The sole Beechcraft <i>Jet Mentor</i> in flight.<br>In 1955 Beechcraft developed a jet-engined derivative as a private venture in the hope of winning a contract from the US military. The Model 73 <i>Jet Mentor</i> shared many components with the piston-engined T-34 <i>Mentor</i>. The first flight of the Model 73, registered N134B, was on 18 December 1955. The Model 73 was evaluated by the USAF, which ordered the Cessna T-37, and the USN, which decided upon the Temco TT <i>Pinto</i>. The Model 73 was not put into production. The sole protoype is today on display at the Kansas Aviation Museum.
USN
circa 1956 <div style="display: none;">date QS:P,+1956-00-00T00:00:00Z/9,P1480,Q5727902</div>
U.S. Navy Naval Aviation News February 1956 <a rel="nofollow" class="external autonumber" href="http://www.history.navy.mil/nan/backissues/1950s/1956/Feb56.pdf">[1]</a>, p. 12.