Beech T-34 Mentor · Est. 1975

The T-34 Mentor

The Aircraft

Beech T-34 Mentor

The Beechcraft T-34 Mentor is a propeller-driven, single-engine military trainer aircraft developed from the Beechcraft Model 35 Bonanza in the late 1940s. The United States Air Force and United States Navy adopted it as a standard primary trainer, producing nearly 1,900 airframes across two variants.

Lima Lima chose the T-34 Mentor for its exceptional handling characteristics, tandem seating, and the precise aerobatic control authority that makes close-formation flying both safe and spectacular. The team has flown the type since its founding in 1975 — and the distinctive black tail band on Navy-colored airframes has become the Lima Lima trademark.

The “LL” markings on the tails are derived from the FAA airport designator LL-10 for the Naper Aero Club in Naperville, Illinois — the team's original home field.

N400LL on the Ramp

Notable Aircraft

The Fleet

N34B

The Flagship — Serial G-17

T-34A · USAF & CAP Veteran

One of the earliest A-model Mentors, serial number G-17 served with the United States Air Force and Civil Air Patrol before joining the Lima Lima fleet. This airframe represents the original T-34 lineage — the aircraft that defined an era of American military primary training.

N400LL

Team's Permanent Fixture

T-34B · Originally Acquired Mid-1970s

N400LL was originally purchased by the Mentor Flyers club in the mid-1970s and became a permanent fixture of the Lima Lima fleet, wearing the team's signature Navy colors and black tail band for decades. A beloved airframe that represented the soul of the team.

EF-4

May 2025 · London, Kentucky

The Rise and Fall of N400LL

In May 2025, an EF-4 tornado struck London, Kentucky with catastrophic force, directly impacting the hangar where N400LL and five sibling aircraft were stored. The storm destroyed all six airframes beyond recovery — a loss felt deeply by the entire Lima Lima community and the broader warbird and airshow world.

Insurance adjusters assessed the damage and sold the carcasses for scrap. However, aviation enthusiast and T-34 devotee Bill Wright stepped forward to purchase the remains of N400LL, preserving what could be saved and keeping alive the possibility of a restoration project for this historic airframe.

Technical Data

Aircraft Specifications

Type

Military Trainer / Aerobatic

Manufacturer

Beechcraft (Raytheon)

Engine

Continental O-470-13, 225 hp

Crew

2 (tandem seating)

Max Speed

189 mph (305 km/h)

Range

735 miles (1,183 km)

Wingspan

32 ft 10 in (10 m)

Length

28 ft 8 in (8.75 m)

Role

Formation aerobatics, airshow demonstration

Colors

Original Navy training colors, black tail band

Lima Lima flying past Popocatepetl Volcano, Mexico 2005

Passing Popocatepetl Volcano · Mexico 2005

The T-34 Mentor has taken Lima Lima to airshows across North America and beyond.