The Beech 18 and its derivatives - under our roundels (Expected November 2026)

Between January 15, 1937, the date of the first flight of the Beech 18 prototype, and November 26, 1969, the date of the rollout of the last three examples, some 8,000 Beech 18s, of all versions, were produced by the Wichita plant.
As for France, the "Beech adventure" began in April 1942 with the "18S" No. 266, donated by Count Jacques-Édouard de Sieyes to the Free French Air Force (
FAFL). This first aircraft served with the Artois Group based at Pointe-Noire.
It wasn't until September 28, 1944, that the first batch of 15 UC-45Fs, part of the American Military Assistance Program (PAM), was delivered to France at Mouzaïville to equip GT 2/15 Anjou. Further deliveries followed in October and December 1944. In total, 26 aircraft were assigned to the Anjou squadron. Meanwhile, deliveries continued, with a total of 49 aircraft delivered by the United States. Four were purchased for civilian use between November 1953 and June 1959, four Super 18s were purchased new in May 1955, and in 1962, Canada
transferred 29 Expeditor aircraft in the 3T and 3N versions to France.
The units were equipped as deliveries were made: CIET 340 in October 1948, GLAM in September 1948,
GAEL in May 1948, ELA 41 in May 1969, ELA 43 in May 1964, ELA 44 in April 1964, ELA 52 in November 1954, ELA
55 in June 1957, GLA 45 in early 1956, EARS 99 in June 1969, CEAM in September 1958, Air Bases 107
in January 1972, 177 in 1968, and CEV in June 1947, the aircraft of the Air Attaché at the French Embassy in Washington
in the early 1950s… The Beech aircraft would fly under the roundels of The Air Force operated them from April 1942 to May 1972, the date of
their final withdrawal from service.
Meanwhile, the Naval Aviation received 20 "SNB-5" aircraft from the United States before 1958 and 25 "JRB-4" aircraft
before 1959. These 45 "Beech" aircraft were operated until 1972 by Squadrons 2.S, 10.S, 32.S, 50.S, 55.S and 56.S, as well
as by the ERC, the Algiers Liaison Section, the Morocco Liaison Section and the Cuers Naval Air Base.
To be as precise as possible, we have grouped together in this book the aircraft of the Administration, namely: the
Aeronautical Training Service of Saint-Yan, which operated 15 aircraft; the CNET (National Center for Technical Studies) of Lannion, which operated two;
the Squadron of the High Commission in Indochina, which operated 10, several of which were detached to ELA 52 (Air Force Squadron 52) at Tan
Son Nhut for the purpose of monitoring and locating Viet Minh units before the delivery of aircraft under
the PAM-EO (Air Force Military Planning and Operational Studies) in 1954. Two were assigned to the High Commissioner in Cameroon, two to the High Commissioner in French West Africa, one
to the Directorate of Public Works in Rabat, one to the Territory of Ubangi-Shari, one to the Territory of Chad, and one to...
department of Reunion, four to the Governor of Niger.
This faithful servant of the Air Force, Naval Aviation and the French Administration, deserved after thirty
years of service under our roundels, to have a book dedicated to him because he presented all the qualities of a
perfect aircraft: speed, elegance and flexibility of use.  

• Format : A4
• Number of pages : 412
• Number of images : 700
• Language : French
• Number of color profiles : 30