The military versions of the popular civilian Model 18. The AT-7 was the Army Air Forces' first dedicated navigation trainer and featured a rotatable astrodome behind the cockpit. The AT-11 featured a glass nose, Norden bombsight, and a bomb bay and was used to train 90 percent of World War II bombardiers. Both types were first purchased in 1941. The C-45 was used as a utility transport and for advanced training. The F-2, like the C-45, was first purchased in 1940 and was the AAF's first specialized mapping and photoreconnaissance aircraft and featured up to four fuselage-mounted cameras. These aircraft also had uprated engines and an oxygen system for the crew. This aircraft type also saw service with the US Navy as the JRB (C-45) and SNB (AT-7/AT-11). Approx 900 USAF aircraft (mostly C-45s) were remanufactured by Beech in Herington, Kan., after the war. The C-45G/Hs (the remanufactured aircraft) stayed in USAF use until 1963.
| Contractors: | Beech Aircraft Co. |
| Locations Built: | Wichita, Kan. |
| Number Built: (USAF) | 7,796, incl civilian models (4,526 of all types) |
| First Flight: | January 15, 1937 |
| First Flight Model: | Company Model 18A |
| First Flight Location: | Wichita, Kan. |
| First Flight Pilot: | James N. Peyton |
| Models/Variants: | C-45, C-45A, B, F, G, H. UC-45C, D, E, J. AT-7, AT-7A, B, C. AT-11. F-2 |
| Powerplant: | Two Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-14B nine-cylinder radials of 450 hp each |
| Wingspan: | 47 ft 8 in. |
| Length: | 34 ft 3 in. |
| Height: | 9 ft 2 in. |
| Weight: | 9,300 lb gross |
| Armament: | None on C-45, AT-7, F-2. Two .30-cal. machine guns and 10 100-lb bombs on AT-11 |
| Accommodation: | Crew of two, side by side, and six passengers (C-45); crew of two, side by side, and three students (AT-7, AT-11) |
| Cost: | $57,838 |
| Max. Speed: | 219mph |
| Range: | 1,440 mi. |
| Ceiling: | (C-45) 18,200 ft. (F-2) 26,200 ft. |
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