Page 22 - June Volume 10 Volume 6

be described as a most fortuitous turn of events for the Stearman organization, by 1934 the Army and Navy brass were having some success squeezing more money out of a penny-pinching Congress to buy new airplanes. In addition, Franklin D. Roosevelt was in the White House, and his multi-faceted “New Deal” program convinced many Americans that happy days could return once again.
During the cold winter of 1934, there was increasing evidence that the “Air Capital of the World” was beginning to rise from the ashes. Not only was the Stearman factory busy, but over on the east side of town the Beech Aircraft Company had begun production of the Beechcraft Model B17L cabin monoplane. Walter, his wife, Olive Ann, and a few trusted associates from the old Travel Air organization had returned to Wichita early in 1932 and set up shop inside Clyde Cessna’s abandoned factory. The company’s first product was the Model 17R1, a big, bullish biplane with a plush cabin for five occupants, a fire-breathing radial engine pumping out 420 horsepower, and a maximum speed of 200 mph. It was an impressive machine, but its $18,000 price tag was too high for a depression economy. By contrast, the B17L was smaller, much more economical to operate, could cruise at 150 mph and cost about $8,000. It was the right Beechcraft for a depression economy, and sales proved it.
Meanwhile, southeast of the city, Clyde Cessna’s nephews, Dwane and Dwight Wallace, were waging a campaign to wrest control of the defunct Cessna Aircraft Company from its disgruntled, obstinate shareholders. In January 1934, the brothers, with token support from their uncle Clyde, sent out a flurry of special letters to shareholders along with a proxy to hopefully gather enough votes to oust the existing board of directors.
20 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
One of the letters is quoted here in full, and contains some interesting points:
Dear sir:
A short time ago I mailed you a letter enclosing a proxy, which no doubt gave you a good idea of what has been going on at the Cessna plant for the past three years under its present management.
I feel that I should write you more in detail of what I intend to do after I’m back in control
of our company.
There is no doubt but that the airplane industry could be a paying one today if handled properly. Good examples of which are represented by the Waco, Monocoupe, Douglas and Northrop airplane companies, as well as various others. Through the fact that I have been engaged in the airplane business for the past two decades, and having always been recognized as one of the pilgrims in the airplane industry, I have made many valuable contacts in the field of aviation in the last three years with various companies and large distri­ buting agents, and with these connections I am sure that I can sell a large number of airplanes.
I intend to redesign and develop the four­place Warner ship [formerly the Model AW] to such as extent that it will develop a speed of about 185 mph and yet keep its present stability, airworth­ iness and other grand features that made it so popular. This ship will have many wonderful selling points, such as the low cost of maintenance and operation, upkeep and high cruising speed.
In 1934, the Beech Aircraft Company relocated manufacturing of the Model 17 cabin biplane to the former Travel Air factory on East Central Avenue. The facility remains the permanent home of Beechcraft, a division of Textron Aviation.
JUNE 2016