Page 22 - Nov18

Travel Air’s Last Hurrah
Late in 1928 Walter H. Beech authorized development of the four-place Type 10 cabin monoplane, but by 1930 America’s deepening economic debacle had almost wiped out the once booming market for new airplanes.
by Edward H. Phillips
Fact: The aviation business is cyclical. Any pilot, mechanic, airframe or engine manufacturer, as well as companies operating under FAR Part 91, Part 121 or Part 135 knows that all too well.
Early in 1929, however, Walter H. Beech and the Travel Air Company were riding a wave of prosperity that Walter and the board of directors hoped would never end. Wall Street was at its zenith, the national economy was growing and people had money to spend, and in some cases, lots of money. Mr. Beech was quick to realize, however, that the stock market, air-minded investors, easy credit and a plethora of ready cash were not fully responsible for the excesses of what would become known as the infamous ‘Roarin’ Twenties.
Much of Travel Air’s stunning sales success during the past two years was, in large part, due to the epic transatlantic solo flight in May 1927, of a former airmail aviator named Charles A. Lindbergh. Soon after he landed at Le Bourget Airport in Paris, France, his 33-hour aerial trek brought aviation and flying to the forefront of the American public.
Upon his return to the United States, “Lucky Lindy” (a newspaper reporter’s nickname that Lindbergh hated) was celebrated as America’s latest hero. He was feted at dozens of cities across the nation, and the Smithsonian
Institution was quick to secure his Ryan monoplane, the “Spirit of St. Louis,” and place it on permanent, static display where it continues to inspire visitors 90 years later.
In the wake of Lindbergh’s success, a strong case of flying fever soon gripped the nation as thousands and thousands of men and women flocked to airports from coast to coast, eager to learn how to fly. In a rush to meet demand, dozens of flying schools began popping up in almost every state, and those schools needed new airplanes to train their brood of fledglings. Wichita, Kansas, known as “The Air Capital of the World,” had the airplanes they needed. By 1929 the “City on the Plains” boasted three major airframe builders – Travel Air, Cessna and Stearman Aircraft – as well as dozens of smaller enterprises hungry for their share of success. Earlier that year Olive Ann Mellor, office manager for Travel Air, reported to president Walter Beech that the company had orders on hand amounting to one airplane per day for the remainder of the year.
The only surviving example of a Travel Air Type 10D is part of the Eagles Mere Air Museum in Pennsylvania. It is serial No. 2011, registered NC418N. The engine is a later version of the Wright J6-7 and is rated at 240 horsepower.
(Nigel Hitchman, courtesy Eagles Mere Air Museum)
20 • KING AIR MAGAZINE
NOVEMBER 2018