MANUFACTURER: Beech Aircraft Company

CREW: (2) pilot and co-pilot
POWER PLANT: Two 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Jr. series radial engines.
DIMENSIONS: Span 47' 2"; Length 32'; Height 9' 8"

WEIGHTS: Empty 6474 lbs; Max load 9,300 lbs
PERFORMANCE: Max speed 230 mph at 5000ft
CEILING: 23,300 ft; Range approximately 1700 miles

HISTORY: The Beech Model 18 was originally produced for the small feeder airline market in 1937 and is best remembered for its service as a corporate aircraft, passenger liner and bush freighter. Its continuing popularity led to a production period of 32 years during which time over 9100 aircraft of various versions were built. The Beech 18 became known to many as the “EXPEDITER”, used by the RCAF and RAF as a light transport bomber and weapons trainer from 1939 until its retirement in 1970.
 

In 1952, under an agreement between the Wichita plant and Winnipeg’s MacDonald Brothers, the Beech 18 was converted into an armament trainer. The project commenced after interest came from the Chilean Government in equipping a recently purchased fleet with machine guns, bombs and rockets. Its fuselage under went stress checks in Wichita as the new model 18 was flown to Winnipeg where MacDonald Brothers technicians began the immediate installation of nose guns, rocket-rails, bomb racks, gun sight and camera mounts. Despite fairly successful results, no further armed models were built after March 27, 1954.

OUR BEECH: Model D18-S Twin Beech, CF-VPK Serial #: CA110, Model: 3NM, MAA Plate #: 195440 Manufacture Date: 2/52

The Beech 18 is currently on permanent loan from the College of the North Atlantic. For the past several years, it had been used extensively as part of the College’s Aircraft Maintenance course.