Academy 12361 1/48 USN T-34B Mentor "VT-5 Training Air Wing"

Training aircraft used by U.S. Navy.

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor was an American military low-wing metal training aircraft from the Cold War and modern times. The flight of the prototype took place in 1948, and the plane entered service in 1953. About 2,300 machines of this type were created in the course of production. The propulsion, in the T-34C version, was provided by a single Pratt and Whitney Canada PT6A-25 turboprop engine with 550 HP. The length of the aircraft was 8.75 meters with a wingspan of 10.16 meters. The machine did not have a permanent on-board armament.

The T-34 Mentor aircraft was initially developed as a grassroots initiative by Beechcraft Aircraft Corporation, which aimed at creating a training and training aircraft that was cheap to produce and operate. It was planned to be an economical alternative to the T-6 Texan. The assumptions of the Beechcraft company partially proved successful and in 1953 the T-34 aircraft began to be used by the US Air Force, and later also by the US Navy. In the course of production, three main military versions of this aircraft were created: T-34A (version dedicated to USAF), T-34B (version dedicated to US Navy) and T-34C (version with turboprop engine). It is worth adding that the machine was also quite successful on foreign markets and was or is still operated in countries such as Argentina, Chile, France, Japan (license production) and Turkey.

Features

• Reboxed Minicraft with new decals
• Detailed cockpit
• Landing gear.

Includes

• Choice of 3 markings:
  
  • T-34B BuNo 140950, USN Training Sqn 5 (VT-5), 1976;
  • T-34B BuNo 144090, USN Training Sqn 5 (VT-5), 1984;
  • T-34B BuNo 140702, USN Training Sqn 1 (VT-1), Air Station Saufley Field FL, 1976.
    Masking for canopy included.