Beechcraft UC-45J (SNB-2C) Expeditor (Navigator)
The Beech Model 18 is one of the most successful designs to come out of the 1930s. The American military recognized the utility of the design and adopted it for use in various models as a transport and as a trainer. The SNB-2 is the Navy equivalent to the Army’s AT-7 navigation trainer with provision for three student navigators and an instructor. The SNB-2C is the designation given to AT-7s built for the Army Air Forces but transferred to the Navy while under construction. In the early 1950s, the SNB-2s were returned to Beech for re-manufacturing and modernization. They returned to service as SNB-5s. The designation was finally changed to UC-45J in the early 1960s when the Navy changed their primary mission from training to utility transport. The Beech 18 remained in constant production from 1937 to 1969 and stayed in military service until the 1970s. Many ex-military and civil production Beech 18s remain in use in civilian hands.