Page 39 - Volume 15 Number 3

The Beech Model 17R as it looked in 1932.The Model G17, the last of the post-war Staggerwings, was powered by the Pratt and Whitney R-985. The speedy airplane ceased production in 1948.the airplanes to its naval airplane fleet for transportation of mail and personnel. Designated as a C-43 by the U.S. military branches, Beech delivered more than 260 Model 17s to the U.S. military as well as over 100 aircraft to the British forces.It Takes a Beechcraft to Beat a BeechcraftAs World War II drew to a close, Beechcraft converted its production lines back to civil aircraft manufacturing. With one final modification, the venerable Staggerwing continued production as the G17, powered by the Pratt and Whitney R-985.Another breakthrough in aviation was soon to seal the fate of the expensive Model 17. Beechcraft introduced a completely new model, the 35, in 1947. Its all-metal construction, seating, speed, and most importantly, a price about a third that of the most recent Model 17 ensured the success of the Bonanza, as it was called. In 1949, the last Staggerwing was delivered, its fate sealed by the company’s own tagline, “it takes a Beechcraft to beat a Beechcraft.”In all, 781 Beech Model 17 Staggerwings were manufactured in eight different series during 16 years of production. Six decades after its introduction, it still compares favorably to modern private aircraft. Technologically advanced for its •time, the Staggerwing’s timeless design places it in a class of its own. T&TOff to the RacesThe new C series had several improvements over its predecessors, and it was soon to have those changes put to a very public test. Late one evening in 1936, Blanche Noyes and Louise Thaden got a call from one Mrs. Olive Ann Beech, who wanted to know if they’d like to fly a Model 17 in the Bendix Trophy Race. It was the first year women were permitted to enter the race, and the competition was shaping up to be a who’s who of aviation genius.Never mind, Olive told the girls; Mr. Bendix was offering up a special $2,500 prize for the first woman to finish, adding, “I think we might as well have that money, don’t you?” Thaden and Noyse flew to New York, convinced there was no way to beat Benny Howard’s Mr. Mulligan. Through a combination of their skill and good fortune, Thaden and Noyse won the contest outright. The Staggerwing, already recognized by a loyal cadre of owners as a true pilot’s airplane, gained widespread notoriety.Onward and UpwardBeech’s tiny airplane company quickly outgrew its cramped space in the Cessna facility, and Beech decided there was no better home than the old Travel Air factory in Wichita, Kan. By 1937, the production line was operating at full capacity, and Beech’s crew was kept busy with continuous improvements and new variants of the increasingly in-demand Staggerwing. The performance of the airplane was not overlooked by the military, whose fleets largely paled in comparison to the Staggerwing’s performance.In 1935, Walter Beech entered a 450-horsepower D17S in an Army competition against aircraft from Stinson, Spartan, and others. The Beechcraft won the contest handily, and with it an order for 13 aircraft. In addition to interest from the U.S. military, Staggerwings were also in service in China in the escalating war against the Japanese. Brazil also purchased Model 17s for military use, adding several ofBenjamin (B.J.) Goodheart manages aviation claims and loss control for AirSure Limited in Golden, Colo. He is an ATP- rated pilot and flight instructor with over 2,200 hours and is passionate about old, tailwheel airplanes. B.J. is also the presi- dent of Mercy Wings Network, an aviation non-profit, and he is pursuing a Ph.D. from Em- bry-Riddle Aeronautical Uni- versity. He can be contacted at bgoodheart@airsure.com.MARCH 2011­TWIN & TURBINE • ­37