Beech 73 Jet Mentor

By the early 1950s, the U.S. Air Force decided to adopt a jet aircraft for initial pilot training. Following this, the “Beech” company began, on its own initiative, designing a comparatively inexpensive jet trainer. The single prototype, the Beech Model 73 Jet Mentor, went down in history as the first American jet training aircraft.

Innovative and Affordable Design

To significantly reduce the aircraft’s cost, structural elements of the Model 45 Mentor aircraft were extensively utilized in the new machine’s design. The cantilever-type wing was slightly modified, altering the root sections where the engine air intakes were located. The prototype was fitted with a Continental YJ69 engine, a licensed version of the French Turbomeca Marbore engine.

Evaluation and Fate

The prototype made its first flight on December 18, 1955. However, the aircraft was not accepted into service by the U.S. Air Force. The Canadian firm “Canadian Car Company” of Montreal, which built T-34A Mentor aircraft for the USAF, acquired the rights for serial production of the Jet Mentor. They saw it as a potential trainer for the Royal Canadian Air Force. The aircraft underwent evaluation trials in Canada, but no order for its serial production was received there either.

Technical Specifications

Modification	Beech 73
Wingspan, m	9.98
Length, m	9.14
Height, m	2.98
Wing area, m2	16.50
Empty weight	1295
Maximum takeoff weight	2020
Engine type	1 Turbojet Continental YJ69-T-9
Unaugmented thrust, kN	1 x 4.18
Maximum speed, km/h	460
Cruising speed, km/h	394
Practical range, km	800
Practical ceiling, m	8100
Crew	2

Image and diagram gallery of the Beech 73 Jet Mentor

Beech 73 Jet Mentor	Beech 73 Jet Mentor
Beech 73 Jet Mentor	Beech 73 Jet Mentor
Beech 73 Jet Mentor