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1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor Served the Dominicans, Now Selling Incomplete

Military trainer aircraft are some of the most widespread on the civilian aircraft pre-owned market. After serving with various air forces around the world and being subjected to rookies’ lack of experience, they find their way in private hands and off they go to either serve their owner, or impress the crowds at whatever air show.
1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor 6 photos
Photo: Platinum Fighters
1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor1954 Beechcraft T-34 Mentor
That’s pretty much the case with the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor we have here. It was born it 1954, which is one year after the family first entered service, and was used during its lifetime as a trainer for the Dominican Republic Air Force. It then landed in private hands.

The Mentor is a single-engined winged machine that in some countries around the globe is still in service. It was made in roughly 9 variants, and deployed by around 25 nations for either military training use or some other civil operations.

The Mentor can seat two people and moves under the power provided by a Pratt & Whitney turboprop engine that spins a 3-bladed propeller. The powertrain gives the aircraft a cruise speed of 246 mph (396 kph) and a range of 815 miles (1,311 km).

The Mentor that is now for sale is of the T-34B variety, which means it was designed as a trainer for the U.S. Navy and generally flown by the pilots of the Navy Recruiting Command.

The aircraft is presently in no condition to take to the sky, as it is still the subject of restoration work started a while back. Its owner says on Platinum Fighters, where it is listed for sale, that work on the winged machine is about 90 percent done, although it will be up to the buyer to “determine level of completeness.”

The 1954 Beechcraft T-34B Mentor is for sale in Minnesota, and the asking price is about the same one would pay for a flagship luxury car: $145,000.
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About the author: Daniel Patrascu
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Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies.
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