Page 26 - Volume 12 Number 2

Cessna’s best cabin ship was the DC-6A Chief and DC-6B Scout series that entered full production in 1929. Although clearly an evolution of the CW-6, the DC-6 was highly refined and available with a Wright J6-7 (225 horsepower) or J6-9 (300 horsepower) radial engine. Only a small number of each version were manufactured before the stock market collapse in 1929 practically destroyed demand for new airplanes of any kind. As of 2018, only one example of the DC-6 is known to exist – a DC-6A undergoing restoration in Minnesota. (ROBERT PICKETT COLLECTION/KANSAS AVIATION MUSEUM)
Chief was a handsome cabin monoplane that rivaled Travel Air’s Type 6000B, as well as excellent designs by manufacturers Stinson, Buhl, Verville and others. More importantly, it used the popular and powerful Wright J6-9 radial engine that produced 300 horsepower and gave the DC-6A a respectable cruising speed of 130 mph and a service ceiling of 18,500 feet. Only 22 were built before production ceased in 1930 due to the nation’s severe economic downturn.
The Chief’s sibling was the Model DC-6B Scout powered by a 225-horsepower Wright J6-7 engine. Essentially identical to the DC-6A except for its engine, the DC-6B was priced slightly lower ($10,000) and had a cruising speed of 120 mph. The debacle on Wall Street kept production to only 22 airplanes, but in 1934-1935 the revived Cessna Aircraft Company built three Scouts from parts left over from 1931, but these used Wright J6-7 engines rated at 250 horsepower.
A few miles north of downtown Wichita the Stearman Aircraft Company, led by Lloyd C. Stearman and an aviation-savvy board of directors, was busy filling orders
for the C-3B open-cockpit biplane along with the M-2 Speedmail that was designed specifically to serve the growing U.S. Air Mail network. Stearman and his chief engineer, Mac Short, took the M-2 and reworked its rugged airframe into the CAB-1 Stearman Coach. Introduced in April 1929 at the aviation exhibition held in Detroit, Michigan, the CAB-1 represented the Stearman company’s attempt to compete in the increasingly crowded enclosed cabin segment of the small airplane market.
The ship made a good impression on attendees at the Detroit show with its two-tone cream and tan color combination that was complimented by a contrasting scheme of cream and red with a black band and striping. The airplane’s major feature that set it apart from competitors was its voluminous cabin that was surrounded 360 degrees by large windows. The insulated and heated cabin was appointed with four plush, deeply upholstered seats. A baggage compartment door on the left side of the fuselage allowed easy loading/unloading of suitcases. The engine of choice was the Wright J6-9 rated at 300 horsepower turning a ground-adjustable
Shown here is one of the few photographs made of the sole CAB-1 Stearman Coach cabin biplane. By the time it was completed in 1928 its outdated biplane configuration was a serious liability compared with modern monoplane designs. The CAB-1 featured a sesquiwing arrangement, a spacious cabin, and windows that provided a 360-degree view outside for the passengers. (WALTER HOUSE COLLECTION)
24 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
FEBRUARY 2018