nx44592

Bilstein_00507 Beech D18S 1947 (mfr 2-11363-8)

from SDASM Archives

• Kerry Taylor said:

  info from Geoff Goodall's Beech 18 production list. D18S NX44592 MSN A-1 Beech Aircraft Co, Wichita KS: prototype, ff Wichita 10.45/48 (FAA type certification flight test program until 11.45) NC44592 Beech Aircraft Co, Wichita KS 46/48 (prototype D18S, retained by Beech as demonstrator) N44592 Tobe Foster Productions, Lubbock TX 6.2.48 "out of service" by 3.52 The D18S was the first new commercial Beechcraft to come off the production line after the end of World War II. It was the first of 1,800 civil models built for the post-war market (D18S, E18S, G18S & H18), all built by Beech at Wichita Kansas. The “S” suffix indicated it was powered by the reliable 450hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior series. The first D18S c/n A-1 was first flown in October 1945 at Beech field, Wichita. On 5 December 1945 the D18S received CAA Approved Type Certificate No.757, the first to be issued to any postwar aircraft. The first delivery to a customer of a new D18S departed Wichita the following day. From 1947 the D18C model was available as an executive version with more powerful 525hp Continental R-9A radials, also offered as the D18C-T passenger transport approved by CAA for feeder airlines. Beech assigned c/n prefix "A-" to D18S production, and "AA-" to the small number of D18Cs ordered.