Beechcraft Model 18 Warning: You are not logged in. Your IP address will be publicly visible if you make any edits. If you log in or create an account, your edits will be attributed to your username, along with other benefits.Anti-spam check. Do not fill this in! ==Design and development== [[File:Beech18C-FSFHonFloats.JPG|thumb|Beech 18 on floats in [[Manitoba]], 1986]] [[File:Beechcraft AT-11 out over the West Texas prairies (00910460 103).jpg|thumb|Beechcraft AT-11 over the West Texas prairies, around 1944]] [[File:Beech 18h.jpg|thumb|Private Beech H18 with the optional tricycle undercarriage visiting [[Lannion]], France]] 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-monocoque|semimonocoque]] construction with fabric-covered control surfaces, and tailwheel [[Landing gear|undercarriage]]. Less conventional was the [[twin-tail]]fin configuration. The Model 18 can be mistaken for the larger [[Lockheed Model 10 Electra|Lockheed Electra]] series of airliners, which closely resemble it. Early production aircraft were powered either by two 330-hp (250-kW) Jacobs L-6s or 350-hp (260-kW) Wright R-760Es. The 450-hp (336-kW) [[Pratt & Whitney R-985]] became the definitive engine from the prewar C18S onwards. The Beech 18 [[prototype]] first flew on January 15, 1937. 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 (447-kW) Pratt & Whitney R-1340 powerplant configuration. With the added weight of about 200 lb (91 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. Nearly every airframe component has been modified. In 1955, deliveries of the Model E18S commenced; the E18S featured a [[fuselage]] that was extended {{convert|6|in|mm|abbr=on}} higher for more headroom in the passenger cabin. All later Beech 18s (sometimes called Super 18s) featured this taller [[fuselage]], 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]]. Unusually, the undercarriage was developed for earlier-model aircraft under an [[Supplemental Type Certificate|STC]] by [[Volpar]], and installed in H18s at the factory during manufacture. A total of 109 H18s was built with tricycle undercarriage, and another 240 earlier-model aircraft were modified with this.<ref name="BHM18S">[http://beechcraftheritage.com/tech_library/model_18_specs/ "Model 18 Specifications."] {{Webarchive|url=https://web.archive.org/web/20080501120124/http://beechcraftheritage.com/tech_library/model_18_specs/ |date=May 1, 2008 }} ''Beechcraft Heritage Museum''. Retrieved: August 24, 2008.</ref><ref>{{cite news|url=http://www.twinbeech.com/beech18differences.htm|title=Some of the Differences Between the Models and Modifications of the Beech 18|work=twinbeech.com|date=September 30, 2006|access-date=August 5, 2017}}</ref> Construction of the Beechcraft Model 18 ended in 1970 with a final Model H18 going to [[Japan Airlines]].{{citation needed|date=October 2021}} Through the years, 32 variations of the basic design had flown, over 200 improvement modification kits were developed, and almost 8,000 aircraft were built. In one case, the aircraft was modified to a triple tail, trigear, humpbacked configuration and appeared similar to a miniature [[Lockheed Constellation]]. Another distinctive conversion was carried out by Pacific Airmotive as the PacAero Tradewind. This featured a lengthened nose to accommodate the tricycle [[landing gear|nosewheel]], and the Model 18's twin tailfins were replaced by a single fin.<ref name="BCAM">[http://www.canadianflight.org/content/beechcraft-3nmt-expeditor "Beechcraft 3NMT Expeditor."] ''Canadian Museum of Flight.'' Retrieved: August 13, 2012.</ref> Summary: Please note that all contributions to Christianpedia may be edited, altered, or removed by other contributors. If you do not want your writing to be edited mercilessly, then do not submit it here. You are also promising us that you wrote this yourself, or copied it from a public domain or similar free resource (see Christianpedia:Copyrights for details). Do not submit copyrighted work without permission! Cancel Editing help (opens in new window) Discuss this page