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| In 1948 Beech built as a private venture a two-seat trainer evolved from the V-tail civil Bonanza. It differed primarily by having tandem seating for pupil and instructor, and by the substitution of a conventional tail unit for the V-tail. This aircraft was designated Beech Model 45 Mentor, and flew for the first time on 2 December 1948.
At about this time the USAF, in common with many other air forces, was trying to make up its mind about the trend of future primary training. The problem facing them all was whether or not, as a result of the introduction into service of turbine engines, initial training should be on jet-powered aircraft. At the time it was a difficult question: an affirmative answer meant not only that the most ham-fisted of student pilots would have to cope from the outset with aircraft of much higher performance, but that at the same time they would be faced with the problem of handling a power unit which had not then been developed to a point of great reliability. On the credit side, however, they would work throughout their training with turbine engines and a constant handling technique: retention of piston-engine power for primary trainers would bring the need for a transition phase from piston- to turbine-engine at a later stage. USAF planners chose the latter as the mor-e prudent course afthat time. Among the various types evaluated were three examples of the Beech Model 45, two powered by the 153kW Continental E-185-8 engine and one by the 168kW Continental E-225-8; all three were designated YT-34 by the USAF. These three aircraft made their first flights in May, June and July 1950, and were tested extensively during the competition period, being flown not only by evaluation pilots, but also in the primary training role with pupils and instructors. Almost three years later, on 4 March 1953, the USAF selected the Model 45 as its new primary trainer, under the designation T-34A Mentor, and ultimately 450 were built for that service, 350 by Beech and 100 by the Canadian Car & Foundry Company in Montreal, Canada. US Navy evaluation of the Model 45 began soon after the USAF had placed its initial contract with Beech, and on 17 June 1954 the Navy ordered 290 of these trainers, under the designation T-34B. A total of 423 was acquired eventually. In July 1951 one of the original prototypes was modified to mount two 7.62mm machine-guns in the wings, with provision additionally for underwing racks capable of accepting six rockets or two 68kg bombs; this was evaluated by the USAF as a potential light close-support aircraft, but no orders materialised.
Not surprisingly, in the jet age, most piston-engine trainers were gradually phased out of service, being replaced by sleeker, purpose-built jets which formed the first component of an all-jet training scheme, from ab initio to the moment when the pupil was considered fit for posting to an operational squadron.
The US Navy decided in 1973 to investigate the possibility of retaining the tried and trusted Mentor in service, with its piston engine replaced by turbine powerplant. Such a scheme offered a continuity of experience with the Mentor airframe and its excellent handling characteristics, and would provide the pupil pilot with an unbroken sequence of turbine-engine handling throughout his training. To evaluate this proposal, the USN instructed Beech to convert two T-34Bs to turbine power, under the designation YT-34C.
The powerplant chosen by Beech for the conversion was a Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of Canada PT6A-25. In this particular application it is provided with a torque limiter that restricts power output to some 56 per cent of maximum, ensuring constant performance over a wide range of altitude/temperature conditions, and also offering long engine life. The first YT-34C was flown on 21 September 1973, and following satisfactory evaluation of the two aircraft, Beech received contracts valued at approximately $72 million for the construction of 184 new aircraft. In addition to the installation of the new engine, the production aircraft were also given structural strengthening to ensure an airframe fatigue life of some 16,000 hours. The first T-34C Turbo-Mentor entered service with the USN's Naval Air Training Command in November 1977, and student training with the type began during the following January. Since then production has reached 353, with six being transferred to the US Army.
Subsequently, Beech developed a T-34C-1 version for armaments system training, equipped with four underwing hardpoints having a total weapons capacity of 544kg. In addition to deployment in such a training role, the T-34C-1 is suitable also for forward air control and tactical strike training missions. Examples of this version have been supplied to the navies of Argentina, Ecuador, Peru and Uruguay, and to the air forces of Ecuador, Indonesia and Morocco. An export civil version, known as the Turbine Mentor 34C, has also been delivered for use in Algeria's national pilot training school.
| MODEL | T-34C Turbo-Mentor |
| ENGINE | 1 x Pratt & Whitney Aircraft of Canada PT6A-25 turboprop engine, 533kW |
| WEIGHTS |
| Take-off weight | 1950 kg | 4299 lb |
| Empty weight | 1342 kg | 2959 lb |
| DIMENSIONS |
| Wingspan | 10.16 m | 33 ft 4 in |
| Length | 8.75 m | 29 ft 8 in |
| Height | 2.92 m | 10 ft 7 in |
| Wing area | 16.68 m2 | 179.54 sq ft |
| PERFORMANCE |
| Cruise speed | 396 km/h | 246 mph |
| Ceiling | 9145 m | 30000 ft |
| Range | 1311 km | 815 miles |
 | A three-view drawing (682 x 565) |
| LTC (Rt) Ray Burke, e-mail, 24.02.2011 13:58 I picked up a surplus T-34 for the Lockbourne Aero Club in the early 1950's. Great little bird. Very popular with club members. reply | | Bob Owen, e-mail, 16.01.2011 20:54 In the mid 1960's Civil Air Patrol had N204NY,a T-34B, based at (now closed) Zahn's airport in Amityville, NY.
This was a nice step up for us from the Aeronca's, Piper's
and Cessna's we had been used to. With it's 225 hp engine, military style panel, joystick and sliding canopy it gave you that "fighter pilot" feeling. I managed to log 50 hrs. PIC in it before the higher powers decided to sell it due to higher maintenance costs and the fact that its low wing
made it less suitable for search missions. It sure got you to the search area faster however. reply |
| CDR Lanny Cox, USN (Ret), e-mail, 03.01.2011 22:55 Flew the T-34B during the summer of 1961 during USNA Aviation Summer and again at VT-1 at NAAS Saulfley Field near Pensacola, FL and it was the first airplane I ever flew. Great machine to learn to fly in. reply | | Michael Maldonado, e-mail, 18.12.2010 05:08 I last flew the T-34A(N10465) from Warner Robins in 1991. I flew it to San Antonio, Del Rio texas and back to Robins. I believe the rental cost was around $42.It definitely left me with great memmories and I did lose a sectional once flying to the Georgia coast line in this aircraft. Those augmentor tubes kicked out some oil:) reply | |
| | Phil Fuller, e-mail, 08.12.2010 02:38 I was a flight instructor assigned to VT-1 Saufley, Flt 13 70-72 - taught Student AOC's, IUT Sylabus and Flt. Surgeons. Great little trainer, very forgiving and reliable. Many happy memories of those years. I'd love to have had a chance to fly the Turboprop models that came along later. reply | | Tom Suitts, e-mail, 26.11.2010 16:31 I absolutely loved this plane. We had two at Beale AFB Aero Club where I was the only enlisted member. Dr. Bill Byerly, who flew B-26s in WWII, was my mentor and instructor. Taught me basic aerobatics. Since Beale was a B-52 /KC-135 base, we had the T-34s to ourselves at $7.50 an hour wet! Learned it had a violent spin, was wonderful to fly with canopy open. Once lost my aero charts over LA when my back seat passenger opened her canopy. Great memories. reply | | jerry kerns, e-mail, 20.10.2010 15:51 I agree with all the great memories of the t-34.
we at March ARB in sunny SoCal still have 4 flying..
one B model and 3 A's.(plus 2 parts ones in the hanger)
if the air combat guys in texas had not yanked the wings off a couple of them pulling hi G's it would have saved a lot of problems.. we have had wing mods done to all ours altho they didnt need it, but to satisfy the feds, its done.
if any of you get close to Riverside, CA. stop by the aero club to check out our 4 camo paint jobs..
cheers and remember- "mixture, prop, gears down and locked".
jerry reply | | Dallas Smith, e-mail, 15.10.2010 06:09 My Primary Pilot Training Class 56-A was the first to fly this bird out of Spence AB, GA. Our instructors had 4 hrs in it when they took on our class. My instructor was Joe Brown, an ex navy jock. (Corsairs) We learned the bird together. Later classes had restrictions, but our class could play with the whole aerobatic menu. One of the most stable and sweetest birds I ever had the pleasure to fly. reply | | NH Rackley, e-mail, 16.04.2010 14:00 Further, any comparisons of the T-34B and C are purly photographic. The B model is a lateral step from the 1946 Bonanza and the C model is a high performing modern fast mover requiring strakes, ventrals and an air conditioner (you can't crack the canopy because of the exhaust). reply | | Ray Wells, e-mail, 08.04.2010 17:34 This is my favorite airplane. I took my commercial check ride in a T34A in 1987. This was at the Lowry Aero Club at Buckley AFB. I'd love to fly a C model. reply | | NH RACKLEY, e-mail, 29.03.2010 21:31 T-34C, make that 'C', is a goin' machine with that PT-6-25 jet engine exhausting forward into a flange connected to the prop. Same basic performance as a T-28B but half the size. Fabulous training platform, 756 hours in it as Standardization [ax-man] Instructor at VT-3 Whiting Field. reply | | Doug Rodrigues, e-mail, 13.03.2010 10:34 Back in 1967, I got 42 hours in the McGuire AFB (N.J.) Aero Club's T-34A. ($8.00 hr. wet) Fun airplane and easy to fly. Just before discharge, flew over to the Air Force museum in Dayton, Ohio, and then up to Boston, Mass. to visit an old aunt. The was a neat airplane. Sure gave you a good tan. reply | | Ken Spencer, e-mail, 02.02.2010 18:19 One of the best aircraft I ever flew. Have about 250 hours in the T-34. Flew it back in 1964 while at Fairchild AFB Aero Club. We had two of them. Would love to get my hands on one again. reply | | Turhan Tunalý, e-mail, 28.01.2010 13:56 when I was 12 years old.I flew back seat at Turkish AirForce T34A.Ýt was realy nice memories for me.It was the test flight.Some examples are still flying in Turkey. reply | |
| | Chuck Wood, e-mail, 22.01.2010 20:36 I flew both the Robins Aero Club's T-34 (N10465) and Bonanza (don't remember the tail number)many hours during 1978 & 1979. I and a few other volunteers were responsible for repainting the Bonanza an Air Force Blue that turned out badly. It still flew well, except in turbulence as it had no yaw damper. They were both great aircraft to fly. I later flew another T-34 at the Lowry Aero Club in Colorado. I think the T-34 was the most fun aircraft I ever flew - it reacted precisely to your input! reply | | Art Deco, 30.06.2009 16:29 Only GooneyBirds last forever. All old T-34's require extensive modifications to prevent the wings from falling off. Unless they already did. The price you pay for pulling G's costs many G's. reply | | mike, e-mail, 29.06.2009 23:54 N10465, flew it at Robins AFB, GA in 1976 and it rented for $16 an hour wet back then! Last saw it around 2002(?) at Hanscom AFB, MA. reply | | Doyle Wilhite, e-mail, 06.01.2009 19:17 Solo Flight at Saufley Field in the T-34B was May 15th, 1957. MacDougall was my instructor. Had a total of 40.8 hours T-34 time before transitioning to the SNJ. Last Flight as a pilot in a Navy aircraft was 20 Septebmer 1957. reply | | Gary L. Hoe, e-mail, 08.12.2008 05:31 I have several hours in N10465 at the Robins AFB Aero Club, which also had a 1955 Bonanza with the same engine. Both were a lot of fun to fly, light on the controls. The augmenter exhaust system (rather than cowl flaps gave a nice throaty bellow to the exhaust sound. reply | | William Steely, e-mail, 09.09.2008 06:36 The T-34, first aircraft I soloed..(primary at Graham AFB,
Marianna, FL.), fall of '55 to spring of '56. I think we got about 40 hrs., then I went to T-33s (& instructed them
at Laredo AFB), then flew the C-119 for years as a reservist. But the T-34 gave me wonderful memories, that I still cherish....my introduction to aviation. reply |
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Bob, I don't suppose you know what the Beech or Navy serial number for N204nY was? A guy who one flew it in CAP wondered what happened to it. N204NY has been reassigned. If I can find Beech or Navy serial number I can look up what happened to it in a T-34 history file I keep.
Don Ramm
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