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airplane’s overall flight characteristics. On March 15, 1937, he wrote: “I enjoyed every minute in the ship and now rate it as my outstanding favorite in its class. It is, indeed, a satisfaction for a test pilot to exceed slightly all of the estimated performance figures. I believe that very few airplanes in the field you are covering have been engineered so perfectly. I could make a great many rather startling statements concerning per- formance and handling quali- ties, however, that would run into pages which could eventually be summed up as – the greatest airplane of its kind I have ever flown. I am certain you are assured of success.” His words would prove to be highly prophetic.
Following certification, the
prototype ship was prepared
for a lengthy tour of the United
States and Canada that was
aimed solely at demonstrating
the airplane to prospective
buyers. Walter Beech, of course,
hoped those businessmen and
private individuals would line up and plunk down a hefty cash deposit for a new Model 18. The prototype, however, had already been sold to the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation and was scheduled to take delivery in June.
Walter Beech was at the controls of NC15810 for much of the tour, flying the monoplane for five hours before landing in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, before flying on to New York City and later Pittsburgh, where a series of demonstration flights were made. Later, Beech flew the ship west to the Pacific Aircraft Show held in Los Angeles, California, where it drew admiring crowds and made another round of demonstration flights.7
During April, Mr. Beech spent more than 20 hours in the left seat of the Model 18A, flying the ship from Wichita to Dallas, Texas, then to St. Petersburg, Florida, before heading north to the nation’s capital, followed by a flight to New York City and eventually north into Canada. The Canadians in Montreal, Toronto, Ottawa and other cities were impressed by the new Beechcraft. In May, Walter Beech happily reported to the company’s stockholders that the two-month tour would soon secure orders for the first 10 production airplanes.8 KA
Part Two of this series will discuss civil and military production of the Model 18 from 1938, through the
28 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
4.
5.
6. 7. 8.
years of World War II and the beginning of postwar deliveries in 1945.
NOTES:
1. Phillips, Edward H.; “Beechcraft— Pursuit of Perfection”; Flying Books, Publishers and Wholesalers, Eagan, Minn.; 1992, Page 4.
2. More than 50 years later, Wells stated that the Bureau’s competition served as the primary motivation for development of Model 18. Historian Robert K. Parmerter, however, points out in his book, “Beech 18—A Civil and Military History,” that Beech Aircraft Company files show a signed order from the Ethyl Gasoline Corporation for a twin-engine cabin monoplane. The order is dated August 1, 1935 – two weeks before the Bureau released its request for bids. The Ethyl Corporation had bought the first Beechcraft Model 17R1 biplane in 1934 and flew the ship on business trips until it was destroyed in a weather-related accident in December 1935.
3. Years later Wells commented that late in 1935 a small group of his engineers drove south to Bartlesville, Oklahoma, (another version states it was Ponca City,
Oklahoma) to observe a Lockheed Model 10A “Electra” operated by the Continental Oil Drilling Company.
As a result, various stories have circulated for 80 years that Walter Beech had Wells copy the Electra’s design, but such claims have no basis in fact. Neither Wells nor Beech needed inspiration from other designers to be innovative. The Model 17R had proven that conclusively.
Early production Model 18 monoplanes used a variety of radial engines, including the Jacobs L-5 (285 horsepower) and L-6 (300) as well as the R-760. Introduced in 1939, the Model C18S was powered by the nine-cylinder R-985 rated at 450 horsepower.
Parmerter, Robert K.; “Beech 18—A Civil and Military History;” The Staggerwing Museum Foundation, Inc., Tullahoma, Tenn.; 2004; Page 23.
Ibid; Page 25.
Ibid. Ibid.
Theodore “Ted” Wells was chief engineer for the infant Beech Aircraft Company and was primarily responsible for the overall design of the Beechcraft Model 18. Contrary to “hearsay history” that has persisted for the past 75 years, the Model 18A was not a copy of the Lockheed Model 10-A “Electra” but did share some of the Lockheed’s design elements, including a twin empennage configuration. (WICHITA STATE UNIVERSITY LIBRARIES, SPECIAL COLLECTIONS AND UNIVERSITY ARCHIVES)
About the Author: Ed Phillips, now retired and living in the South, has researched and written eight books on the unique and rich aviation history that belongs to Wichita, Kan. His writings have focused on the evolution of the airplanes, companies and people that have made Wichita the “Air Capital of the World” for more than 80 years.
NOVEMBER 2015