agency of the United States Department of Transportation, it has authority to regulate and oversee all aspects of civil aviation in the U.S...
(FAA) approved Supplemental Type Certificate
Supplemental Type Certificate
A Supplemental Type Certificate is an FAA approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller. As it adds to the existing type certificate, it is deemed 'supplemental'.-Purpose:...
s (STCs) on record for the aircraft.
In addition to carrying passengers the aircraft's uses have included aerial spraying
Agricultural aircraft
An agricultural aircraft is an aircraft that has been built or converted for agricultural use - usually aerial application of pesticides or fertilizer ; in these roles they are referred to as "crop dusters" or "top dressers"...
, sterile insect release, fish seeding, dry ice cloud seeding
Cloud seeding
Cloud seeding, a form of intentional weather modification, is the attempt to change the amount or type of precipitation that falls from clouds, by dispersing substances into the air that serve as cloud condensation or ice nuclei, which alter the microphysical processes within the cloud...
, aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting
Aerial firefighting is the use of aircraft and other aerial resources to combat wildfires. The types of aircraft used include fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters. Smokejumpers and rappellers are also classified as aerial firefighters, delivered to the fire by parachute from a variety of fixed-wing...
, airborne mail pick up and drop, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, gun- and drug-smuggling, engine test bed, skywriting and banner towing. The Model 18 was the first aircraft flown by Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines
Philippine Airlines, Inc. operating as Philippine Airlines, is a flag carrier of the Philippines. Headquartered in the Philippine National Bank Financial Center in Pasay City, the airline was founded in 1941 and is the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name...
, Asia's first and oldest airline. Many are now in private hands as prized collectibles.
Design and development
By the late 1930s, Beechcraft management speculated that a demand would exist for a new design dubbed the Model 18 which would have a military application, and increased the main production facilities. The design was mainly conventional for the time, including twin radial engines, all-metal semi-monocoqueMonocoque
Monocoque is a construction technique that supports structural load by using an object's external skin, as opposed to using an internal frame or truss that is then covered with a non-load-bearing skin or coachwork...
construction with fabric covered control surfaces and "taildragger" undercarriage, while less common were the twin tail fins. Upon an immediate glance they can be mistaken for the larger Lockheed Electra
Lockheed Model 10 Electra
The Lockheed Model 10 Electra was a twin-engine, all-metal monoplane airliner developed by the Lockheed Aircraft Corporation in the 1930s to compete with the Boeing 247 and Douglas DC-2...
series of airliners which closely resemble the Model 18. Early production aircraft were either powered by two 330 hp Jacobs L-6s
Jacobs R-915
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9*Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
or 350 hp Wright R-760
Wright R-760
|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
Es. The 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985
Pratt & Whitney R-985
The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced , while the most widely used versions produce...
became the definitive engine from the prewar C18S onwards. The Beech 18 prototype first flew on 15 January 1937.
At the time of the Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor
Pearl Harbor, known to Hawaiians as Puuloa, is a lagoon harbor on the island of Oahu, Hawaii, west of Honolulu. Much of the harbor and surrounding lands is a United States Navy deep-water naval base. It is also the headquarters of the U.S. Pacific Fleet...
attack, the Beech 18 was outsold by the Lockheed 12 by 2-to-1. However, war priorities forced Lockheed to concentrate on its heavier aircraft, and Beechcraft received a major boost through wartime contracts surrendered by Lockheed.
The aircraft has used a variety of engines and has had a number of airframe modifications to increase gross weight and speed. At least one aircraft was modified to a 600 hp Pratt & Whitney R-1340
Pratt & Whitney R-1340
|-See also:* Pratt & Whitney Wasp series* Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1535 Twin Wasp Junior* Pratt & Whitney R-1830 Twin Wasp-Bibliography:...
powerplant configuration. With the added weight of approximately 200 lb (90.7 kg) per engine, the concept of a Model 18 fitted with R-1340 engines was deemed unsatisfactory due to the weakest structural area of the aircraft being the engine mounts. With the exception of the center truss (the central component around which the entire aircraft is built), nearly every airframe component has been modified at one time or another.
In 1955 deliveries of the Model E18S commenced; the E18S featured a fuselage that was extended 6 inches (152.4 mm) higher for more headroom in the passenger cabin. All later Beech 18s (sometimes called Super 18s) featured this taller fuselage
Fuselage
The fuselage is an aircraft's main body section that holds crew and passengers or cargo. In single-engine aircraft it will usually contain an engine, although in some amphibious aircraft the single engine is mounted on a pylon attached to the fuselage which in turn is used as a floating hull...
and some earlier models (including one AT-11) have been modified to this larger fuselage. The Model H18, introduced in 1963, featured optional tricycle undercarriage
Undercarriage
The undercarriage or landing gear in aviation, is the structure that supports an aircraft on the ground and allows it to taxi, takeoff and land...
. Unusually, the undercarriage was developed for earlier-model aircraft under an STC by Volpar, and installed in H18s at the factory during manufacture. A total of 109 H18s were built with tricycle undercarriage, and another 240 earlier-model aircraft were modified with the undercarriage.
Construction of the Beechcraft Model 18 ended in 1970 with the last, a Model H18, going to Japan Airlines. Beechcraft set a record that still stands today for longest continuous production of a piston engine aircraft. Through the years, 32 variations of the basic design had flown, over 200 improvement modification kits were developed, and almost 8,000 aircraft had been built. Some aircraft were almost unrecognizable as having originated as a Beech 18. In one case the aircraft was modified to a triple tail, tri-gear, hump backed configuration and appeared similar to a miniature Lockheed Constellation
Lockheed Constellation
The Lockheed Constellation was a propeller-driven airliner powered by four 18-cylinder radial Wright R-3350 engines. It was built by Lockheed between 1943 and 1958 at its Burbank, California, USA, facility. A total of 856 aircraft were produced in numerous models, all distinguished by a...
. Another distinctive conversion was carried out by PacAero as the Tradewind. This featured a lengthened nose to accommodate tricycle undercarriage, and the Model 18's twin tails replaced with a single fin.
Operational history
Production got an early boost when Nationalist ChinaKuomintang
The Kuomintang of China , sometimes romanized as Guomindang via the Pinyin transcription system or GMD for short, and translated as the Chinese Nationalist Party is a founding and ruling political party of the Republic of China . Its guiding ideology is the Three Principles of the People, espoused...
paid the company US$750,000 for six M18R light bombers, but by the time of the U.S. entry into World War II, only 39 Model 18s had been sold, of which 29 were for civilian customers. Work began in earnest on a variant specifically for training military pilots, bombardiers and navigators. The effort resulted in the Army AT-7 and Navy SNB. Further development led to the AT-11 and SNB-2 navigation trainers and the C-45 military transport. The United States Air Force
United States Air Force
The United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
Strategic Air Command
Strategic Air Command
The Strategic Air Command was both a Major Command of the United States Air Force and a "specified command" of the United States Department of Defense. SAC was the operational establishment in charge of America's land-based strategic bomber aircraft and land-based intercontinental ballistic...
had Beechcraft Model 18 (AT-11 Kansans, C-45 Expeditors, F-2 Expeditors (the "F" standing for "Fotorecon"), and UC-45 Expeditors) from 1946 until 1951. From 1951 to 1955 the USAF had many of its aircraft remanufactured with new fuselages, wing centre sections and landing gear to take advantage of the improvements to the civil models since the end of World War II. Eventually 900 aircraft were remanufactured to be similar to the then-current Model D18S and given new designations, constructor's numbers (c/nos.) and Air Force serial Numbers (s/nos). The USN had many of its surviving aircraft remanufactured as well, these being re-designated as SNB-5s and SNB-5Ps. The C-45 flew in US Air Force service until 1963, the USN retired their last SNB in 1972 while the U.S. Army flew their C-45s through 1976. In later years the military called these aircraft "bug smashers" in reference to their extensive use supplying mandatory flight hours for desk-bound aviators in the Pentagon.
Some of the modifications created by independent engineering entrepreneurs were adopted in concept by the factory in later production versions in similar fashion to the current practice Harley Davidson copying of custom motorcycles built in the 1960s and 1970s.
Among the most notable cooling air and exhaust modifications were those engineered by Benjamin Israel while employed by Conrad Conversions. His modifications were based largely on creating a more efficient use of cooling air to reduce drag, a major detriment to cruise performance. Cruise performance was improved 10% or more at the same power settings as before the modifications. These modifications were largely copied on the factory produced G and H models. Beech 18s were used extensively by Air America during the Vietnam War
Vietnam War
The Vietnam War was a Cold War-era military conflict that occurred in Vietnam, Laos, and Cambodia from 1 November 1955 to the fall of Saigon on 30 April 1975. This war followed the First Indochina War and was fought between North Vietnam, supported by its communist allies, and the government of...
; initially more-or-less standard ex-military C-45 examples were used, but then the airline had 12 aircraft modified by Conrad Conversions in 1963 and 1964 to increase performance and load-carrying capacity. The modified aircraft were known as Conrad Ten-Twos, as the maximum take-off weight (MTOW) was increased to 10200 lb (4,626.6 kg). The increase was achieved by several airframe modifications, including increased horizontal stabilizer angle-of-incidence, redesigned landing gear doors, and aerodynamically-improved wing tips. Air America then had Volpar convert 14 aircraft to turboprop
Turboprop
A turboprop engine is a type of turbine engine which drives an aircraft propeller using a reduction gear.The gas turbine is designed specifically for this application, with almost all of its output being used to drive the propeller...
power, fitted with Garrett AiResearch TPE-331
Garrett AiResearch TPE-331
|-See also:-External links:* * *...
engines; modified aircraft were called Volpar Turbo Beeches and also had a further increase in MTOW to 10286 lb (4,665.7 kg).
A factory option at one point was the addition of JATO
JATO
JATO is an acronym for jet-fuel assisted take off. It is a system for helping overloaded aircraft into the air by providing additional thrust in the form of small rockets....
bottles on each engine nacelle which added the equivalent of 200 hp per engine for about 12 seconds. The most successful powerplant upgrade was that of the Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6
Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6
The Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6 is one of the most popular turboprop aircraft engines in history, and is produced by Pratt & Whitney Canada. The PT6 family is particularly well known for its extremely high reliability, with MTBO's on the order of 9000 hours in some models. In US military use, they...
turbine engine and Hartzell propeller. This conversion was carried out by Hamilton Aircraft in the 1960s and 70s as the Hamilton Westwind, successfully extending the commercial life of the aging aircraft. The Westwind II added a fuselage stretch to provide seating for 17 passengers, the Westwind III seated eight and used the remainder of the extra room for cargo, and the Westwind IV added an extra stretch and a large cargo door.
Spar Problems
The wing sparSpar (aviation)
In a fixed-wing aircraft, the spar is often the main structural member of the wing, running spanwise at right angles to the fuselage. The spar carries flight loads and the weight of the wings whilst on the ground...
of the Model 18 is fabricated by welding an assembly of tubular steel. The configuration of the tubes and inadequate corrosion inhibitors, along with holes from after-market STC
Supplemental Type Certificate
A Supplemental Type Certificate is an FAA approved major modification or repair to an existing type certified aircraft, engine or propeller. As it adds to the existing type certificate, it is deemed 'supplemental'.-Purpose:...
modifications have allowed the spar to become susceptible to corrosion and cracking while in service. This prompted the FAA to issue an Airworthiness Directive
Airworthiness Directive
An Airworthiness Directive is a notification to owners and operators of certified aircraft that a known safety deficiency with a particular model of aircraft, engine, avionics or other system exists and must be corrected....
in 1975, mandating the fitment of a spar strap to Model 18s. This led in turn to the retirement of a large number of Model 18s when owners determined that the aircraft were worth less than the cost of the modifications. Further requirements have been mandated by the FAA and other national airworthiness authorities, including regular removal of the spar strap to allow the strap to be checked for cracks and corrosion and the spar to be X-rayed
Industrial radiography
Industrial Radiography is the use of ionizing radiation to view objects in a way that cannot be seen otherwise. It is not to be confused with the use of ionizing radiation to change or modify objects; radiography's purpose is strictly viewing. Industrial radiography has grown out of engineering,...
. In Australia the airworthiness authority has placed a life limit on the airframe, beyond which aircraft are not allowed to fly.
Manufacturer Models
Unless otherwise noted, the engines fitted are Pratt & Whitney R-985Pratt & Whitney R-985
The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a displacement of ; initial versions produced , while the most widely used versions produce...
radials.
Model 18A
- First production model with seating for two pilots and seven or eight passengers, fitted with Wright R-760Wright R-760|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9...
E-2 engines of 350 hp. MTOW: 6700 lb (3,039.1 kg).
- Model S18A
- Version of Model 18A capable of being fitted with skis or EdoEDO CorporationEDO Corporation was an American company, which was acquired by ITT Corporation in 2007. EDO designed and manufactured products for defense, intelligence, and commercial markets, and provided related engineering and professional services. It employed 4,000 people worldwide and had revenues of $715...
55-7170 floatsFloatplaneA floatplane is a type of seaplane, with slender pontoons mounted under the fuselage; only the floats of a floatplane normally come into contact with water, with the fuselage remaining above water...
; MTOW: 7200 lb (3,265.9 kg).
Model 18B
- Improved model with increased range and useful load, fitted with 285 hp Jacobs L-5Jacobs R-830|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9-External links:*...
engines.
- Model S18B
- Version of Model 18B capable of being fitted with skis or floats.
Model 18D
- Variant with seating for two pilots and nine passengers, fitted with Jacobs L-6Jacobs R-915|-See also:-Bibliography:*Gunston, Bill. World Encyclopedia of Aero Engines. Cambridge, England. Patrick Stephens Limited, 1989. ISBN 1-85260-163-9*Jane's Fighting Aircraft of World War II. London. Studio Editions Ltd, 1989. ISBN 0-517-67964-7...
engines of 330 hp. MTOW: 7200 lb (3,265.9 kg).
- Model S18D
- Version of Model 18D capable of being fitted with skis or Edo 55-7170 floats; MTOW: 7170 lb (3,252.3 kg).
Model A18D
- Variant of 18D with MTOW increased by 300 lb (136.1 kg) to 7500 lb (3,401.9 kg), fitted with Pratt and Whitney R-985 engines with 450 hp each.
- Model SA18D
- Seaplane version of Model A18D but same MTOW as S18D, fitted with Edo 55-7170 floats.
Model A18A
- Version fitted with Pratt and Whitney R-985 engines of 450 hp. MTOW: 7500 lb (3,401.9 kg).
- Model SA18A
- Seaplane version of Model A18A, fitted with Edo 55-7170 floats; MTOW: 7170 lb (3,252.3 kg).
Model 18R
- Model with Pratt and Whitney R-985-A1 engines with dual stage blower for increased power at higher operating altitudes. 450 hp; seven built, one to Sweden as an air ambulanceAir ambulanceAn air ambulance is an aircraft used for emergency medical assistance in situations where either a traditional ambulance cannot reach the scene easily or quickly enough, or the patient needs to be transported over a distance or terrain that makes air transportation the most practical transport....
, six to Nationalist China as M18R light bombers.
Model 18S
- Nine-passenger pre-World War II civil variant, served as basis for USAAF C-45C.
Model B18S
- Nine-passenger pre-World War II civil variant, served as basis for USAAF F-2.
Model C18S
- Variant of B18S with seating for eight passengers, and equipment and minor structural changes.
Model D18S
- First post-World War II variant introduced in 1945 with seating for eight passengers and Maximum Take Off Weight (MTOW) of 8750 lb (3,968.9 kg). 1,035 built.
There were 280 D Models made for the Royal Canadian Air Force
Royal Canadian Air Force
The history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
(RCAF), and they were delivered between 1951 and 1952. (Their serial numbers ranged from CA-1 to CA-280.) Seating for RCAF was for 5 passengers, or two RCAF Navigator students and 1 RCAF Navigator Instructor. MTOW for RCAF was 9300 lbs.
-
- 3N: Fitted as a navigation trainer with astrodome and two trainee stations in the cabin; 88 built
- 3NM: Fitted primarily as a navigational trainer, and is fitted with floor lugs to accept transport seats on removal of navigation equipment; 59 built
- 3NMT: Basically a 3NM, converted to a transport aircraft; 67 built
- 3NMT(Special): Fitted as a navigation trainer personnel transport. First navigation training position retained, slightly modified ie: removal of API (Air Position Indicator) and replaced with Radio Compass and Indicator from removed second navigation position. In addition, three reclining type chairs fitted; 19 built
- 3TM: Normally fitted with transport type seats but has the necessary wiring, plumbing and fittings for conversion to a navigation trainer, including provisions for fitting an astrodome; 44 built
- 3TM(Special): Specifically modified RCAF Expeditor under Project WPB6, and it refers specifically to Overseas Expeditors; 3 built
Model D18C
- Variant with Continental R9-A engines of 525 hp and MTOW of 9000 lb (4,082.3 kg), introduced in 1947. 31 built.
Model E18S
- Variant with redesigned wing and MTOW of 9300 lb (4,218.4 kg); 403 built.
Model E18S-9700
- Variant of E18S with MTOW of 9700 lb (4,399.8 kg); 57 built.
Model G18S
- Superseded E18S, MTOW of 9700 lb (4,399.8 kg); 155 built.
Model G18S-9150
- Lightweight version of G18, MTOW of 9150 lb (4,150.4 kg); 1 built.
Model H18
- Last production version, fitted with optional tricycle undercarriage developed by Volpar and MTOW of 9900 lb (4,490.6 kg); 149 built, of which 109 were manufactured with tricycle undercarriage.
Military versions
C-45- Six seat staff transport based on C18S; 11 built.
C-45A
- Eight seat utility transport based on C18S; 20 built.
RC-45A
- Redesignation of all surviving F-2, F-2A and F-2B aircraft by the USAF in 1948.
C-45B
- Based on C18S but with modified internal layout; 223 ordered. Re-designated UC-45B in 1943.
-
- Expeditor I: Some C-45Bs were supplied to the RAF under Lend-LeaseLend-LeaseLend-Lease was the program under which the United States of America supplied the United Kingdom, the Soviet Union, China, Free France, and other Allied nations with materiel between 1941 and 1945. It was signed into law on March 11, 1941, a year and a half after the outbreak of war in Europe in...
.
- Expeditor I: Some C-45Bs were supplied to the RAF under Lend-Lease
C-45C
- Two Model 18S aircraft impressed into the USAAF. Re-designated UC-45C in January 1943.
C-45D
- Designation given to two AT-7 aircraft converted as passenger transports during manufacture. Re-designated UC-45D in January 1943.
C-45E
- Designation given to two AT-7 and four AT-7B aircraft converted as passenger transports during manufacture. Re-designated UC-45E in January 1943.
C-45F
- Standardised seven-seat version based on C18S, with longer nose than preceding models; 1,137 ordered. Redesignated UC-45F.
-
- Expeditor II: C-45Fs supplied to the RAF and Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
under Lend-Lease. - Expeditor III: C-45Fs supplied to the RCAFRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
under Lend-Lease.
- Expeditor II: C-45Fs supplied to the RAF and Royal Navy
C-45G
- AT-7s and AT-11s remanufactured in early 1950s for the United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
(USAF) to similar standard as civil D18S with autopilotAutopilotAn autopilot is a mechanical, electrical, or hydraulic system used to guide a vehicle without assistance from a human being. An autopilot can refer specifically to aircraft, self-steering gear for boats, or auto guidance of space craft and missiles...
and R-985-AN-3 engines; 372 aircraft rebuilt.
TC-45G
- Multi-engine crew trainer variant of C-45G; AT-7s and AT-11s remanufactured in early 1950s for the USAF to similar standard as civil D18S. 96 aircraft rebuilt.
C-45H
- AT-7s and AT-11s remanufactured in early 1950s for the USAF to similar standard as civil D18S, with no autopilot and R-985-AN-14B engines; 432 aircraft rebuilt.
TC-45H
RC-45J
- In 1962 all surviving US Navy SNB-5Ps were redesignated RC-45J.
TC-45J
- In 1962 all surviving US Navy SNB-5s were redesignated TC-45J.
UC-45J
AT-7 Navigator
- Navigation trainer based on C18S, with an astrodomeAstrodome (aviation)An astrodome is a hemispherical transparent dome fitted in the cabin roof of an aircraft to allow the use of a sextant during astro-navigation....
and positions for three students. Powered by 450 hp R-985-25 engines; 577 built.
AT-7A
- Floatplane version of AT-7; six built.
AT-7B
- Winterised AT-7; nine built.
AT-7C
- Based on C18S with R-985-AN3 engines; 549 built.
AT-11 Kansan
- Bombing and gunnery trainer for USAAF derived from AT-7. Fuselage had small circular cabin windows, bombardier position in nose, and bomb bay; fitted with two machine guns, one in nose and one in a dorsal gun turret. 1,582 built for USAAF orders, with 24 ordered by Netherlands repossessed by USAAF and used by the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School at Jackson, MississippiJackson, MississippiJackson is the capital and the most populous city of the US state of Mississippi. It is one of two county seats of Hinds County ,. The population of the city declined from 184,256 at the 2000 census to 173,514 at the 2010 census...
.
AT-11A
- Conversion of AT-11 as navigation trainer; 36 converted.
CQ-3
- Conversion of UC-45F, modified to act as droneUnmanned aerial vehicleAn unmanned aerial vehicle , also known as a unmanned aircraft system , remotely piloted aircraft or unmanned aircraft, is a machine which functions either by the remote control of a navigator or pilot or autonomously, that is, as a self-directing entity...
control aircraft. Re-designated as DC-45F in June 1948.
F-2
- Photo-reconnaissance version based on B18.
F-2A
- Improved version.
F-2B
JRB-1
- Photographic aircraft for the US Navy, based on the C18S, fitted with fairing over cockpit for improved visibility. 11 built.
JRB-2
- Light transport for the US Navy, based on the C18S; 15 built.
JRB-3
- Photographic version, similar to C-45B; 23 built.
JRB-4
- Utility transport version, equivalent to UC-45F; 328 built.
JRB-6
SNB-1
- Variant for the US Navy, similar to AT-11; 110 built.
SNB-2
- Navigation trainer for the US Navy. Similar to AT-7; 299 built.
SNB-2C
- Variant for the US Navy, similar to AT-7C.
SNB-2H
- Ambulance conversion for the US Navy.
SNB-2P
- Photo reconnaissance trainer for the US Navy.
SNB-3
- Variant for the US Navy, similar to AT-7C.
SNB-3Q
- Electronic counter-measures trainer for the US Navy.
SNB-5
- SNB-2s and SNB-2Cs were remanufactured, and designated SNB-5 by the US Navy.
SNB-5P
- Photographic-reconnaissance trainer for the US Navy.
Conversions
PAC Super 18S Tradewind- Custom conversion of Beech D-18S/C-45 to 5-11 seat executive transport by Pacific Airmotive
Hamilton HA-1
- conversion of a TC-45J aircraft.
Hamilton Little Liner
- Modification of D.18S with aerodynamic improvements and new, retractable tailwheel, capable of carrying 11 seats.
Hamilton Westwind
- Turboprop conversions with various engines
- Westwind II STD - two 840hp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A.
- Westwind III - two 579hp P&W PT6-20 or 630hp PT6-27 or 630hp Lycoming LTS101.
- Westwind IV - two 570hp Lycoming LTP-101 or 680hp P&W PT6-28 or 750hp P&W PT6A-34 or 1020hp P&W PT6A-45.
Volpar (Beechcraft) Model 18
- Conversion of Model 18 with nosewheel undercarriage.
Volpar Super Turbo 18
- 2x 705hp Garrett TPE331
Volpar C-45G
- C-45G aircraft modified with tricycle undercarriage.
Volpar Turboliner
- Turboprop conversions of Beechcraft 18, 2x 705hp Garrett TPE331-1-101B
Operators
- Argentine Naval AviationArgentine Naval AviationThe Argentine Naval Aviation is the naval aviation branch of the Argentine Navy and one of its four operational commands...
- Brazilian Air ForceBrazilian Air ForceThe Brazilian Air Force is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Army and Navy air branch were merged into a single military force initially called "National Air Forces"...
Canada
- Royal Canadian Air ForceRoyal Canadian Air ForceThe history of the Royal Canadian Air Force begins in 1920, when the air force was created as the Canadian Air Force . In 1924 the CAF was renamed the Royal Canadian Air Force and granted royal sanction by King George V. The RCAF existed as an independent service until 1968...
- Air Dale Limited
- Chiupka Airways Limited
- Field Aviation Limited
- Giltaur Corporation Limited
- Ignace Airways Limited
- Inland Air Transport
- International Aero Sales
- Kenora Air Service
- Lamb AirLamb AirLamb Air Ltd. was an airline that began operations in 1934 in The Pas, Manitoba, Canada and went out of business in 1981.-History:Tom Lamb was the son of Thomas Henry Peacock Lamb, who had emigrated from England in the late 19th century. THP Lamb turned from school teacher to fur trader and in...
- Laurentian Air Services Limited
- McMurray Air Service
- NorcanairNorcanairNorcanair was the name of a Canadian airline that existed from 1947 to 1987, and again briefly in the early 1990s and from 2001 to 2005.-History:...
- North Caribou Flying Services Limited
- Northern Mountain Airliner Limited
- Northwester Air Lease Limited
- Northland Airliner Limited
- Ontario Central Airliner
- Parson Airways Northern Limited
- Roy's Flying Service Limited
- Severn Enterprises Limited
- Sfroule Projects Limited
- Silver Pine Air Services
- Silver Wings Collection
- Slate Falls Airways Limited
- Superior Airways Limited
- Time Travel Air
- Vancouver Island AirVancouver Island AirVancouver Island Air is a Vancouver Island seaplane company serving coastal British Columbia, based in Campbell River.-History:The airline has been in operation since 1985, offering charter and scheduled service with single and multi-engine aircraft on floats from Campbell River, British Columbia...
- Chilean Air ForceChilean Air ForceThe Chilean Air Force is the air force of Chile, a branch of the Chilean military.-History:The first step towards the current FACh was taken by Teniente Coronel Pedro Pablo Dartnell, when he founded the Servicio de Aviación Militar de Chile on December 20, 1910, being trained as a pilot in France...
- Chilean ArmyChilean ArmyThe Chilean Army is the land arm of the Military of Chile. This 45,000-person army is organized into seven divisions, a special operations brigade and an air brigade....
- Chilean NavyChilean Navy-Independence Wars of Chile and Peru :The Chilean Navy dates back to 1817. A year before, following the Battle of Chacabuco, General Bernardo O'Higgins prophetically declared "this victory and another hundred shall be of no significance if we do not gain control of the sea".This led to the...
- Colombian Air ForceColombian Air ForceThe Colombian Air Force or FAC is the Air Force of the Republic of Colombia.The Colombian Air Force is one of the three institutions of the Armed Forces of Colombia, charge according to the 1991 Constitution of the work to exercise and maintain control of Colombia's airspace to defend the...
- Japan Maritime Self-Defense ForceJapan Maritime Self-Defense ForceThe , or JMSDF, is the naval branch of the Japan Self-Defense Forces, tasked with the naval defense of Japan. It was formed following the dissolution of the Imperial Japanese Navy after World War II....
- Japan Coast GuardJapan Coast GuardThe , formerly the Maritime Safety Agency, is the Japanese coast guard. Comprising about 12,000 personnel, it is under the oversight of the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, and is responsible for the protection the coast-lines of Japan...
- Royal Netherlands Air ForceRoyal Netherlands Air ForceThe Royal Netherlands Air Force , Dutch Koninklijke Luchtmacht , is the military aviation branch of the Netherlands Armed Forces. Its ancestor, the Luchtvaartafdeling of the Dutch Army was founded on 1 July 1913, with four pilots...
- Dutch Naval Aviation Service
- Paraguayan Air Force - Two UC-45F and one AT-11
- Líneas Aéreas de Transporte Nacional (LATN) - Three AT-7, three UC-45F and two D.18S
South Vietnam
- Vietnam Air ForceVietnam Air ForceThe Vietnam Air Force began with a few hand-picked men chosen to fly alongside French pilots during the State of Vietnam era. It eventually grew into the world’s sixth largest air force at the height of its power, in 1974...
- Department of SurveyDepartment of Survey (Sri Lanka)The Department of Survey of Sri Lanka is a non-ministerial government department in Sri Lanka. Established on 2 August 1800. It is the oldest government department in the country. The department is responsible for national surveying and mapping...
- Sri Lanka Air Force
- Royal Swedish Air Force
- Royal Air ForceRoyal Air ForceThe Royal Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Formed on 1 April 1918, it is the oldest independent air force in the world...
- Royal NavyRoyal NavyThe Royal Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the British Armed Forces. Founded in the 16th century, it is the oldest service branch and is known as the Senior Service...
- Fleet Air ArmFleet Air ArmThe Fleet Air Arm is the branch of the British Royal Navy responsible for the operation of naval aircraft. The Fleet Air Arm currently operates the AgustaWestland Merlin, Westland Sea King and Westland Lynx helicopters...
- United States ArmyUnited States ArmyThe United States Army is the main branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for land-based military operations. It is the largest and oldest established branch of the U.S. military, and is one of seven U.S. uniformed services...
- United States Army Air CorpsUnited States Army Air CorpsThe United States Army Air Corps was a forerunner of the United States Air Force. Renamed from the Air Service on 2 July 1926, it was part of the United States Army and the predecessor of the United States Army Air Forces , established in 1941...
- United States Army Air Force
- United States Army Air Corps
- United States Air ForceUnited States Air ForceThe United States Air Force is the aerial warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the American uniformed services. Initially part of the United States Army, the USAF was formed as a separate branch of the military on September 18, 1947 under the National Security Act of...
- United States Marine CorpsUnited States Marine CorpsThe United States Marine Corps is a branch of the United States Armed Forces responsible for providing power projection from the sea, using the mobility of the United States Navy to deliver combined-arms task forces rapidly. It is one of seven uniformed services of the United States...
- United States NavyUnited States NavyThe United States Navy is the naval warfare service branch of the United States Armed Forces and one of the seven uniformed services of the United States. The U.S. Navy is the largest in the world; its battle fleet tonnage is greater than that of the next 13 largest navies combined. The U.S...
Aircraft on display
- Air Mobility Command Museum
- Alaska Aviation Heritage MuseumAlaska Aviation Heritage MuseumThe Alaska Aviation Heritage Museum is located in Anchorage, Alaska. Its mission is to preserve, display, and honor Alaska's aviation heritage, by preserving and displaying historic aircraft, artifacts, and memorabilia, and to foster public interest in aviation and its history...
- Alberta Aviation MuseumAlberta Aviation MuseumThe Alberta Aviation Museum is a museum in Edmonton, Alberta, Canada. It is located on-site at the Edmonton City Centre Airport CYXD on the southwest corner of the field ....
- Altus Air Force Base, Oklahoma
- Argentina Air Force Museum
- AviodromeAviodromeThe Nationaal Luchtvaart-Themapark Aviodrome is a large aerospace museum in The Netherlands that has been located on Lelystad Airport since 2003.-History:...
, LelystadLelystadLelystad is a municipality and a city in the centre of the Netherlands, and it is the capital of the province of Flevoland. The city, built on reclaimed land, was founded in 1967 and was named after Cornelis Lely, who engineered the Afsluitdijk, making the reclamation possible...
, NetherlandsNetherlandsThe Netherlands is a constituent country of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, located mainly in North-West Europe and with several islands in the Caribbean. Mainland Netherlands borders the North Sea to the north and west, Belgium to the south, and Germany to the east, and shares maritime borders...
– displays the original Beech 18 from the James Bond Movie Octopussy - Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, TennesseeTullahoma, Tennessee-Demographics:As of the census of 2010, there were 18,655 people, 7,717 households, and 5,161 families residing in the city. The racial makeup of the city was 88.1% White, 7.0% African American, 0.2% Native American, 1.2% Asian, 1.1% from other races, and 2.5% from two or more races...
- Canadian Air Sea Land Museum, Toronto/Markham AirportToronto/Markham AirportMarkham Airport or Toronto/Markham Airport, , is a private airport operating north of Markham, Ontario, Canada near Toronto.The airport is owned and operated by Markham Airport Inc. and owned by a numbered Ontario company owned by the Thomson family of Toronto. The airport is not part of the...
- Hotel Mayfair Lagoon, BhubaneswarBhubaneswarBhubaneswar is the capital of the Indian state of Orissa, officially Odisha. The city has a long history of over 2000 years starting with Chedi dynasty who had Sisupalgarh near present-day Bhubaneswar as their capital...
, OrissaOrissaOrissa , officially Odisha since Nov 2011, is a state of India, located on the east coast of India, by the Bay of Bengal. It is the modern name of the ancient nation of Kalinga, which was invaded by the Maurya Emperor Ashoka in 261 BC. The modern state of Orissa was established on 1 April...
, IndiaIndiaIndia , officially the Republic of India , is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by geographical area, the second-most populous country with over 1.2 billion people, and the most populous democracy in the world... - Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space MuseumJimmy Doolittle Air & Space MuseumThe Jimmy Doolittle Air & Space Museum is an extensive aviation museum located at Travis Air Force Base in Fairfield, California. The museum houses 35+ aircraft displays and various other informative artifacts.-History:...
, Travis Air Force BaseTravis Air Force BaseTravis Air Force Base is a United States Air Force air base under the operational control of the Air Mobility Command , located three miles east of the central business district of Fairfield, in Solano County, California, United States. The base is named for Brigadier General Robert F...
, Fairfield, CaliforniaFairfield, CaliforniaFairfield is a city located in Solano County in Northern California, USA. It is generally considered the midpoint between the cities of San Francisco and Sacramento, approximately from the city center of both cities, approximately from the city center of Oakland, less than from Napa Valley, 18... - Laughlin AFB
- Lone Star Flight MuseumLone Star Flight MuseumThe Lone Star Flight Museum, located in Galveston, Texas, USA, is an aerospace museum that displays more than 40 historically significant aircraft and many hundreds of artifacts related to the history of flight. The museum's collection is rare because most of the aircraft are flyable...
- Malta Aviation Museum
- Museum of Transport and TechnologyMuseum of Transport and TechnologyThe Museum of Transport and Technology is a museum located in Western Springs, Auckland, New Zealand. It is located close to the Western Springs Stadium, Auckland Zoo and the Western Springs Park. The museum has large collections of civilian and military aircraft and other land transport vehicles...
, New Zealand - Museu AeroespacialMuseu AeroespacialMuseu Aeroespacial is a national aviation museum located 25 km west of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil.-History:The Museu Aeroespacial was inaugurated on 18 October 1976 at the installations of the old Escola de Aeronáutica , at Afonsos Air Force Base - the "Cradle of Military...
, Brazil - National Museum of Flight, East FortuneEast FortuneEast Fortune is a village in East Lothian, Scotland, located 2 miles north west of East Linton. The area is known for its airfield which was constructed in 1915 to help protect Britain from attack by German Zeppelin airships during the First World War. The RNAS airship station also included an...
, Scotland. - National Museum of the United States Air ForceNational Museum of the United States Air ForceThe National Museum of the United States Air Force is the official museum of the United States Air Force located at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base northeast of Dayton, Ohio. The NMUSAF is the world's largest and oldest military aviation museum with more than 360 aircraft and missiles on display...
, Dayton, OhioDayton, OhioDayton is the 6th largest city in the U.S. state of Ohio and the county seat of Montgomery County, the fifth most populous county in the state. The population was 141,527 at the 2010 census. The Dayton Metropolitan Statistical Area had a population of 841,502 in the 2010 census...
. C-45H. It was transferred to the Museum from the U.S. Federal Reformatory in Chillicothe, OhioChillicothe, OhioChillicothe is a city in and the county seat of Ross County, Ohio, United States.Chillicothe was the first and third capital of Ohio and is located in southern Ohio along the Scioto River. The name comes from the Shawnee name Chalahgawtha, meaning "principal town", as it was a major settlement of...
in 1966. - North Atlantic Aviation MuseumNorth Atlantic Aviation MuseumThe North Atlantic Aviation Museum is an aviation museum located in the town of Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, Canada. The association to establish the museum was formed in 1985 and the museum opened to the public in 1996....
, GanderGander-Canada:* Gander, Newfoundland and Labrador, a town in Canada** Gander , a provincial electoral district** Gander Academy, an elementary school in Gander** Gander Collegiate, a high school in Gander...
, Newfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and LabradorNewfoundland and Labrador is the easternmost province of Canada. Situated in the country's Atlantic region, it incorporates the island of Newfoundland and mainland Labrador with a combined area of . As of April 2011, the province's estimated population is 508,400... - North Carolina Aviation MuseumNorth Carolina Aviation MuseumThe North Carolina Aviation Museum and North Carolina Aviation Hall of Fame displays a collection across two hangars of static aircraft, uniforms and memorabilia, and an extensive collection of aircraft models. Nearly all aircraft on display are privately owned and on loan. All aircraft on display...
- Olbia – Costa Smeralda Airport, outside the maintenance hangar of MeridianaMeridianaMeridiana fly is an airline with its head office on the grounds of Olbia - Costa Smeralda Airport in Olbia, Sardinia, Italy. It is Italy's second largest airline operating domestic and European services, as well as intercontinental flights. The airline mainly operates out of Cagliari-Elmas Airport,...
- Portuguese Air Museum, SintraSintraSintra is a town within the municipality of Sintra in the Grande Lisboa subregion of Portugal. Owing to its 19th century Romantic architecture and landscapes, becoming a major tourist centre, visited by many day-trippers who travel from the urbanized suburbs and capital of Lisbon.In addition to...
. AT-11 Kansan. - Reynolds-Alberta MuseumReynolds-Alberta MuseumThe Reynolds-Alberta Museum, in Wetaskiwin, Alberta, Canada, one of 18 provincially owned and operated historic sites and museums, honours the "spirit of the machine"...
- Tennessee Museum of Aviation
- TransCanada Highway, Ignace, OntarioIgnace, OntarioIgnace is a township in the Kenora District of Northwestern Ontario, Canada, located at Highway 17 and Secondary Highway 599, and on the Canadian Pacific Railway between Thunder Bay and Kenora. It is on the shore of Agimak Lake, and, as of 2006, the population of Ignace was 1,431.The town was...
- Vintage Flying MuseumVintage Flying MuseumThe Vintage Flying Museum is an American aviation museum located in Meacham International Airport, Fort Worth, Texas.-Mission:The museum states their aim as: "The primary mission of the Vintage Flying Museum, a Texas 501C Non Profit, is to preserve America's flying heritage in Word, Deed and...
at Meacham International Airport, Fort Worth, TexasFort Worth, TexasFort Worth is the 16th-largest city in the United States of America and the fifth-largest city in the state of Texas. Located in North Central Texas, just southeast of the Texas Panhandle, the city is a cultural gateway into the American West and covers nearly in Tarrant, Parker, Denton, and... - Western Canada Aviation MuseumWestern Canada Aviation MuseumThe Western Canada Aviation Museum is a museum in Winnipeg, Manitoba, Canada. It is the second largest aviation museum in Canada. The collection is housed in an original Trans-Canada Air Lines hangar dating from the 1930s....
- Weston AirportWeston AirportWeston Airport or Aerfort Weston in Irish, is a publicly licensed executive airport located on the R403 regional road at Leixlip, County Kildare west of Dublin, in Ireland...
IrelandIrelandIreland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...