The AT-10 Wichita had superior performance among advanced twin-engine trainers during WWII. Over half of the US Army Air Forces pilots received transitional training from single- to multi-engine aircraft in the Wichita. This aircraft is painted to represent an aircraft based at Freeman Army Airfield in Seymour, Indiana, one of sixteen bases where the WASP flew AT-10s during their service. The museum placed this AT-10 on display in June 1997.
Wood for the War Effort
In 1940, Beech Aircraft received a military contract for a multi-engine training aircraft constructed from non-essential war materiel. The AT-10’s basic structure is made entirely of plywood and contains only 97 pounds of metal, or 1.6 percent of its gross weight, excluding the propellers and engine. Modular construction allowed the wood and metal components to be easily constructed, shipped, and repaired. Even the fuel tanks were made of wood and lined with a neoprene (synthetic rubber) casing. The extensive use of wood opened new industries, such as furniture making, to aircraft manufacturing for the first time. Over 85 percent of the AT-10 production was subcontracted, with Beech completing only the final assembly. The wartime rationing of the AT-10’s construction ultimately hindered its historical preservation. The restored AT-10 on exhibit is the only complete Wichita on static display.
TECHNICAL NOTES:
Engine: Two Lycoming R-680-9 radials of 295 hp each
Maximum speed: 190 mph
Range: 660 miles
Ceiling: 20,000 ft.
Span: 44 ft.
Length: 34 ft. 4 in.
Height: 10 ft. 4 in.
Weight: 6,465 lbs.
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