World War II Database

Contributor: C. Peter Chen

ww2dbaseThe Model 18 Twin Beech twin-engine aircraft were designed by Beech as a response to global tension in the late 1930s. After the prototype took flight in 1937, China issued a order amounting to $750,000 to convert these aircraft into light bombers, but only 39 were delivered by the time China entered WW2 in Jul 1937. As the United States geared for war, the Model 18 design were built as US Army AT-7 Navigator, AT-11 Kansan, and C-45 Expeditor aircraft and US Navy SNB Kansan, JRB Kansan, and UC-45 Expeditor Navigator aircraft. They were used as transports or trainers. After the war, the US Air Force kept C-45 aircraft in use until 1963, Navy SNB aircraft until 1972, and US Army C-45 aircraft until 1976. The production of the Model 18 aircraft did not stop until 1970, with the last model exported to Japan Airlines, making the design the longest continuous production of a piston engine aircraft; a total of nearly 8,000 were built during the production life. In addition to the production record, Model 18 also held the most US Federal Aviation Administration-approved Supplemental Type Certificates of any aircraft design (over 200), making it the most modified American aircraft. In the civilian world, they were used for a wide variety of functions, including pesticide spraying, fish seeding, firefighting, ambulance service, and cargo and passenger transportation.

SPECIFICATIONS

UC-45

Machinery	Two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 'Wasp Junior' radial engines rated at 450hp each
Crew	2
Span	14.53 m
Length	10.41 m
Height	2.95 m
Wing Area	32.40 m²
Weight, Empty	2,800 kg
Weight, Loaded	3,400 kg
Weight, Maximum	3,959 kg
Speed, Maximum	360 km/h
Rate of Climb	9.40 m/s
Service Ceiling	7,930 m
Range, Normal	1,200 km

Photographs