Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech Routine… An Air Show Act You Can Hear & See!

by Dave Weiman

Matt Younkin and his Twin Beech

Oftentimes, when a really good air show pilot performs, he/she tries to get as low as possible, thinking that is what the crowd wants. But what the crowd really wants is to see the show plane, and size does matter. With Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech act, the crowd not only sees the plane, but hears it too, because the aircraft is powered by two huge 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R985 engines.

Matt Younkin is a third generation pilot. He is the grandson of aeronautical engineer, Jim Younkin, and the son of legendary air show performer, Bobby Younkin.

Jim Younkin designed the Century and Trutrak autopilots. He is also known for his antique aircraft restorations, as well as for building replicas of air race aircraft of the 1930s, such as the Howard DGA-6 racer, “Mr. Mulligan,” and the Travel Air “Mystery Ship.”

Matt’s father, Bobby Younkin, was known throughout North America for his amazing aerobatic performances in the AT-6 warbird, Twin Beech, Learjet 23, Super Decathlon, and the one-of-a-kind “Samson” biplane. His performances, talent and versatility earned him the prestigious “Bill Barber Award For Showmanship” in 2004. Bobby was killed in a midair collision in 2005 while performing in “Samson.”

Matt learned to fly at age 14 in a Piper J-3 Cub. On his 16th birthday, Matt soloed his grandfather’s 1928 Travel Air 4000 biplane.

Matt, now 30, is proficient in over 50 types of airplanes, ranging from the Piper Cub to the North American B-25. He is also a fully rated flight instructor and has 3000 hours of flight time. He and his wife, Michelle, and daughter, Kimberly, reside in Siloam Springs, Arkansas.

Matt is also an accomplished radio-controlled model airplane operator. Like his father before him, Matt learned most of his aerobatic skills flying models, and later refined them in the Super Decathlon.

Bobby Younkin gave Matt two hours of aerobatic instruction, which focused mainly on slow rolls. Bobby said, “Almost every aerobatic maneuver is based on a slow roll. If you can master the slow roll, you can master anything.”

When Matt took the Decathlon out to perfect his slow rolls, he soon discovered that he could perform every maneuver that Bobby performed in the plane, plus a few new ones of his own.

(L/R) Matt Younkin with artist R.T. Foster, who painted the nose art on the Twin Beech that Younkin performs aerobatics in at air shows throughout North America.

Matt’s latest and greatest achievement is perfecting the world’s only night aerobatic display in the Twin Beech. Equipped with 50 external lights, the top of the airplane appears to glow in the dark, while the bottom of the plane twinkles violently. Combined with smoke, noise, choreography, and an incredible musical score, the “Twin Beech Night Spectacular” is one of the most sought after acts in the air show arena.

Matt is also performing the daytime aerobatic routine in the Twin Beech that his father Bobby perfected. Many people have described this routine as the most graceful performance of any air show act.

Like his father before him, Matt Younkin is invited to perform each year at both EAA AirVenture in Oshkosh, Wisconsin, and Sun ‘n Fun in Lakeland, Florida.

The Twin Beech

Beechcraft Corporation in Wichita, Kansas, built Matt Younkin’s Twin Beech in 1943. Designated an AT-7C, the airplane was bought new by the United States Army Air Corps and spent the duration of the war as a navigation trainer based at Ellington Army Air Field in Houston, Texas. In 1945, the Army transferred ownership of the aircraft to the Civil Aeronautics Administration (CAA), predecessor to the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). Redesignated a C-18S, the aircraft served with the CAA until 1949. The airplane was then reregistered again and served as a VIP transport for the United States Department of Commerce until 1959. The aircraft was reregistered once more, and went through several owners including a skydiving drop zone and a university before being purchased by Bobby Younkin Airshows, Inc. in 2000. After a complete restoration, N9109R was put into air show service as a replacement for Bobby Younkin’s original aerobatic Beech 18, which he started performing with in 1989. After Younkin’s untimely death in 2005, the Beech spent two years in retirement as a static display in Tullahoma, Tenn. Matt Younkin debuted his rendition of his father’s air show routine in the Twin Beech at Sun ‘n Fun 2007, and debuted his own original night show at Sun ‘n Fun 2008, and has been performing in the aircraft ever since.

Aircraft Specifications

Wingspan:  49 feet 8 inches
Length:  35 feet 3 inches
Height:  9 feet 4 inches
Powerplant:  (2) Pratt & Whitney
R985 engines (450 hp each).
Propeller:  (2) Hamilton Standard 22D30 (two-blade).
Fuel Capacity:  198 U.S. Gallons
Cruise Speed:  200 mph
Top Speed:  250 mph
Stall Speed:  80 mph
Empty Weight:  5400 lbs
Gross Weight:  8600 lbs
Capacity:  6 Persons

In addition to performing in air shows, Matt Younkin is a flight instructor and works for Summit Aviation in Bentonville, Arkansas. Matt specializes in tail wheel training, upset recovery/spin training, and basic aerobatics. Persons interested in booking Matt Younkin for an air show, or for flight training, can email him at younkinair@aol.com or call 479-283-1288.

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