▁the ▁time ▁about ▁a ▁future ▁possible ▁short age ▁of ▁al umin ium , ▁part ▁of ▁the ▁requirement ▁was ▁that ▁the ▁aircraft ▁be ▁built ▁of ▁" non - str ateg ic " ▁materials . ▁Be ech craft ▁met ▁this ▁requirement ▁by ▁design ing ▁the ▁aircraft ▁to ▁be ▁built ▁primarily ▁from ▁wood . ▁The ▁Model ▁ 2 5 ▁prototype ▁was ▁given ▁to ▁the ▁USA AC ▁for ▁evaluation , ▁but ▁it ▁was ▁destroyed ▁in ▁a ▁crash ▁on ▁May ▁ 5 , ▁ 1 9 4 1 . ▁The ▁following ▁day ▁Be ech craft ▁began ▁work ▁on ▁the ▁Model ▁ 2 6 , ▁which ▁was ▁soon ▁ready , ▁making ▁its ▁first ▁flight ▁on ▁July ▁ 1 9 ▁the ▁same ▁year . ▁The ▁type ▁was ▁accepted ▁and ▁deliver ies ▁began ▁to ▁the ▁USA AF ▁under ▁the ▁design ation ▁AT - 1 0 ▁in ▁February ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁at ▁a ▁time ▁when ▁US ▁military ▁fort unes ▁were ▁at ▁their ▁nad ir . ▁The ▁type ▁was ▁named ▁" W ich ita " ▁after ▁W ich ita , ▁Kansas , ▁the ▁location ▁of ▁the ▁Be ech craft ▁factory . ▁By ▁the ▁end ▁of ▁ 1 9 4 2 ▁ 7 4 8 ▁had ▁been ▁delivered ▁and ▁were ▁playing ▁a ▁part ▁in ▁training ▁cre ws ▁for ▁the ▁vast ▁fle ets ▁of ▁bom ber ▁and ▁transport ▁aircraft ▁that ▁were ▁pour ing ▁off ▁factory ▁production ▁lines ▁all ▁over ▁the ▁United ▁States . ▁Be ech craft ▁production ▁terminated ▁in ▁ 1 9 4 3 ▁after ▁it ▁had ▁delivered ▁ 1 , 7 7