Beechcraft Staggerwing

The Beechcraft Staggerwing is a biplane with, unusually, a backward stagger (the lower wing is further forward than the upper wing). It was the first aircraft built by the newly-formed Beech Aircraft Corporation. The company was founded in 1932, and the original Staggerwing Model 17R first flew on November 4th of that year. It was available with either a 225 hp (168 kW) or 420 hp (313 kW) engine and the price ranged from $14,000 to $17,000, a princely sum during the Great Depression. Staggerwings had a top speed of over 200 mph (320 km/h), faster than military aircraft of the time: female aviator Louise Thaden won the 1936 Bendix Trophy Race in a Staggerwing. Jackie Cochran also set a women's speed record of 203.9 mph in a special model D17W.

Related Topics:
Biplane - Aircraft - Beech Aircraft Corporation - 1932 - Great Depression - Military aircraft - Bendix Trophy Race

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During World War II over 270 were produced for the war effort, many going to Great Britain with the Lend-Lease program. The final Staggerwing, a model G17S, sold in 1948 for $29,000; it left the factory in 1949, the last of 781 aircraft.

Related Topics:
World War II - Great Britain - Lend-Lease - 1948 - 1949

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