Cook Airfield was established in 1957 and once served as a reliever facility for Cessna to tie down planes waiting to be ferried around the nation. The decades that followed led the property away from aviation. At one point it was a site for motorcycle racing and the airport ultimately fell into disrepair.

• READ MORE: Airpark HOAs Aim to Keep Pace With Capital Improvements, Maintenance

The current ownership group, Crosswinds Aviation, as local aviators would testify, performed a complete 180 on the airport.

“I was keeping my plane here at the airport, and the rumor was that it was for sale. Once we tried to buy it, it was already under contract,” said Greg Thomas, Cook Airfield’s co-owner. “Then 9/11 happened, the contract fell through, and we started negotiating to purchase the airport. Two years later, we ended up buying Cook Airfield from the trust.”

Thomas knew it would be a significant challenge to get the airport to where he thought it should be. It took years of hard work to rechart the airport’s course.

“It was a complete junkyard when we got it,” Cook said. “You could only land on the east 20 feet of the runway, because the other side had too many potholes in it. And we probably tore down more hangars than we kept.”

Since its new life beginning in 2003, the airport has benefited from several Kansas Airport Improvement Program (KAIP) state grants issued from the Kansas Department of Transportation to improve its facilities. This work has included the lengthening of the primary runway, which required the closure and relocation of a county-owned road.

Cook Airfield Today

Today, Runway 17/35 is a 3,472-foot-long-by-40-foot-wide paved and lighted surface. There is also a 1,600-foot-long-by-50-foot-wide turf runway. Cook Airfield airport has more than 100 based aircraft, more than 60 hangars, and publicly available 100LL fuel. Jet-A fuel is expected to be available in the near future. 

• READ MORE: Delaware Ag Airport Sets Eyes on Growing GA Future

Thomas built a hangar home at the airport in 2007, and since then roughly 20 additional hangar homes have been constructed at Cook Airfield. Having residences with taxiway access was always in the plans.

“After we purchased the airport, our goal was to subdivide the land into six lots, because the county told us they had to be 5 acres in size,” he said. “So, that’s what we did, to get the cash flow to help fix the airport up. Later on, we figured out that we could have 1-acre lots, as long as we were doing approved septic systems.”

The airpark subdivision is now in its second phase, with five lots still available at the south end of the property. Land continues to be allocated for additional box hangar construction. 

• READ MORE: Flight Training in the Scenic, Wild Last Frontier

“We seem to sell our hangars as fast as we can put them up,” he said. “In fact, the last one I just sold to a guy in Ireland. We have two new hangars that will be completed soon, and then we are getting ready to order two more. Most of the hangars we build are on leased ground.”

In addition to homes, commercial hangars, a pilot’s lounge, and several businesses are based at the airport. Air Capital Drop Zone, a skydiving operation, and Compass Rose Aviation, a flying club, have both been there for more than 10 years.

After 21 years of owning Cook Airfield, Thomas and business partner Steve Logue are ready to pass the baton to the next owner.

“The airport has been for sale and under contract a couple of times, but has fallen through each time,” Thomas said. “We are both ready to move on to other things and let somebody else take Cook Airfield to the next level. There is a lot of potential here, and each potential buyer has their own vision for the airport. They could extend the runway or build a new runway to the west. [With additional infrastructure], they could add a restaurant if they wanted to, which is what the last buyer was going to do—alongside a hotel.”

Cook Airfield is approximately a 23-minute drive from downtown Wichita and 26 minutes from the city’s commercial service airport, Wichita Dwight D. Eisenhower National Airport (KICT). The purchase of the 47-acre property includes the runway with PAPI system, pilot’s lounge, and seven buildings/hangars that total 32,906 square feet.

The post Two Decades After Renaissance, Wichita Airpark Ready for New Ownership appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The Seattle Times is reporting Josh Dean, 45, a former quality control inspector at 737 Max fuselage supplier Spirit AeroSystems in Wichita, Kansas, died from an infection by an aggressive antibiotic-resistant bacteria called Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, or MRSA. He died after two weeks in critical condition with the fast-spreading infection, the last few days on life support.

• READ MORE: Boeing Workers Reluctant to Speak Up, FAA Panel Tells Senate

Like Boeing whistleblower John “Mitch” Harnett, who died of what is so far being described as a self-inflicted gunshot wound on March 9, Dean was pursuing a complaint against Spirit for retaliation over his claims. He was represented by the same legal firm as Harnett.

• READ MORE: NTSB Chief Testifies That Boeing Is Stonewalling on 737 Door Plug Blowout

Dean reported quality control issues at Spirit AeroSystems that included improperly drilled holes on the pressure bulkhead that eventually led to a suspension of production at Boeing’s Washington state Max plant. He was fired by Spirit in 2023 and claimed that the company scapegoated him, alleging it had lied to the FAA about the bulkhead defects.

• READ MORE: ‘Changes…Need to Happen,’ Boeing Official Says

He filed the whistleblower complaint in November, and the case was pending. He actually went to work for Boeing in Wichita before moving to another company.

Editor’s Note: This article first appeared on AVweb.

The post Boeing Supplier Whistleblower Dies appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Under the paid two-year program, students will receive hands-on instruction at Bombardier Group’s site in Wichita, Kansas, and classroom training at WSU Tech. In this setting they will work with seasoned instructors and senior maintenance experts while becoming familiar with Bombardier’s aircraft fleet.

• READ MORE: How to Make a Solid Financial Choice for Your Aviation Education

The company said the state-registered A&P apprenticeship program is the first of its kind in Kansas. Students completing the program will receive FAA A&P certification in addition to significant on-the-job training. They also will be given upgrades in their job classifications from apprentices to full-time A&P technicians. For Bombardier, the program strengthens the company’s staff of mechanics and its ability to provide timely maintenance services.

“We are pleased to deepen our roots in Wichita and the U.S. through the launch of this foundational program in collaboration with WSU Tech, a leader in aviation mechanic training in Wichita,” said Paul Sislian, executive vice president of Bombardier aftermarket services and strategy. “The start of this apprenticeship program highlights Bombardier Group’s ongoing commitment to not only expanding its footprint in Wichita, but to training, hiring, and retaining qualified professionals, which will further increase our ability to provide exceptional customer service to our clients.”

• READ MORE: WAI App Gives Girls Access to Year-Long Aviation Education

Bombardier said the collaboration with WSU Tech is part of a strategy that included expanding its worldwide network of service facilities. Training and hiring more skilled technicians aids the company’s effort to develop its aerospace operations.

“WSU Tech is excited to join with Bombardier to provide our students with an extraordinary learning opportunity at their state-of-the-art facility in Wichita,” said Dr. Sheree Utash, president of WSU Tech and vice president of its workforce development. “This collaboration demonstrates the power of uniting education, government, business, and industry, resulting in success.”

The post Bombardier, WSU Tech Collaborate to Launch A&P Apprenticeship Program appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

That’s the Wichita I knew when I left Kansas in 2012 to return to Colorado, leaving the Cessna Aircraft Company two years prior to the day when the news broke that Textron had purchased the assets of Beechcraft from the throes of its bankruptcy. In early 2014, we speculated that Textron had purchased Beech for the King Air line—and little else—and the outcome of the facilities surrounding the storied Beech Factory Field (KBEC) would be settled in a likely to be challenging merger.

With five campuses to its name Textron Aviation has been busy working to optimize the infrastructure under its purview. While the main campus at Eisenhower Regional Airport (KICT) houses the corporate offices, Cessna Citation production lines, and the largest Textron Aviation Service Center in the world, the campus at Beech Field stays focused on the King Air, as well as Beech Bonanza and Baron production in Plant IV. Piston singles, including the Cessna 172, 182, and T206, are built in Independence, Kansas, about an hour flight by Skyhawk to the southeast. Cessna Caravan production moved to Indy too.

But there’s a good deal of space that could be optimized after certain efficiencies have been gained throughout the enterprise—which now employs roughly 13,000 people, as the Textron Aviation communications team confirmed to me during my visit this week to Wichita. I flew in with one of the company’s Citation sales team in a Cessna TTx—the subject of an upcoming story, to be sure—for TextAv’s media day ahead of the National Business Aviation Association’s Business Aviation Conference and Expo in Las Vegas next month.

They had a lot to share—most of which I can’t tell you yet or they would send the ghosts of Dwane Wallace and Olive Ann Beech to haunt me. But one story I can relate this week is what the growing company plans to put in motion to address its need to continue hiring and training the workforce it needs to cover orders like the 1,500 Citations that NetJets announced on Wednesday.

With a trip in a black SUV across town, from West to East, we stepped out onto a construction site as the highlight of our day—besides the three square meals provided. Donning hard hats and safety glasses, we entered the building that will house the Textron Aviation Hiring and Learning Center, and proceeded across the bare concrete to an open atrium. There, members of the human resources team outlined how various spaces would be used during the interview process, as well as for hands-on training using real aircraft. 

For example, when new technicians are brought in to work on the production line, they go through paid on-the-job training prior to joining the line. They practice on components now—but they will get to place, say, a completed aileron on a wing assembly. The possibilities in the large space will multiply and accelerate the onboarding process.

The refurbished building will also house a K-12 entry vestibule, where local school children can come in to learn about STEM topics through the lens of Cessna and Beechcraft and Bell aircraft—making the application of knowledge far more immediate. The kids will also be able to learn about the wide variety of aviation jobs that an OEM like TextAv offers for their future.

It’s clearly one of many big investments, but with a big order book to fulfill, a very necessary one.

The post What’s Happening in Wichita appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The idea of introducing a helicopter to the Cessna product line began to gain traction in the early 1950s. This was a time when the company’s fixed-wing offerings were relatively modest but were on the brink of massive expansion. The lineup in the early part of the decade consisted of the 120/140, 170, 180, 190/195, O-1, and the 310/320 twins but by the following decade would more than double in size and encompass entirely new categories. A helicopter, Cessna thought, would be one more way to gain market share.

Rather than designing a helicopter from the ground up, Cessna went shopping for existing options. Its search eventually took it to the Seibel Helicopter Co., conveniently located on the other side of Wichita, Kansas. In 1952, Cessna acquired Seibel and its S-4B helicopter design, and founder Charles Seibel was retained to lead the engineering team.

The S-4B, while functional, utilized an entirely utilitarian design devoid of any niceties, such as an enclosed fuselage, soundproofing, or a finished interior. Cessna wasted no time replacing the skeletal design with an aluminum monocoque fuselage and cabin that utilized many of the same design principles as its fixed-wing aircraft. Before long, the first CH-1 emerged from the factory and made its first flight in July 1953.

Equipped with its new fuselage that later expanded to incorporate four seats, the CH-1 was sleeker and more modern looking than existing designs, and it was updated beneath the skin, as well. The Siebel’s original 125 hp piston engine was gone and in its place was a far more powerful alternative, ultimately a supercharged 6-cylinder Continental that produced 270 hp. This provided outstanding high-altitude performance, and the CH-1 went on to set several records. In addition to becoming the first helicopter to land on 14,000-foot Pikes Peak in Colorado, it set multiple altitude records by climbing to nearly 30,000 feet.

Cessna’s marketing team pursued both the civilian and military markets, securing a U.S. Army contract for 10 examples that would become known as the YH-41 Seneca. The Army was ultimately unimpressed with the helicopter’s performance, and Cessna bought back six, modifying some systems and converting them to civilian models. 

The company had better luck with the civil model, pursuing the short-range executive market as well as the utility helicopter market. In many respects, the CH-1 was impressive. The cabin was massive, enabling passengers to easily move from one seat to another in flight. At 64 inches wide, it was within 2 inches of a Citation Excel business jet and incorporated 360-degree panoramic visibility.

Unfortunately, the CH-1 was hobbled by several issues that ultimately proved insurmountable. Engine and transmission reliability reportedly was well below par for the market, reflected by the woefully short engine TBO of only 600 hours. This was a fraction of comparable helicopter engines and would have increased hourly operating costs noticeably.

Additionally, the CH-1 was quite expensive to purchase. In 1960, the CH-1C was offered for $79,960. The 1965 pricing for the Bell 47J and Brantley 305 was $67,000 and $54,000, respectively. While Cessna could justify a higher price for the nicer cabin and better high-altitude performance, it perhaps realized it would struggle to make a case against small turbine helicopters that would soon enter the market. Indeed, Hughes priced the 500 at $95,000 nine years later. 

Faced with reliability concerns and diminishing marketability, Cessna ended the CH-1 program and bought back nearly every example for scrapping, presumably to eliminate any product liability concerns. Today, of the 50 examples built, only one survives—a lone YH-41A Seneca in storage and awaiting restoration at the United States Army Aviation Museum at Fort Rucker, Alabama.

The post That Time Cessna Made a Helicopter appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Walter Beech was born in 1891 in Pulaski, Tennessee, and flew in the U.S. Army during World War I. After the war, he joined Swallow Airplane Co. as a test pilot. In 1924, Beech joined fellow airplane designers Lloyd Stearman and Clyde Cessna—both of whom later gave their names to famous aircraft—to form the Travel Air Manufacturing Co. in Wichita, Kansas. The small company hired a 21-year-old office manager and bookkeeper named Olive Ann Mellor. She proved to have an extremely good head for business. Walter and Olive Ann began a low-key romance and were eventually married in 1930.

In 1929, Travel Air was acquired by Curtiss-Wright. Olive Ann urged Walter, frustrated with his new corporate job, to follow his dream and start his own airplane design company. She told him, “If you want something, you can do it.” They rented a factory from Beech’s friend and rival Cessna in Wichita. The first airplane they designed and produced, starting in 1933, was the Model 17 (because the last aircraft produced by Travel Air was Model 16).

I’m here at the Beech Factory Airport (KBEC) on the east side of Wichita, where modern-day Beechcraft are still produced, to check out that airplane, which was intended as a high-class, high-powered private option for wealthy business executives—the Gulfstream of its day.

The most obvious and eye-catching feature of the Model 17 is the fact that its upper wing is set back from its lower wing—the opposite of most biplane designs. This “negative stagger wing” gave rise to it popularly being dubbed the “Staggerwing,” a nickname Beech didn’t particularly like, preferring to call it the “Beechcraft.”

Some major advantages of the negative stagger wing were improved stalling characteristics and reduced interference drag between the two wings. But another was better forward visibility, which in conventional biplanes was often blocked by the top wing.

• READ MORE: Flying Back in Time on the First Civilian Passenger Airplane

Like many aircraft of its day, the Model 17 was constructed of fabric covering a steel tube frame. However, its skin was faired (smoothed to minimize drag) with wooden formers. The high-end manufacturing process was complex and time-consuming.

A variety of radial engines were used, ranging from 350 to 690 hp. This model, the D17S, features a 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior, the same used (in twin configuration) to power the Lockheed L-10 Electra and Grumman Goose.

To further minimize drag and increase speed, the landing gear is fully automated and retractable—something that was still an innovation for new all-metal airliners, much less a private airplane.

The Model 17 also featured flaps—another relatively new innovation at the time—on the lower wing for sufficient lift at slower landing speeds and nearly full-length ailerons on the top wing for effective control. The cabin was spacious with comfortable upholstery trimmed in leather and mohair, suitable for its high-end target market.

There is only one yoke, which can be switched between the left and right seats. The throttle, mixture, and variable pitch prop controls are all located in the center of the panel below the flaps switch. Note that the main instruments in front of the pilot are arrayed in a recognizably modern “six-pack” configuration before this became standard.

Time to rev up the engine and find out how this package handles in the air. Perhaps a little odd looking on the ground, the Staggerwing shows its true streamlined prowess once it takes off and raises its gear. 

The Staggerwing has a cruise speed of 202 mph (175 knots), not that far short of a fighter for its era. I got it up to its maximum speed of 212 mph on a flat straightaway.

The forward visibility is generally excellent, because of the negative stagger wing, but I did find the three structural braces and position of the overhead compass in the cockpit do make it a bit difficult to see the runway clearly on approach.

Nevertheless, I did end up safely on the ground and found it easier (at least in the sim) than many tailwheel aircraft to keep straight and avoid a ground loop on landing.

The first Beechcraft was one sleek machine. But at a price tag of between $14,000 and $17,000 (the equivalent of $320,000 to $390,000 today), aimed at a high-end customer, it was initially a tough sell when it came out at the depths of the Great Depression.

Only 18 were sold in its first year, 1933. But the Staggerwing caught the eye of professional air racers, one of whom won the Texaco Trophy Cup that year. I don’t know if it’s related, but Texaco soon purchased a small company-owned fleet of Beechcraft models for its executives to visit remote oil fields across Texas, like I’m doing here.

The main advantage of the Staggerwing was not only speed and comfort but the ability of its durable, widely spaced landing gear to take off and land at small, unimproved airstrips, as needed. Beechcraft advertisements highlighted its “rugged dependability” in out-of-the-way locations.

In 1936, Olive Ann had the idea to sponsor two women pilots, Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes, to compete in the cross-country Bendix Trophy transcontinental race from New York to Los Angeles. Flying a light blue Staggerwing, they finished first—the first women to claim a race previously won by such flying legends as Jimmy Doolittle and Roscoe Turner. The next year, Jackie Cochran set a new women’s speed record (203.9 mph) and altitude record (over 30,000 feet) and finished third in the Bendix race —all in a Beechcraft Staggerwing.

The speed and dependability that appealed to racers and oil executives also caught the attention of governments as conflict loomed in the late 1930s. Spanish Republicans flew them as bombers in their civil war, and the Chinese used them as air ambulances when the Japanese invaded. Ethiopian emperor Haile Salassie owned his own personal Staggerwing, NC14405, flown by an African-American pilot from Mississippi, Colonel John Robinson. When Salassie’s country was invaded by Benito Mussolini and the Italian military, he used it to fly to and from the combat zone.

Finland bought two Staggerwings (BC-1 and BC-2) to serve as military transports. I’m flying one of them here over Helsinki. I’d be curious to know if Finnish leader General Carl Mannerheim ever used them during the 1939-1940 Winter War with the Soviet Union. (The swastika here, of course, is Finnish, not Nazi.) The only information I was able to find were a couple of photos of it.

In October 1941, Beechcraft shipped this special camouflaged Staggerwing to Prince Bernhard of Lippe, who was in exile in London after fleeing the German invasion of the Netherlands.

Born a German, Prince Bernhard was married to Queen Wilhelmina’s only child, Princess Juliana. Before the war, he was a member of the Nazi Party and the Reifer (Mounted) SS. His brother was a German army officer. But when the Germans invaded the Netherlands, he organized the palace guards to resist and fled with the royal family to England, where he spoke out against Adolf Hitler.

Prince Bernhard applied to serve in British intelligence, but he was distrusted, for obvious reasons. At King George VI’s personal recommendation, and after being screened by Ian Fleming (the creator of James Bond) for U.K. Prime Minister Winston Churchill, he was assigned to help on the Allied War Planning Councils. At his own initiative, he learned to fly a Spitfire and was given the honorary rank of Wing Commander in the Royal Air Force (RAF). He flew numerous missions as an observer, attacking V-1 launch pads in occupied Europe in a B-24 bomber, hunting submarines over the Atlantic in a B-25, and performing battlefield reconnaissance in a L-5 Grasshopper (a modified Piper Cub).

He used his personal Staggerwing to assist his work assisting refugees and organizing the Dutch underground resistance. I’m flying over Antwerp, Belgium, in the Prince’s Staggerwing, following its liberation in September 1944.

That winter, the Germans launched the Battle of the Bulge, a desperate counteroffensive in eastern Belgium. As a follow-up, in January, the Luftwaffe launched a massive last-ditch air campaign against neighboring Allied airfields. Unfortunately, Prince Bernhard’s Beechcraft was one of the airplanes destroyed on the ground during those raids, dubbed the Battle of Bodenplatte.

Prince Bernhard became Prince Consort of the Netherlands in 1948 when his wife became queen. He lived until 2004, helping to found the World Wildlife Fund and remaining an active pilot for the rest of his life.

By the time World War II broke out, Beechcraft had sold at least 424 Staggerwings. In 1942, the U.S. Army recognized the need for an executive-type courier airplane and placed an order, along with the Navy. The slightly modified military version of the Staggerwing became known as the Beech UC-43 Traveler. This one that I’m flying here out of an old RAF airfield in rural England belonged to the “Mighty Eighth” Air Force, assigned the task of bombing Germany into submission.

Over 400 Staggerwings were built for the military, and the government leased or acquired at least 100 more from private owners for wartime use. They played an essential if largely unsung role in coordinating the command of the largest air force ever assembled. If you doubt that, let me highlight the story of this one particular airplane, which I’m flying over London.

Tommy Hitchcock was the scion of a wealthy American family, a star polo player, and a friend of author F. Scott Fitzgerald. Some believe he was the model for Tom Buchanan in The Great Gatsby. During WWI, he had served as a dashing fighter pilot in the famous Lafayette Escadrille. Now, with the start of a new war, he was desperate to fly in combat again, but he was considered too old. The only position he was able to secure, through his extensive contacts, was that of assistant air attache at the U.S. embassy in London. Arriving in summer 1942, Lieutenant Colonel Hitchcock regularly flew the embassy’s Beechcraft Staggerwing to airfields across Britain, coordinating with the RAF.

Through 1943, the U.S. Eighth Air Force was just forming in Britain, and on its early raids its unescorted bombers were suffering horrific losses at the hands of the Luftwaffe. On his puddle-jumping visits across Britain, Hitchcock discovered the British had modified the mediocre-performing P-51 Mustang with a Rolls-Royce Merlin engine, giving it speed and performance that outmatched the Germans’ Focke-Wulf 190 at any altitude—with a range long enough to escort bombers all the way to Berlin. There was stiff resistance in the U.S. Army Air Force to ordering any fighter modified with a British engine. But Hitchcock relentlessly lobbied his longtime friend, U.S. Army Air Corps Gen. Hap Arnold, to change his mind. Eventually, he succeeded, and the P-51 Mustang played a key role helping to turn the tide of the air war. The Beechcraft Staggerwing, in its unsung way, had made it possible.

This airplane, by the way, is still on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California.

Walter Beech fell ill in 1940, and Olive Ann ran the company through WWII and beyond, becoming one of the most powerful and influential leaders in aviation. But that’s a story for another time.

Only a handful of Staggerwings were produced after the war. The company soon shifted its focus to the all-metal monoplane V-tail Bonanza as its successor, at about a third of the price.

The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is still considered by many aficionados as one of the most beautiful and impressive airplanes of all time. About 150 are still registered, and an estimated 50 are actively flying. In 2003, Plane & Pilot magazine ranked it among its top 10 favorite airplanes of all time. A poll of 3,000 members of the Airplane Pilot and Owners Association (AOPA) named it the Most Beautiful Airplane. In 2012, Aviation History ranked it No. 6 in its top 12 list of the World’s Most Beautiful Airplanes.

If you’d like to see a version of this story with many more screenshots and historical images, you can check out my original post here. This story was told utilizing the Beechcraft Model 17 add-on to MSFS 2020 from Carenado, along with liveries produced by fellow users and shared on flghtsim.to for free.

The post The Rugged, Sleek Legacy of the Beechcraft ‘Staggerwing’ appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

The museum has been in development for several years, designed in partnership with Dimensional Innovations, a Kansas-based experience design firm. 

The museum, located at Amelia Earhart Memorial Airport (K59) is being made possible through the support of Boeing, Bombardier, FedEx, Garmin, and Lockheed Martin. According to museum officials, the facility is designed to function as a blending of history and STEM education—with flight technology in the center.

“It’s a tremendous honor to have the support of aviation leaders like Boeing and Bombardier who continue Amelia’s enduring legacy of innovation and share our vision to inspire future generations in the pursuit of flight,” said Karen Seaberg, founder and president of the Atchison Amelia Earhart Foundation.

Grand Opening Celebration

The grand opening ceremony with a ribbon cutting is slated for Friday at noon CST in front of the museum. 

“The museum doors officially open immediately following the ceremony at 12:30 pm CST,” said Vanessa Bonavia, museum spokesperson, adding that they have invited some special guests, including members of Earhart’s extended family.

“We are expecting special guests, including Bram Kleppner, Amelia’s great-great nephew, and his young daughter, Amelia’s great-great niece,” Bonavia said. “We’ve received several RSVPs from members of The Ninety-Nines and Women in Aviation. Amelia Rose Earhart, the young pilot who circumnavigated the globe to honor Amelia’s legacy, will be attending. The colors will be presented by the Kansas Air National Guard. Kansas Senators Jerry Moran and Roger Marshall will also share remarks, along with Atchison Mayor Lisa Moody.”

The festivities will continue through the weekend. On April 15, pilots from Kansas State University Salina Aerospace and Technology Flight Team will invite the public to tour its new Cirrus SR20 and Cessna 172 aircraft, and on April 16, the “RC Fly Jam” featuring radio-controlled planes will be on the museum grounds and tarmac.

Inside the Museum

The Museum is the home of the world’s last remaining Lockheed Electra 10-E, named

Muriel after Earhart’s younger sister, Grace Muriel Earhart Morrissey. Muriel is identical to the plane Earhart flew on her final flight around the world. 

In addition to the aircraft, there are 14 interactive exhibit areas that allow visitors to trace Earhart’s life from growing up in Atchison, to her growing fame as an aviatrix.

Visitors will be able to enter a full-scale replica of Muriel’s cockpit to experience what it was like to be inside the aircraft described as Earhart’s “flying laboratory.”

There is a digitized version of Earhart’s mechanic logbook for review, and through the magic of augmented reality, visitors can try on Earhart’s various careers such as mechanic, nurse, pilot, and even a fashion designer.

Museum officials note each exhibit has been carefully outfitted to meet National Curriculum Standards, Kansas Curriculum Content Standards, and Missouri Standards of Learning. Professionally developed Teacher Guides to support field trips are also available.

There is a heavy aviation component that allows visitors to explore celestial navigation and learn about radio waves and the atmosphere, use 3D holograms to explore technological advances in aviation, pilot a virtual reality flight in a Lockheed Vega 5B across the Atlantic, retracing Earthart’s 1932 flight and finally, speculate and vote on theories about what happened to Earhart on her attempt to fly around the world.

History and STEM

Earhart has always been associated with aviation, setting multiple records as a pilot, including being the first woman to fly solo across the Atlantic Ocean. Many people are surprised to learn that she also had a background in the sciences. According to multiple biographies, she was particularly interested in chemistry, medicine, and mechanics. This makes it a natural fit for aerospace businesses to support the facility.

“Amelia’s courage and spirit of adventure will inspire the next generation of aviators, explorers, and innovators to continue breaking new boundaries in aerospace,” said Cheri Carter, vice president of Boeing Global Engagement.

Tonya Sudduth, head of U.S. strategy at Bombardier, added, “We are thrilled to support the new Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum and believe it will have a great impact on the community through its innovative and educational exhibits—inspiring young people to explore the many exciting possibilities and future career paths available in aviation and aerospace.” 

In addition to the aerospace industry, a number of local and national philanthropic organizations are providing support for the museum, including the Donn Lux Family, the Guy Bromley Trust, the Patterson Family Foundation, the Regnier Family Foundation, the Fly With Amelia Foundation, the Stauffer Jambrosic Foundation, the Sunderland Foundation and the William T. Kemper Foundation, and local employers Amberwell Health, Benedictine College, MGP Ingredients and others.

Following the grand opening, the Amelia Earhart Hangar Museum will apply to become an Affiliate of the Smithsonian Institution. 

The post Amelia Earhart’s Legacy Enshrined at New Kansas Museum appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Design

The Cessna 190 and 195 models were born from a desire to serve the business traveler of the post-World War II era with a moderately fast single that could take advantage of the state-of-the-art radial engines of the time—and carry a family or a couple of colleagues in comfort in a sedan-like cabin. The models were launched concurrently and shared a production line, but the 190s were produced with a 240 hp, seven-cylinder Continental W670-23, while the 195s came out of the factory with the 300 hp Jacobs R755-A2—and later the 275 hp Jacobs R755-B2—making use of war-surplus Jakes the company could readily obtain.

True to an engineering choice that courses through most Cessna high-wing designs, the 190/195 series used an unmodified 2412 airfoil from root to tip like its progenitor, the Cessna C-37 Airmaster, whereas other models born a few years later (like the 172, 182, and 206) used a modification on the base airfoil at the tip—a “camber cuff”—added to mimic the effects of a popular STOL mod in the 1970s.

I asked retired Cessna engineer Neal Willford about the general thinking behind the combination of airfoil, wing position, and other design elements. “A high wing’s stability tends to improve a bit at slow speeds (higher lift coefficients), resulting in ‘heavier’ stick forces,” Willford says. “Wing planform, twist, and airfoils used at the root and tip also can affect the airplane’s characteristics. The 195’s wing taper means that it would tend to stall more outboard than a ‘Hershey bar’ wing.” The bit of forward sweep also helps that wing to stall at the root, but the 195’s engineers likely added the sweep to improve balance and visibility.

Jack Pelton, president and CEO of the Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA) and former head of Cessna Aircraft Company, purchased Dwane Wallace’s personal 1954 195B in 2006, and it keeps a special place in his heart and hangar, owing to the marriage of style and performance that it represents. “Today, I really miss that new aircraft design is really focused on performance with very few airframe styles being produced,” as Pelton recently shared with me. “I miss the style and romance of all the vintage varieties that existed back in the day. It really comes to light when you walk the rows in vintage area during AirVenture.

“The 195 was that plane that held to an Art Deco appeal, while trying to push the performance too against the ‘new kid’ [Beechcraft] Bonanza. Cessna [did] it, taking advantage of the surplus of radials post-war that were available. Of course, being ‘strut less’…I blush when I say it, but think of the picture of Cessna employees standing on the Airmaster wing showing how strong it was.” The 195 continued that heritage of overbuilt strength.

Model History

The first 195, NC41690, went up for its initial production test flight at the hands of legendary Cessna flight test pilot Mort Brown on July 15, 1947. Brown made his acquaintance with the design starting with the prototype 190 model in 1944. The production line cranked out 190s and 195s from 1947 to 1954, when Cessna essentially ran out of surplus engines. A military version, the LC-126, served in liaison and observation roles, coming with the 300 hp engine. Overall, roughly 1,200 examples of the three primary variations were built.

While most use the Hamilton-Standard 2B20 constant-speed prop, other Jacobs engine options followed for the model, including the 275 hp R755-B2, 245 or 250 hp R755-9, turbocharged 350 hp R755-S (under STC), and the 300 or 330 hp L-6 (R915). A variation called the “196” refers to a mod that hangs a supercharged, nine-cylinder, 450 hp Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior engine on the front via a supplemental type certificate through Parks Aviation.

With a maximum gross weight of 3,350 pounds and 1,000 pounds worth of useful load, the 195 can easily carry a pilot and up to four passengers at a 130-to-145-knot cruise speed at 13 to 16 gph. Other STCs for the model include Cleveland brakes, a locking tailwheel, Jasco alternator, and an updated cabin heater, as well as all manner of modern avionics.

Market Snapshot

With such a loyal following, and a supply subject to the inevitable sadness of model attrition over the course of 75 years, only a handful of 195s make it onto the market each annum. During our brief survey, just four or five examples became available on various aviation marketplace sites.

However, 195 owner Dave Kalina offers a helpful suggestion for potential buyers: Join the 195 community before you start looking. Most of the transactions he’s aware of in the past few years have taken place between seller and buyer without the airplane ever being listed on a brokerage site like AircraftForSale.com. Word of mouth and fellowship in the type organization—the International Cessna 195 Club, the owner’s group of note for the series—tracks most of the good ones before they ever make it into the classifieds. 

Current sources of owner support include Jeff Pear-son’s Heritage Aero in California, which focuses on fire-wall forward services, and Air Repair with Pete Jonesin Mississippi, which owns the type certificate for theJacobs engine, and therefore, can produce parts and conduct all manner of overhauls on the powerplant. Along with the turbocharged 350 hp Jacobs, Air Repair installs a Hamilton-Standard or three-blade Hartzell prop as part of its conversion.

Two past sources of 195 parts, maintenance, and support are now out of the picture or changing hands. Barron Aviation in Missouri once specialized in restorations of the type, but it’s shifted focus to the Grumman Albatross—another classic.

Fortunately, the 195 Factory, now operated by Sam Barth, will live beyond founder Bill Milton’s retirement—the transition to new ownership has allowed it to continue to serve the model’s owner base.

The only recent airworthiness directive is on the main cabin heater. According to Coyle Schwab—former president of the International Cessna 195 Club—alternatives are available or the heater can simply be removed. Other updates include replacement of the magnesium aileron brackets for aluminum ones. Cracking and deterioration of the magnesium brackets render the airplane unsafe, so make sure this important switch is made. Also, a good pre-buy inspection—by an A&P familiar with the model—checks the toilet-seat-shaped bulkhead in the empennage for cracks, and issues with the doorposts, two common weak areas.

‘Adirondacks Bush Pilot’

A Cessna 195 first graced the cover of FLYING on floats for the September 1953 edition. Inside its pages, the editors told the story of its owner, Helm’s Aero Service at Long Lake, New York , in the heart of the Adirondacks—and the airplane’s versatility.

“Using the new Cessna 195 on floats shown on this month’s cover…operator Herb Helms does a brisk air taxi business among the Adirondack lakes, forming an air transportation link from airline stop to lake resorts and isolated fishing and hunting camps.

“The 195 doubles nicely as a cargo carrier, frequently hauling lumber and even boats strapped to the floats. A regular conservation assignment from the State is the aerial planting of fish in the numerous Adirondack lakes. Always on call for emergency medical flights, the ship is an invaluable asset to the whole region.”

Flight Characteristics

That fat wing and the effective “dihedral” caused by its high position on the airframe make for an incredibly stable cruiser in flight, redolent of other monocoque airframe of the vintage, such as the de Havilland Beaver. Though I’d flown the airplane quite a bit upon the occasion of its 60th birthday in 2007, I sought a more recent flight to refresh my memory.

Kalina, shepherd to N195KS, a 1950 195A, graciously offered up his time and airplane to the rendezvous. Through the single right-hand cabin door, we entered the cockpit through the center aisle and arranged ourselves in the cabin—some come with an optional “seaplane” door on the left-hand side. The LC-126s come with a litter door that offers somewhat easier access.

The 195 flies like the stately lady of a certain vintage that she is. After we took off from Johnstown Regional Airport (KJST) in Pennsylvania, Kalina gave me the controls so I could take her through a series of maneuvers, including slow flight, steep turns, lazy eights, Dutch rolls, and chandelles.

The 195 has an option for a unique landing gear system, even considering it’s a conventional gear arrangement to begin with. Goodyear designed a “crosswind” gear mechanism for the model intended to help correct for side loads upon landing by allowing the wheels to pivot up to 15 degrees. For those pilots not accustomed to getting this help, versions of the 195 with the crosswind gear installed can take some getting used to—and it does make taxiing a little more challenging. The option can be removed, and buyers will find both present on models currently on the market.

Overall, with its gear being spring-actuated, the 195 requires good sink-rate control on landing because of its relatively heavy weight—a 3,350-pound maximum gross weight in the normal category—especially on pavement, and the tendency to keep a ground loop going once the point of no return passes. Many owners seek out grass for that reason. However, with good slow-speed handling, other elements of the landing regime are manageable—you just need to stay alert.

Ownership

Through the model’s 75 years of history, a long trail of contented owners have cared for the 195 series. We asked two of those pilots to share their experience.

Coyle Schwab

“Why would anyone want one of these?” says Schwab, rhetorically—he’s had a 1948 195, N3457V, for more than 36 years. “I bought my 1948 model in 1986—so long ago that I don’t really remember exactly what set me on the path to a 195,” he continues. “I’ve always loved the airplane’s looks, so I probably rationalized everything else to just make it happen.

“At the time I purchased the airplane, I didn’t have a pre-buy assessment by a qualified 195 mechanic. I should have. Fortunately, I dodged a bullet with no big surprises. Over the years, I’ve seen new owners who didn’t fare as well. My unambiguous advice is ‘get one done by a person who really knows the type!’

“Perhaps making up for my poor mechanical judgment, I made better choices for training. The logistics of transitioning under the watchful eyes of an experienced 195 instructor can be a challenge, but believe me, it’s important. I had a few years and hundreds of hours in my Cessna 140, so it was tempting to shortcut this step. But there were some real differences. The ‘new’ plane was heavier and the visibility worse. An experienced 195 instructor prepped me for these changes and helped me safely feel my way through the critical first hours. Even 36 years later, I can recall my initial intimidation. After some time, the plane and I became friends and I now recognize the big taildragger as an honest airplane. The pilot has to pay attention at all times, though, or it will bite.

“Maintenance costs are comparable with modern single-engine, fixed-gear airplanes. Cessna’s support is minimal, but a cadre of third-party suppliers for the airframe, engines, and accessories compensates pretty well. There’s always a risk that the picture could change, but I’ve been able to keep my plane flying for nearly four decades without too much fuss. Routine maintenance items are no problem, and the airplane, in general, is quite reliable. I will confess to an occasional chase to find some unusual parts, though. If 99 percent availability at any price is important, the 195 may not be the best choice; sometimes you just have to wait.

“So, 36 years later, how good a choice did I make? I’ll admit that thoughts of trading up to something newer have entered my mind from time to time. But when the lust subsides, I’ve always returned to my Businessliner—it simply represents a reasonable compromise that fits my mission, or more accurately, my personality. It looks as lovely as it did all those years ago (sadly, I don’t). It’s a decent airplane—when I had a young family, it was good transportation for all of us. Now that it’s just two people, it’s still economical enough to fly on medium trips, in a way keeping the family in touch. It’s not as sexy as the most exotic vintage planes, but it’s not as expensive either. Since it’s all metal, I’m not reluctant to leave it on the ramp on a trip if a hangar isn’t available.”

Chris Thomsen

Owner-pilot Chris Thomsen acquired his 195 about 10 years ago. He’s the current chairman of the International Cessna 195 Club, and the proud caretaker for N4331N, a 1947 195 dressed in a stylish cream and bronze paint scheme.

“I came to a Cessna 195 by need—a need for seats for my growing family, a need for an airplane of size, load, and range, a need for something cool and something old,” Thomsen tells FLYING. “It fit the bill perfectly, but I still had no real knowledge of them. I started my education on ‘Interstate 195’ at EAA AirVenture—the rows of 195s that park at the same spot each year in Vintage. There, I found the type club (International Cessna 195 Club), and some very welcoming people of all ages and backgrounds. Better yet, I found an airplane that everyone falls instantly in love with, myself included. Two months [after that first experience], I was in the left seat.

“I had to grow into the airplane, not having any tailwheel time or knowledge of its operating characteristics, something that is not only challenging but perhaps ill-advised. Getting a good pre-buy and flight checkout in the airplane is critical, by someone who specializes in them, not a casual couple laps around the pattern with the old owner or a visit with the local A&P. Fortunately, some of those first people I met in Oshkosh were there to help guide me with pre-purchase, insurance, and checkout. Two months later, I had my plane, and I named her Bonnie.

“Over the past nine-plus years, I’ve done many upgrades and maintenance; most was expected, but some wasn’t. Thankfully, we are well supported by many organizations, as well as my local A&P. We’ve flown Bonnie all over the country together, and she’s never left us stranded. I can only hope to keep history alive for years to come, and many more adventures.”

A Platinum Celebration

The 51st Annual International Cessna 195 Convention was held in Joliet, Illinois (KJOT), September 7 through 11. It was a people-focused weekend for the 195 families celebrating 75 years of the Cessna Businessliner, with 32 Cessna 195s in attendance. In addition, there were 22 states represented, along with two airplanes from Canada.

To fire up the convention, on Wednesday, chairman Chris Thomsen hosted a welcome barbecue at his home in Meadow Creek Airpark (2IL9). This was the first stop for many on their way to KJOT. 

The next day, about 25 of the 195s participated in a fly-out to Brodhead (C37) to kick off the Midwest Antique Airplane Club (MAAC) grassroots fly-in. The spectacular Kelch Aviation Museum was enjoyed by many during their visit.

On Friday, club members attended a maintenance seminar. Many of them said they were impressed by the professionalism of the training. It consisted of three hands-on, 45-minute sessions that participants cycled through.

First, Jeff Pearson offered a workshop on prop-seal installation. Then, at the same time, Caleb Curry of Radial Engines did a session on ignition inspection and timing on the magneto and distributor. Finally, Darren Butcher led a discussion on “hot topics,” including landing lights, tailwheels, new gear legs, flyaway kit contents, and prop servicing. Three of the attendees volunteered their airplanes. They were literally taken apart—and luckily put back together.

The final day featured a fly-out to the beautiful fly-in community of Poplar Grove (C77). Fourteen Cessna 195s made the journey and their pilots were treated to hangar tours, engine shop tours at Poplar Grove Airmotive, the Vintage Wings and Wheel Museum, and enjoyed a taco lunch at the pavilion, hosted by Jim and Val Slocum. The Thomas family—owners and operators of the airport—were gracious hosts. —Leonardo Correa Luna

Cessna 195

Price: $135,000 to $225,000

Powerplant (original): 300 HP Jacobs R755-A2

Normal Cruise Speed: 130-145 knots

Endurance: 5-plus hours

Baggage Capacity: 220 lb. standard

Takeoff Distance (over a 50 ft. obs.): 1,500 ft.

Landing Distance (over a 50 ft. obs.): 1,495 ft.

Insurance Cost: Moderate

Annual Inspection Cost: Moderate

Recurring ADs: Few

Parts Availability: Good (type club, third party, and OEM)

Milestones in the Life of the Businessliner

The Cessna 195, with its distinctive bumped cowl and teardrop-shaped wheel pants , harkens back to a time when men wore slacks with cuffs and white shirts to work and women dressed up to go grocery shopping. There are those who say the aircraft, which had a relatively short production run, was a classic from the beginning. The airplane had some significant milestones.

• 1945 / The first prototype 195 flies. With the Cessna 190 (which flew in 1944), it’s Cessna’s only post-war radial engine aircraft
• 1947 / The 195 is certified by the Civil Aeronautics Authority, the precursor to the FAA. Because the aircraft is expensive compared to its contemporaries, it is marketed as the Businessliner, the message being that the person who owns this airplane has places to go and people to see—and needs to do this efficiently.
• 1949 / The U.S. Air Force acquired 15 Cessna 195s and militarized them by installing specialized radio equipment, an escape hatch, and interior fittings. The military 195s get a utilitarian paint job and a new designation: LC-126, and later the U-20. The aircraft is used as a light transport and utility aircraft. Eventually, variants A, B, and C are made for the U.S. Army, National Guard, and U.S. Air Force.
• 1950 / The LC-126s are delivered with interchangeable floats and skis for more utility.
• 1954 / Cessna terminates the production run of 195s. The aircraft manufacturer is working on a tricycle gear design—the Cessna 172.
• 1969 / Dwight Ewing, a California rancher and realtor who bought a Cessna 195 to take his children around the country, formed the Cessna 195 Club. One of the first type clubs created, it started out as a social organization with lots of fly-ins and a quarterly newsletter. Eventually, it evolved into a clearing house for maintenance tips and parts sourcing, and added “International” to its name.
• 2000s / The International Cessna 195 Club expands online. The growing accessibility of personal computers and the internet makes it easier for people to join and take advantage of the resources and information offered through the Cessna 195 type club. Instead of phone calls and exchanging Polaroid photographs to solve problems related to part sourcing and technical matters, collaboration takes place by email and smartphone.
• 2006 / Jack Pelton, then president and CEO of Cessna Aircraft Company, acquired N2196C, formerly owned and flown by Dwane Wallace, who was president of Cessna when the 195 was born.
• 2022 / The Cessna 190/195 series celebrated its 75th anniversary with a major fly-in gathering at Joliet, Illinois (KJOT). Thirty-two Cessna 195s and their pilots attended the event.

This article was originally published in the December 2022/January 2023 Issue 933 of FLYING.

The post The Classic Cessna 195 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Cessna joined Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech in establishing the Travel Air Company as 1925 began. Though the trio had the backing of the local business community, each had a financial stake as well—Cessna’s being the largest, at $25,000, according to The Legend of Cessna, by Jeffrey L. Rodengen.

They rented a building in downtown Wichita, Kansas, and brought to life their first biplane, the Travel Air Model A. The fledgling company built and sold 19 of the OX-5 powered airplanes, at $3,500 each, in the first run. The popular biplanes would evolve into the line of Travel Air 2000s/3000s/4000s.

The Type 500

Cessna had never been a fan of the biplane design—so although he kept working with Beech and Stearman on the Model As, he rented his own place and built a monoplane to his standards.

The five-seater was unique in that it had an enclosed cabin and a semi-cantilever wing—braced by a strut rather than solely holding its own weight. Aimed at carrying the mail, the Type 500 scored its first sale to National Air Transport (NAT) in January 1927, with a contract worth $128,676.

Buoyed by the 500’s success, the Travel Air shop updated the model into the Type 5000 with a 224 hp Wright Whirlwind engine, and a new tail more in the style of its previous models. The company set several milestones with this improved monoplane, including:

• July 14, 1927: Earnest Smith and Emery Bronie flew the City of Oakland from Oakland, California, to Hawaii.
• August 16 and 17, 1927: Arthur Goebel and William Davis won the Transoceanic Air Race, also flying from Oakland, to Wheeler Field, in Hawaii, in 26 hours, 17 minutes, and 33 seconds.

Full Cantilever Wings

Cessna grew enamored with the prospect of building a strutless monoplane—a full cantilever wing that would reduce drag by removing the strut and designing the wing’s internal structure so that it would support the load.

His partners at Travel Air—Beech included—were not as compelled by the concept, so it was at this point Cessna struck out on his own again. Though the date is not official, April 19, 1927, is generally accepted as his starting point with the Cessna Aircraft Company iteration with the famous brand that continues today.

With two designs, Cessna moved to a shop on West Douglas Avenue in Wichita, and began building the Cessna Common (The Legend of Cessna). Because it would be the first full cantilever winged airplane to gain a type certificate, Cessna had to concoct a way to prove the strength of the design.

The workers turned the airplane over on its back, suspended it, and loaded the wings with 3,700 pounds of sandbags, according to an article in Wichita magazine. This met the requirement, but Cessna wanted to see just how much the wings would hold. The men loaded up to 15,752 pounds of the bags—and the wings sagged a little, but they did not break.

With the first flight of the follow-on model, the All Purpose, on August 13, 1927, Clyde Cessna renamed the aircraft The Phantom—and sold the stock that would allow him to organize the company officially. With investor Victor H. Roos, the Cessna-Roos Aircraft Company was born in September 1927. However, Roos departed the business when the board opted to change the name back to the Cessna Aircraft Company in late November. He sold his stock to Cessna, and left the aviation legend to lead his namesake company once more.

The post Cessna’s Pursuit of a Full Cantilever Monoplane appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Perhaps because at one point it incubated 16 aircraft manufacturers, 11 airports, and a dozen flying schools, according to Wichita, Where Aviation Took Wing, an aviation history of the city published by the Greteman Group.

But why did all of that aviation-oriented activity land in what was once a “wheat, oil, and, beef town” in the middle of the high prairie?

It started with early visionaries—and that ready source of capital—but it attained legendary status because of entrepreneurs by the names of E.M. “Matty” Laird, Lloyd Stearman, and Walter Beech—and supported by oil men like Jake Moellendick. The trio toiled together for the E.M. Laird Airplane Company—Stearman on drafting aircraft plans and Beech on sales—until Laird left in 1923.

After a few more fits and starts, in 1924, Stearman (as chief engineer) and Beech (as chief test pilot) disbanded the Swallow Aircraft Company, which they had renamed after Laird left.

And then Clyde Cessna came along.

Silver Wings

Born on December 5, 1879, Clyde Vernon Cessna spent the first two years of his life in Iowa, before his family moved to Kansas to develop farmland. But once he’d reached his majority—and married—he figured out that farming would not bring him the income needed to support a family of his own. 

Cessna had middling success as an auto dealer in the early 1900s, and he moved to Enid, Oklahoma, to pursue a business partnership in 1909. But in January 1911 he attended an air circus sponsored by the Moisant International Motors company—and saw a trio of Blériots fly, according to The Legend of Cessna, by Jeffrey L. Rodengen.

Instantly enamored by the prospect of flying for money, he put in an order for a Blériot Type XI and traveled out to New York to learn more about its construction by working on the Queen Aeroplane Company’s production line.

After procurement pains with the engines—initially a V-type, and later an Elbridge powerplant that produced more horsepower—and a prop that arrived with damage, Cessna had the airplane complete to begin test flights—his first ever at the controls of any airplane. He crashed 12 times before mastering the airplane, christened Silver Wings.

When he finally learned to land without mangling the airplane, in June, Cessna deemed himself ready to present Silver Wings to the public. After a few attempts to launch into the aerial exhibition game, Cessna secured a $300 payment to fly at the Oklahoma State Fair in September 1911—and a successful demonstration of the airplane’s promise.

Return to Kansas

However, Cessna wasn’t finished beating up his only airplane on the Salt Plains of Oklahoma. Fortunately, he survived each mishap and upgraded to a new model in 1913. Along the way, he became the first pilot to fly over Wichita, Kansas, in October 1913, according to The Legend of Cessna. In the course of doing so, the family was inspired to return to Wichita for its business prospects.

Cessna secured the premises to build airplanes on the grounds of the J.J. Jones Motor Company in 1916—following the invitation of a group of Wichita businessmen, members of the newly formed Wichita Aero Club, one of the nation’s oldest—and incorporated the Cessna Aircraft Company there. Wichita had its first aircraft factory functioning by September.

One Seat, Two Seat

Cessna began work in earnest on the company’s next two monoplanes—so called because of their single wing, as opposed to a biplane or triplane—by that December.

Financially supported by the business community, Cessna produced a single-seat exhibition airplane, with a 60 hp Anzani engine, and a two-seater, the Comet. The flight school commenced in the summer of 1917 with five students, training in the 1913 Cessna with the four-cylinder Elbridge Aero-Special, according to a story in Airscape magazine.

But Cessna focused far more attention on the exhibition side of the business—which surely brought in more income, though it varied—than that school, and he was sued by a few of the students—though the suit never went anywhere (The Legend of Cessna).

The Comet, however, stole his heart, and it was with this monoplane that Cessna first toyed with an enclosed cockpit, among other advances. He upgraded the engine to 70 hp as well.

World War I?

With World War I gaining intensity—and the United States committing forces to it—the U.S. Army Signal Corps fell woefully behind on the race for the skies. The Aviation Division had hired a promising young engineer, Donald Douglas, into a position as chief civilian aeronautical engineer (from my book, Honest Vision: The Donald Douglas Story) but failed to leverage his expertise in any significant way beyond inspecting engines and redesigning British aircraft—and hoping to field a new design that would utilize the heavier Liberty engine.

Cessna ran into this lack of interest as well, when he applied to his congressman for “assistance in lobbying Capitol Hill for equipment, vehicles, and airplanes that could be used to train pilots.” (The Legend of Cessna) Though he was in a good position to provide the pilot training desperately needed by the Signal Corps, his entreaty went unanswered.

Fast Forward to 1924

Remember Stearman and Beech? They had redesigned the latest of the Swallow models from their former venture—and built it out of tubular steel rather than rag and wood favored by Moellendick.

The pair needed another partner, so they went to visit Cessna on his farm outside of town. He agreed to join them.

With the backing of investor Walter Innes, Jr, the trio formed the Travel Air Company, incorporating on February 5, 1925.

End of Part 1. We’ll continue Clyde Cessna’s story next week.

The post Clyde Cessna Helped Form Legendary Aviation Trinity in Wichita appeared first on FLYING Magazine.