Page 18 - May 25

CREDIT: TEXTRON AVIATION
In 1927, Walter H. Beech became president of the Travel Air
Manufacturing Company. The manufacturer offered four-
place cabin biplanes as early as 1925 and introduced cabin
monoplanes in 1927 that could accommodate four to six pas-
sengers. These aircraft were designed primarily for short-haul
airlines, and by late 1927 Travel Air dealers were clamoring
for a cabin monoplane designed specifically for corporate
transport. Walter answered the call.
Early in 1927, Lindbergh had asked Walter if the
Wichita-based company could build a single-engine
monoplane capable of carrying 400 gallons of fuel for a
nonstop flight from New York City to Paris. Walter replied
in the affirmative but declined Lindbergh’s inquiry
because the company had a large backlog of orders that
took priority over any special projects. Instead, Lindy
flew the Ryan NYP to Paris. His epic flight quickly
infected America with a serious case of flying fever.
Walter Beech was also preoccupied with laying the
groundwork for a new series of enclosed cabin monoplanes
designed for the aviation-minded businessman.
In addition to being a skilled pilot, Walter was an
entrepreneur and an innovator. He had the ability to
sense what the aviation industry wanted, and by 1927
he had concluded that the days of the open-cockpit
biplane were waning. By contrast, the enclosed cabin
monoplane was on the rise. Travel Air was not the first
company to recognize the advantages of cabin aircraft
(many designs had existed since the end of World War
I), but Walter’s vision centered on developing a modern
monoplane built to meet the specific requirements of
the businessman/pilot.
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­ KING AIR MAGAZINE CREDIT: EDWARD H. PHILLIPS COLLECTION
By the late 1920s, businessmen who realized the advantages
of aviation were growing weary of open cockpit flying and
exposure to the elements of wind, weather, noise and exhaust
fumes. This image shows executives of the Union Aviation Gaso-
line company embarking on a cross-country flight in a Travel Air
Type 4000. A trip lasting up to three hours in warm weather was
often a grueling affair but flights in the winter were intolerable.
In November 1927, Walter and chief engineer Horace
E. Weihmiller discussed plans to design a new Travel Air
– dubbed a sedan model by Walter – that would combine
speed with a comfortable, four-place cabin for conducting
business and provision for two pilots. The aviation-
minded businessman was a new, untapped market that
Walter believed could pay handsome dividends for Travel
Air. Fortunately, 1927 ended on a strong financial note
for the company, meaning money would be available to
build a prototype monoplane.
Miss Olive Ann Mellor, the company’s multi-talented
and indispensable office manager, reported that orders
were on hand for every day of 1928! Since officially
incorporating in February 1925, at least 200 airplanes
had been built including 182 biplanes and 18 monoplanes
sold to short-haul airlines. The factory worked double
shifts day and night to keep pace with new orders from
a nationwide network of dealers and distributors.
During the winter of 1928, the prototype slowly took
shape in the factory on East Central Avenue, and in
April the Travel Air Type 6000 cabin monoplane was
ready for its first flight.
MAY 2025