First flown in 1949, the Mentor was demonstrated by famed acrobatic pilots Bevo Howard and Betty Skelton at at the Cleveland Airshow.

The T-34 eventually won a long competition to determine a new trainer but Walter Beech did not live to see production. He died of a heart attack in 1950. The T-34 went into service with the USAF (T-34A) in 1953. and with the U.S. Navy (T-34B) in 1955. It was also license built in Canada, Japan, and Argentina. T-34A Production ran from 1953 to 1956.

SPECIFICATIONS
Maximum speed: 214 knots
Cruising speed: 160 knots
Range: 500 miles
Service ceiling: 20,000 feet

Learn more about the T-34 Mentor at: www.americanaerobatics.com