Aircraft model
BEECH D18S
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
What it is
| Seats | 9 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 2 |
| Engine | Pratt & Whitney R-985 (radial) |
| Horsepower | 450 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1945 |
| Production end | 1954 |
| Endorsements required | complex;high-performance;multi-engine;tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 155 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 800 nm |
| Service ceiling | 20,000 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,300 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 68 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 9 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 3,070 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,882 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 8,750 lb |
| Empty weight | 5,680 lb |
| Usable fuel | 198 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 50.4 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $55,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $175,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,200 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $70,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $120,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 621 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 55 |
| Median year built | 1947.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 8 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 145.45 per 1,000 active · base 55 active · thin base (low) |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 127.27 per 1,000 active · base 55 active · thin base (low) |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 6 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 10.91 per 100 active · base 55 active · thin base (low) |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing multi-engine, piston, 2 engines, 7+ seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | — · class median 46.51 · 17 models in class |
| Severity | — · class median 17.86 |
| Access | 8.9 of 10 · class median 1,987 |
| Support | 3.2 of 10 · class median 121.5 |
| Liquidity | 0.6 of 10 · class median 23.08 |