Beechcraft Model 18

The Beechcraft Model 18 (or "Twin Beech", as it is also known) is a 6- to 11-seat, twin-engined, low-wing, tailwheel light aircraft designed and manufactured by the Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. Continuously produced from 1937 to November 1969 (over 32 years, a world record at the time), over 9,000 aircraft were built, making the Model 18 one of the world's most widely used light aircraft. It was sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis, or floats, and also saw use as a military aircraft. The Model 18 was developed during the mid-to-late 1930s, primarily as a compact business aircraft and regional airliner. The prototype made its maiden flight on 15 January 1937 and gained type certification only seven weeks later. During and after World War II, over 4,500 Beech 18s were used for various military purposes, including as a light transport, light bomber (for China), aircrew trainer (for bombing, navigation, and gunnery), photo reconnaissance, and "mother ship" for target drones—including United States Army Air Forces (USAAF) C-45 Expeditor, AT-7 Navigator, and AT-11 Kansan; and United States Navy (USN) UC-45J Navigator, SNB-1 Kansan, and others. In World War II, over 90 percent of USAAF bombardiers and navigators were trained in these aircraft. Production of the type for military purposes ended shortly after the end of World War II, the company transitioning entirely onto civil production by October 1945. During the early post-war era, the Beech 18 was the pre-eminent "business aircraft" and "feeder airliner". Besides carrying passengers, its civilian applications included aerial spraying, sterile insect release, fish stocking, dry-ice cloud seeding, aerial firefighting, airmail delivery, ambulance service, numerous movie productions, skydiving, freight, weapon- and drug-smuggling, engine testbed, skywriting, banner towing, and stunt aircraft. Many Model 18s are privately owned, around...