On 30 December 1948, Beechcraft D-18S c/n A-472 was registered PH-UDT with the Rijksluchtvaartdienst, Den Haag. The Beechcraft was one of a total of 15 Beechcraft D-18S aeroplanes operated by the Rijksluchtvaartschool operated in the period 1946-1969, first based at Gilze-Rijen AFB and since 16 August 1954 at Eelde near Groningen. On 6 May 1949, the Beech D-18S was substantial damaged during a forced landing with the engines off. After the incident, Beech D-18S was rebuilt and back in service with the RLS. On 13 March 1962, Beech D-18S PH-UDT was damaged when the aircraft ditched the Northsea near Borkum, after repairs the PH-UDT once again returned in service with the RLS. On 27 September 1969, the aircraft was flown to Woensdrecht AFB and withdrawn from service with the Rijksluchtvaartschool. On 7 October 1969, registration PH-UDT was cancelled, and the same year the aircraft was transported to the storage of the MLM at Gilze-Rijen AFB, where the plane was prepared to be exhibited in the MLM (Militaire Luchtvaart Museum) at Kamp Zeist, close to the Soesterberg AFB. In April 1981, the Beech D-18S was noted first on display at the MLM as the RNethAF / KLu T-7 "G-10". In 1989, the aircraft disappeared from the display and returned in storage again. On 1 July 2013, the MLM closed and the collection, including the Beechcraft D-18S 'G-10', went to the new built NMM (Nationaal Militair Museum) at the former Soesterberg AFB that opened on 11 December 2014. However, the Beechcraft D-18S 'G-10' was not on display inside the NMM building, but remained in the depot of the Museum. On 28 August 2018, Beechcraft D-18S 'G-10' was seen temporarily exhibited in the outside area of the museum.

History of the Beechcraft Model 18 in Dutch military service goos back to May 1941, when 24 AT-11 Kansan Bombing and gunnery trainers were ordered by the Netherlands. These 24 AT-11’s were destined for the Royal Netherlands Navy for use as a light bomber in Java, Dutch East Indies. Before the aircraft could be delivered, the Japanese took the Dutch East Indies, and the aircraft were repossessed by the USAAF. In May 1942 the Royal Netherlands Military Flying School was established in Jackson, Mississippi, to train escaped Dutch to become pilots, bombardiers and gunners. In July 1942, the flighttraining at Jackson Army Air Force Base started with the Beechcraft AT-11 Kansan Bombing and gunnery trainers that were original ordered by the Netherlands; in February 1944 the AT-11’s were returned to the USAAF. In 1950, the Netherlands received 28 Beechcraft T.7 Navigators from the surplus stocks of the US Air Force in the context of the MDAP (Mutual Defense Assistance Plan). Packed in crates, the 1943-built airframes were delivered at Ypenburg, where Avio Diepen assembled and tested the aeroplanes before the they were delivered to the Royal Netherlands Air Force. The Beechcraft T.7’s were registered G-1 up to and including G-28 in service with the RNethAF. The first machines found their way to the Observatory School at Gilze Rijen, where they replaced the outdated Oxford and Anson aircraft in service. Next to Gilze-Rijen AB, the Beech T-7’s were delivered to Twenthe AB where they entered service with the secondary education training school. In addition to these trainingsduties the Beech T-7’s were used for light transport operations, first with the TRANSVA at Valkenburg and later with 334 squadron at Ypenburg and with the so called basisvlucht at a number of Dutch Air Force bases. Due to their condition, the first Beech T-7’s were withdrawn from service already in 1953; followed by the bulk in 1957; with the last Beechcraft T-7 Navigator wfu in 1959. The Beech T-7s were returned to the Americans, but due to their bad condition, all devices are likely to have been demolished in the Netherlands. Next to the Air Force, the Navy received six Beechcraft SNB-5’s in the context of the MDAP. The MLD received its Beechcraft SNB-5’s in 1953. The SNB-5’s entered service with VSQ 5 at Naval Air Station Valkenburg as U-41 up to and including U-46 (later re-serialed 080 - 085) and were used for the training of telegraphists and observers and as communications aircraft. In 1962, the Beech SNB-5’s were re-designated as TC-45J. After being wfu from service, the remaining five aircraft (the 080 was demolished after an accident) were returned to MAAG ( US Military Assistance Advisory Group), which sold the aircraft to Texas Turbo-jet, Dallas, Texas, on 16 October 1975.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Beechcraft D-18S is BE18.

The Beechcraft D-18S is a low-wing, all-metal, twin-engine monoplane, with seating for eight passengers and MTOW of 3.970 kg. In 1936, Beech Aircraft Corporation started the development of the Beech Model 18 or Twin Beech as a low-wing, all-metal, twin-engine monoplane, originally intended as a six-to-eight passenger executive or feeder airline. The design was mainly conventional for the time, including twin radial engines, all-metal semi-monocoque construction with fabric covered control surfaces and taildragger undercarriage, while less common were the twin tail fins. The prototype Beech 18 (NX15810) was flown first at Beech Field, Wichita, Kansas, on 15 January 1937, the same year followed by the first production Beech 18A (NC18578) and Beech 18B (NC18583)). Type certificate for the Beech 18B was issued on 29 October 1937 and customer deliveries started the same year. Pre-war civil construction of the Model 18 were the 18A with two 350 hp Wright R-760E's and the 18B powered by two 330 hp Jacobs L-6's. The 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985's became the definitive engine from the pre-war C18's onwards. During World War II, a total of 5.204 airframes were built for the Allied air forces under various designations, the most numerous model being the C-45 utility transport called Expeditor in the R.A.F. and R.C.A.F. After VJ-day, many war-plus C-45's were sold to civil customers and post-war civil production was resumed after WWII with the commercial Model D18S. In October 1945, the prototype D18S (c/n A-1; NX44592) was first flown at Beech field, Wichita, and CAA Approved Type Certificate was issued on 5 December 1945. The Model D18 was basically similar to the wartime C-45, and 1.035 of the D-18S have been manufactured. The first major modernisation of the Beech 18 design came with the Model E18 Super 18, which flew first on 10 December 1953 and supplanted the D18 in production early 1954. The standards of internal comfort and operational efficiency were progressively raised in the succeeding Super Model G18, which entered prduction in 1959. In 1962, the Super H18 with optional tricycle undercarriage was introduced and replaced the G18 in production. The last Beech 18 manufactured was the trigear H18 c/n BA-765, which was tested as N2091A in October 1969. Next to the military aircraft, the Beech 18 was sold worldwide as a civilian executive, utility, cargo aircraft, and passenger airliner on tailwheels, nosewheels, skis or floats. After its introduction in 1937, production of the Beech 18 continued for an impressive thirty-two years, with more than 9.000 aircraft built in more than thirthy progressively refined versions:

Civil Versions
• Model 18A — First production model with seating for two pilots and seven or eight passengers, fitted with Wright R-760E-2 engines of 350 hp MTOW: 3.000 kg.
• Model S18A — Version of Model 18A capable of being fitted with skis or Edo 55-7170 floats; MTOW: 3.300 kg.
• Model 18B — Improved model with increased range and useful load, fitted with 285 hp Jacobs L-5 engines.
• Model S18B — Version of Model 18B capable of being fitted with skis or floats.
• Model 18D — Variant with seating for two pilots and nine passengers, fitted with 330 hp Jacobs L-6 engines. MTOW: 3.300 kg.
• Model S18D — Version of Model 18D capable of being fitted with skis or Edo 55-7170 floats; MTOW: 3.250 kg.
• Model A18D — Variant of 18D with MTOW increased to 3.400 kg, fitted with Jacobs L-6 engines.
• Model SA18D — Seaplane version of Model A18D but same MTOW as S18D, fitted with Edo 55-7170 floats.
• Model A18A — Version fitted with Wright 350 hp R-760 engines. MTOW: 3.400 kg.
• Model SA18A — Seaplane version of Model A18A, fitted with Edo 55-7170 floats; MTOW: 3.250 kg.
• Model 18R — Model with 420 hp Wright R-975 engines; seven built, one to Sweden as an air ambulance, six to Nationalist China as M18R light bombers.
• Model 18S — Nine-passenger pre-World War II civil variant, served as basis for USAAF C-45C.
• Model B18S — Nine-passenger pre-World War II civil variant, served as basis for USAAF F-2.
• Model C18S — Variant of B18S with seating for eight passengers, and equipment and minor structural changes.
• Model D18S — First post-WW II variant approved on 5 December 1945, with seating for eight passengers and MTOW of 3.970 kg. 1.035 built (c/n A-1 to A-1035).
• Model D18S-3N — Variant of D18S delivered to the Royal Canadian Air Force (RCAF); 100 built (c/n A-601 to A-700, re-serialed as CA-1 to CA-100).
• Model D18S-3NM — Variant of D18S delivered to the RCAF; 133 built (c/n A-702 to A-715, A-736 to A-755, A-767 to A-769, A-780, A-782, A-784, A-786, A-788, A-790 to A-800, A-851 to A-930; re-serialed as CA-102 to CA-115, CA-136 to CA-155, CA-176 to CA-194, CA-201 to CA-280).
• Model D18S-3TM — Variant of D18S delivered to the RCAF; 48 built (c/n A-701, A-716 to A-735, A-756 to A-766, A-770 to A-779, A-781, A-783, A-785, A-787, A-789 and A-931; re-serialed as CA-101, CA-116 to CA-135, CA-156 to CA-175, CA-195 to CA-200 and CA-281).
• Model D18C — Version with 525 hp Continental R9-A engines and MTOW of 4.100 kg, approved on 13 July 1947. 31 built (c/n AA-1 to AA-31).
• Model E18S — Version with redesigned wing and MTOW of 4,200 kg; approved on 19 July 1954; 403 built (c/n BA-1 to BA-402 and BA-497).
• Model E18S-9700 — Variant of E18S with MTOW of 4.400 kg; approved on 19 January 1959; 57 built (c/n BA-403 to BA-433, BA-435 to BA-460).
• Model G18S — Superseded E18S, MTOW of 4.400 kg; approved on 8 October 1959; 155 built (c/n BA-434, BA-461 to BA-496, BA-498 to BA-562, BA-564 to BA-579, BA-581 to BA-617).
• Model G18S-9150 — Variant of G18, MTOW of 4.150 kg; 1 built (c/no. BA-563).
• Model H18 — Last production version, fitted with optional tricycle undercarriage developed by Volpar and MTOW of 4.500 kg; approved on 11 July 1962; 149 built (c/n BA-580, BA-618 to BA-765), of which 109 were manufactured with tricycle undercarriage.

►  aeroplanes index   helicopters index   EC120 - H120 productionlist   Micro Light Aeroplanes   European Airfields ◄