Beechcraft T-34 Mentor

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a military trainer aircraft derived from the Beechcraft Bonanza. The signature V-tail of the Bonanza was replaced with conventional tail control surfaces. The four-passenger cabin was replaced with a two-seater tandem cockpit and bubble canopy. The T-34A and T-34B used a conventional, piston driven engine while the T-34C Turbo Mentor is turboprop-powered. The T-34C is still used as the primary training aircraft for United States Navy and Marine Corps pilots. The Mentor is the aircraft used by the Lima Lima Flight Team.

In 2004, due to a series of crashes involving in-flight structural failure during simulated combat flights, the entire U.S. fleet of T-34s was grounded by the Federal Aviation Administration. The grounding has since been eased to a series of restrictions on permitted flight envelope.

Variants
T-34A - production version (450 built)
T-34B - new engine (piston driven) (423 built by Beechcraft)
T-34C Turbo Mentor - turboprop engine
T-34C-1 - equipped with hardpoints for training or light attack. Widely exported.

Specifications (T-34C)

General Characteristics
Crew: two, student and instructor (capable of single pilot operation from front cockpit)
Length: 28 ft 9 in (8.75 m)
Wingspan: 33 ft 4 in (10.60 m)
Height: 9 ft 7 in (2.92 m)
Wing area: 180 ft² (16.7 m²)
Empty: 2,960 lb (1,342 kg)
Loaded: lb ( kg)
Maximum takeoff: 4,300 lb (1,950 kg)
Powerplant: 1x Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-25, 550 SHP (1315 ft/lbs torque) (NATOPS limited to 425 SHP (1015 ft/lbs torque))

Performance
Maximum speed: 280 knots IAS surface-20,000 feet; 245 knots IAS 20,000-25,000 feet.
Range: 600 nautical miles.
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft.
Rate of climb: 1,480 ft/min (451 m/min).
G limitations: 4.5 positive, 2.3 negative.

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia. Uses material from the article T-34 Mentor.