The revolutionary PT6 engine gas turbine nearly died during development, yet managed to survive its detractors, cost overruns and a dearth of orders to become one of the most successful turboprop engines in the history of business aviation. Old pilots and antique airplane enthusiasts never tire of watching a “round engine” start up, belch a…
In 1949, William Odom flew a Model 35 “Bonanza” nonstop from Hawaii to New Jersey, setting two world records for light aircraft, as well as demonstrating the reliability of Beechcraft’s single-engine flagship. Charles Lindbergh, Wiley Post, Sir Frank Kingston-Smith, Amelia Earhart − names that have earned a special place in aviation history for their long-distance flights.…
Walter H. Beech’s success as an airframe manufacturer during the 1930s can be traced to three things: the Beechcraft Model 17 series, a hefty bank account and a network of dealers dedicated to selling the airplanes that bore his name. I’m just a country boy. Go get a picture of me when I first came…
Employing lessons learned during his years at the Travel Air Company, Walter Beech forged a chain of dealers and distributors worldwide to sell Beechcraft airplanes in the midst of the worst economic collapse in America’s history In April 1932 when Walter and Olive Ann Beech co-founded the Beech Aircraft Company, they were taking an enormous risk…
“Air Tours” that made their debut in the mid-1920s thrust the Travel Air Manufacturing Company and Walter Beech into the public spotlight when the daring aviator claimed back-to-back victories in 1925 and 1926. Wichita, Kansas, in the early 1920s was still a sleepy little town tucked away amongst America’s once-vast prairielands. Known chiefly for its…