On 14 September 1989, Beechcraft D-18S-3NM N5369X was seen in ROYAL CANADIAN AIR FORCE - AIR TRANSPORT COMMAND colors at Groningen Airport Eelde.
In 1952, Beechcraft D-18S-3NM s/n A-904 was built for the Royal Canadian Air Force and the aircraft entered service with the RCAF under serial 2375 on 30 December 1952. The RCAF operated the 2375 as a VIP aircraft and navigation trainer. In service with the RCAF the c/n of the Beechcraft D-18S-3NM 2375 was re-serialed as CA254. On 4 July 1966, after being retired from military service with the RCAF as a Beechcraft D-18S-3NMT, the 2375 was stored at RCAF Station Saskatoon, SK. On 2 August 1968, after being sold by the Canadian Crown Assets Disposal Corporation from the military surplus stocks, the aircraft was registered N7820 in the USA with Hamilton Aircraft Co, Tucson, AZ. In the period 1968 -1970 the N7820 was operated by Priority Air Transport System Corp, Redwood City, CA. On 17 July 1970, the aircraft was registered CF-AID with Ray's Flying Service, Saskatoon, SK. On 2 June 1977, the CF-AID was registered with Miksoo Aviation, Meadow Lake, SK, and on 20 March 1979, the aircraft was registered C-FAID with Shirley Helicopters, Edmonton, AB. In 1981, Rolf Yri, Surrey, BC, was the next owner of the aircraft. On 27 May 1982, the C-FAID was registered as a Beech 3NM with Canadian Warplane Heritage, Vancouver, BC. In sevice with the Canadian Warplane Heritage the aircraft was flown in polished metal with "RCAF Air Transport Command" titles. On 3 November 1987, registration PH-BBA and PH-BBJ were reserved for the aircraft by Dutch Dakota Association, in 1989 registration PH-BBA and PH-BBJ wre replaced by registration PH-DDB but all three reservations were cancelled as ntu. On 11 March 1988, registration C-FAID was cancelled as exported to the Netherlands. On 14 April 1988, the Beech 3NM was registered N5369X in the USA with Twin Air USA Inc, Rockford, IL, on behalf of Dutch Dakota Association, Schiphol-Oost. On 5 May 1988, the Beech N5369X arrived in RCAF colors out of the USA at Amsterdam-Schiphol Airport in the Netherlands. The airplane underwent major maintenace at Schiphol, wherin the wings from Beech D-18S-3NM c/n CA-264 were fitted. On 30 January 1993, the N5369X was flown first after this overhaul in RCAF '2375' colors with "Royal Canadian Air Force" / "Good Vibrations" titles. On 21 March 1988, registration PH-IBS was reserved for the aircraft by C. Munk, Alphen aan den Rijn, on 24 February 1999 followed by the reservation for registration PH-KHV by Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht (SKHV). On 23 February 2000, the reservation for registration PH-IBS was cancelled, on 23 November 2001 followed by the cancellation of registration PH-KHV. On 4 March 2003, the aircraft was finally registered PH-KHV in the Netherlands with Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht, Rijen, as Beechcraft D18S-3NM c/n A-904. As in 1970, the aircraft was modified to the civil D18S standard, the Dutch CAA had decided to register the aircaft with its original US construction number A-904. In service with 'Stichting Koninklijke Luchtmacht Historische Vlucht' / Royal Netherlands Air Force Historical Flight Foundation, the Beech is operated in "Royal Netherlands Air Force G-29" colors.
The ICAO Aircraft Type Designator for the Beechcraft D-18Sis 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.

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