Beechcraft

Best known for its line of Beechcraft propeller and jet airplanes, Beech Aircraft Corporation is one of several American manufacturers of small aircraft. Beech competes with Cessna, Piper, and Lear for shares of such markets as private pilots, small air taxi services, corporate customers, and military forces. In addition, Beech manufactures a variety of aircraft parts and special systems for larger companies, principally McDonnell-Douglas. The company's founder, Walter Herschel Beech, began his interest in aviation as a boy, when he constructed a glider out of wood and his mother's newest bed sheets. Later employed as an automobile salesman, Beech took his first powered flight in a Curtiss biplane in 1914 at the age of 23. He took to the skies himself and learned dogfighting maneuvers when he joined the Army Signal Corps aviation section in 1917. After his discharge in 1920, Beech employed his army flying skills as a barnstormer until he joined the Swallow Airplane Company in Wichita as a test pilot and salesman in 1921. Although he did well and was promoted to general manager of the operation after just two years, Beech left the company when Swallow refused to pursue construction of a metal, rather than wooden, airplane. Beech and another local aviator named Lloyd Stearman decided to start their own business and formed the Travel Air Company. In 1925 the pair convinced aircraft builder Clyde Cessna, who had given up on the trade, to join the partnership. Travel Air began as a very successful venture. The company's planes garnered numerous awards for their design and won many flight competitions--often when piloted by Walter Beech. Early designs were powered by Curtiss-Wright engines, marking the beginning of an important business relationship. However, a conflict arose between Beech and Cessna, the company's president. Although Travel Air was recording decent sales from its line of biplanes, Cessna was determined that the company should immediately begin work on a new single-wing design. Unable to win agreement from Beech, Cessna set up his own shop and built the craft himself. Cessna later demonstrated his monoplane for Beech, who conceded that Cessna had produced an excellent craft and agreed to have Travel Air begin manufacturing the planes. Cessna's early designs led to the Travel Air Woolaroc and Mystery S, which won the company further acclaim in competitions and races. Cessna continued to have differences with Beech and Stearman, however, and in 1927 elected to leave the partnership. He later established his own business, though he continued to deal with Beech regularly. By 1929, Travel Air had turned out a thousand airplanes. The venture proved so successful that the partners were invited to make Travel Air part of the powerful Curtiss-Wright Corp., which represented the surviving business interests of aviation pioneer Glenn Curtiss and the Wright Brothers. Travel Air merged with Curtiss-Wright in 1930, and as part of the deal, Beech was asked to serve as president of the company. The year also marked Beech's marriage to Olive Ann Mellor, who had been working as the office manager for Travel Air. Mrs. Beech continued to work with her husband, now in the capacity of business advisor, at which she proved highly adept, having thoroughly learned about the aircraft industry. Working out of leased space in the shuttered Cessna factory, Beech and his team of workers set out to build a five-seat luxury sedan biplane with an enclosed cabin, a recessed upper wing, and a top speed of 200 miles per hour. Finally, on November 4, 1932, Beech rolled out his first airplane, the Model 17. Beech spent the following year promoting his new design at air shows and in competitions. After receiving orders for several dozen of the craft, Beech negotiated a lease of his original Travel Air factory from Curtiss-Wright and moved his operation to the larger building. As the country slowly climbed out of the Depression, demand for aircraft