With designer Ted Wells, they developed the first aircraft under the Beechcraft name, the classic Model 17 Staggerwing, which first flew in November 1932.

Other important Beech planes are the King Air / Super King Air line of twin-engine turboprops, in production since 1964, the Baron, a twin-engine variant of the Bonanza, and the Beechcraft Model 18, originally a business transport and commuter airliner from the late 1930s through the 1960s, which remains in active service as a cargo transport.

Beechcraft Starship | Beechcraft Model 2000 Starship

* Model 34 Twin-Quad Prototype small airliner ; the largest aircraft ever built by Beechcraft

* Beechcraft Model 40 A Twin engined Bonanza, only one produced unique " over-under " arrangement of engines

* Beechcraft Model 73 Jet Mentor Prototype for two seat tandem jet trainer.

* 1941 – Philippine Airlines, the flag carrier of the Philippines took its first flight between Manila ( from Nielson Field ) to Baguio City with a Beechcraft Model 18 making the airline the first and oldest commercial airline in Asia operating under its original name.

Jet engines were applied after World War II, in such types as the Teledyne Ryan Firebee I of 1951, while companies like Beechcraft also got in the game with their Model 1001 for the United States Navy in 1955.

During the 1960s to 1980s, typical destinations were Springfield and Carbondale, and typical aircraft were the Beechcraft Model 99 and Piper PA-31 Navajo.

* C-6 Ute and U-21 Ute, two military variants of the Beechcraft King Air Model 90

* Beechcraft Super King Air Model B200

* Beechcraft Commuter Model 1900

* August 25 – Bar Harbor Airlines Flight 1808, a Beechcraft Model 99, crashes at Auburn, Maine, while on final approach to Auburn / Lewiston Municipal Airport, killing all eight people on board ; among them is 13-year-old Samantha Smith, an American school girl who had become famous as a " Goodwill Ambassador " to the Soviet Union and who had been cast on the television show Lime Street.

* July 12-Scaled Composites / Beechcraft Model 143 Triumph N143SC, also first flight of the Williams International FJ44 turbofan engine.

From 1996 the fleet of piston-powered aircraft were replaced with more modern turboprop aircraft, and by 2000 the fleet consisted of one Beechcraft Model 99 and three Hawker Siddeley 748 Series 2As.

Beechcraft Starship Model 2000

The most popular V-tailed aircraft in mass production was the Beechcraft Bonanza Model 35, often known as the V-tail Bonanza or simply V-Tail.

In the 1990s, the embargo was lifted and the Lockheed L-188 Electras ( civilian aircraft converted for maritime patrol ) were finally retired and replaced with similar P-3B Orions and civilian Beechcraft King Air Model 200 were locally converted to the MP variant.

They were replaced by Beechcraft Model B200 Super King Airs leased from Pacific Aeromotive.

During the 1960s the airline operated a Beechcraft Model 99 and six Convair 600s, along with the inevitable DC-3s.

* Beechcraft Model 99

* July 19 – Beech Model 26, prototype of the Beechcraft AT-10 Wichita

* December 2 – Beechcraft Model 45, prototype of the Beechcraft T-34 Mentor

# REDIRECT Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

* Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing ( 1932 )

# REDIRECT Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

One of the founders of Travel Air was Walter H. Beech who quit shortly after it was amalgamated into Curtiss Wright and later formed the Beechcraft company where he would continue the numbering sequence with the Beechcraft 17 Staggerwing.

* Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing-N52962-On display at the Florida Air Museum.

# REDIRECT Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

# REDIRECT Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing

After the war, the Staggerwing was replaced by the revolutionary Beechcraft Bonanza with a distinctive V-tail.

1943 Beechcraft Staggerwing | Beech D. 17S Staggerwing

Examples of negative stagger include the Airco DH. 5, Sopwith Dolphin, and the Beechcraft Staggerwing.

Famous biplanes include the Sopwith Camel, Antonov An-2, Beechcraft Staggerwing, Boeing Stearman, Bristol Bulldog, Curtiss JN-4, de Havilland Tiger Moth, Fairey Swordfish, Pitts Special and the Wright Flyer.

Staggerwing production ended in 1946 ( to be replaced by the Beechcraft Bonanza ) with approximately 750 built.

The team of Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes wins in a Beechcraft C-17 Staggerwing, Laura Ingalls places second flying a Lockheed Orion 9D Special, and the team of Amelia Earhart and Helen Richey finishes fifth in a Lockheed 10E Electra.

* Beechcraft Staggerwing

1978 Beechcraft Bonanza | Beech Bonanza F33C

Beechcraft was founded in Wichita, Kansas in 1932 by Walter H. Beech and his wife Olive Ann Mellor Beech.

Beech became President of the Curtiss-Wright's airplane division and VP of sales, but became dissatisfied with being so far removed from aircraft production and quit to form Beechcraft, using the original Travel Air facilities and employing many of the same people.

In 1942 Beech won its first Army-Navy ‘ E ’ Award production award and became one of the elite five percent of war contracting firms in the country to win five straight awards for production efficiency, mostly for the production of the Beechcraft 18 which remains in widespread use worldwide.

While the first few " Beechcraft " were built in the vacant Cessna Aircraft plant, which had also closed during the depression, Beech later leased and then bought the Travel Air plant from Curtis Wright and moved his factory to this plant.

On February 8, 1980, Beech Aircraft Corporation was purchased by the Raytheon Corporation and later renamed Hawker Beechcraft.

Cessna Aircraft Field and Beech Factory Airport, operated by manufacturers Cessna and Hawker Beechcraft, respectively, lie in east Wichita.

A PMDG Beechcraft 1900 | Beech 1900D of " American Flight Airways "; in AFA Express colors

* Beechcraft D18 ( Beech 18 ) trainer and utility plane: 2

Beechcraft S18D " Twin Beech ": Serial Number: 177 Registration: N55681 Markings: Prairie Airways Ltd., 1937.

Mesa sold 24 Beech 1900s to Great Lakes, and returned the remaining Beech 1900s to Beechcraft / Raytheon.

Beechcraft Baron | Beech 95 used as Birddog