AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 56

MOVIE STAR
The Beech 18 has
appeared in 48 movies
and television shows
including two James
Bond movies-Octopussy and License to
Kill. It also appeared in
Always, All the Pretty
Horses, and ConAir, TV
shows included MacGyver, Magnum P.I., and
Miami Vice. Perhaps its
most famous role was
in the movie It's a Mad,
Mad, Mad, Mad World
during which it flew
through a balsa wood
billboard that severely
damaged the aircraft
and stunned pilot Frank
Tallman.

five-place single or a 10- to 14-seat multiengine airliner. Company
founder Walter Beech weighed the risk of investing in such a radically different product. Ethyl Gasoline Corporation quickly ordered
one based only on Beech's basic design work. A customer survey
revealed a market for an eight-place twin with the right combination of speed, range, comfort, and economics.
By the time he green-lighted the project only 10 months
remained to build one to meet the bureau deadline of July 1, 1936.
Chief Engineer Ted Wells designed the structure using metal tubing
because "that's what I knew best," he told Parmerter years later. The
twin tails emerged because Wells and Walter Beech had seen success together earlier working on the design of the twin-tail Curtiss
Robertson Kingbird D-2.
Despite Herculean efforts, the small company could not complete the design in time to meet the bureau's mandate. Mammoth
Lockheed was the only one of the three finalists (Barkley-Grow
rounded out the trio) to fly a model ahead of the deadline. The
bureau ordered one of the new Lockheed Model 12s, a scaleddown version of the Model 10. But shrewd Walter Beech had not bet
the company on the government contract. Instead he had first and foremost
built an airplane his retail customers
BOW-TIE YOKES angle
wanted. First flight of the prototype conveniently in from
occurred on January 3, 1937, with deliv- the side, freeing floor
ery of that prototype occurring on June space (above). A
logically laid out panel
25 that same year to Ethyl Gasoline for keeps power and fuel
management and
the price of $32,439. Over the 30-year
monitoring in the
production run, nearly 10,000 Beech
center of the stack. A
18s would be built, accounting for one
passel of levers manage the usual throttle,
third of all Beeches when production
mixture, and prop
ceased in 1969.
(right). Others control
Parmerter describes the Beech carb (manifold)heat
18 as the most modified aircraft of all and oil shutters.
56 | AOPA PILOT April 2014

Parmerter describes
the Beech 18 as the most
modified aircraft of all time.
time. In his 567-page book he details dozens of models and military variations performing hundreds of different missions. Beech
18s trained bomber pilots; paved the way for launching guided
missiles and remotely piloted aircraft; carried airline passengers,
fish spotters, parachutists, and movie stars; and even picked up
and delivered mail without landing. Variants included tricycle
landing gear, a tri-tail, turboprop engines, fuselage stretches, skis,
floats, and spray bars.
GREAT REWARDS

Our polished example flew as a tailwheel airplane for its first three
decades before an owner in 1974 beefed up the fuselage and installed
a set of Edo 56-7850A straight floats. Nearly 25 years later, another
owner added the much-needed ladder on the starboard side to ease
access to the floats, the wraparound windshield, and float hatches.
The cavernous hatches easily accommodate a passel of five-gallon
fuel cans, a necessity when flying a draggy airplane on straight floats
in regions with few fueling options. During our three-day floatplane
migration we frequently hauled out jugs, schlepping them up the
left wing and over the cabin to the waiting fueler. Even getting to
the right side of the airplane can be a challenge, because the cabin
doors are on the left. You first pop the hatch open above the cockpit, stand on the pilot seats, and hoist your derriére up onto the top.



AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014

Table of Contents for the Digital Edition of AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014

AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014
Contents
President’s Position
Letters
Waypoints
Proficient Pilot
Safety Pilot
License to Learn
Pilot Counsel
Endeavor Awards
Debonair Sweepstakes
Pilot Products
Events
People
First Look
Test Pilot
Industry News
Airport Stories
AOPA Action
GAMA report
Regional Events
Fly-Outs
Time Traveler
Craftsmanship: Where Wacos Take Wing
Luxury-Level LSA
Culture of the Smallest Corps
Cost Comparison
Proficiency
Dogfight
Wx Watch
Avionics
Never Again
AOPA Action
State & Local Action
AOPA Foundation
Member Services
Insurance Services
Fly by Wire
Tips from PIC
Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Cover2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Contents
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - President’s Position
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 6
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 7
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 8
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 9
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Letters
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 11
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 12
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 13
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Waypoints
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 15
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Proficient Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 17
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Safety Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 19
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - License to Learn
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 21
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Pilot Counsel
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 23
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Endeavor Awards
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 25
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Debonair Sweepstakes
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 27
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Pilot Products
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Events
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 30
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - People
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 32
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - First Look
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Test Pilot
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 35
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Industry News
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 37
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Airport Stories
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 39
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - AOPA Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - D1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - D2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 41
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 42
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 43
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 44
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - GAMA report
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 46
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Regional Events
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Fly-Outs
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - R-1
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - R-2
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - R-3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - R-4
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - R-5
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Time Traveler
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 51
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 52
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 53
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 54
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 55
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 56
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 57
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Craftsmanship: Where Wacos Take Wing
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 59
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 60
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 61
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 62
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 63
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 64
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 65
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Luxury-Level LSA
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 67
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 68
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 69
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 70
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 71
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Culture of the Smallest Corps
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 73
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 74
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 75
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 76
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 77
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 78
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Cost Comparison
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 80
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 81
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Proficiency
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 83
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 84
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Dogfight
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 86
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 87
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Wx Watch
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 89
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 90
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Avionics
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Never Again
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 93
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 94
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 95
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - AOPA Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 97
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - State & Local Action
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 99
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - AOPA Foundation
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 101
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Member Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 103
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Insurance Services
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 105
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 106
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Fly by Wire
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Tips from PIC
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 109
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 110
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - 111
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Pilots
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Cover3
AOPA Pilot Magazine - April 2014 - Cover4
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