Re: Beechcraft Staggerwing

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:14

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:19

Only 18 Model 17s were sold during 1933, the first year of production, but sales steadily increased.

Each Staggerwing was custom-built by hand.

The luxurious cabin, trimmed in leather and mohair, held up to five passengers.

Eventually, the Staggerwing captured a substantial share of the passenger aircraft market.

By the start of World War II, Beechcraft had sold more than 424 Model 17s.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:24

Wartime ? Un Beech UC 43 low pass au dessus d'engins agricoles. L'Amérique est encore loin d'entrer en guerre

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:24

Air racing

The Staggerwing's speed made it popular with 1930s air racers. An early version of the Model 17 won the 1933 Texaco Trophy Race.

In 1935, a British diplomat, Capt. H.L. Farquhar, successfully flew around the world in a Model B17R, traveling 21,332 miles (34,331 kilometers) from New York to London, by way of Siberia, Southeast Asia, the Middle East, North Africa and back across Europe.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:28

Un 17, qui dépassa de peu les 200 mph

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:29

Louise Thaden and Blanche Noyes won the 1936 Bendix trophy in a Model C17R Staggerwing.

Thaden also won the Harmon Trophy for her achievement. Jackie Cochran set a women's speed record of 203.9 mph, established an altitude record of over 30,000 feet (9,144 m), and finished third in the 1937 Bendix Trophy Race, all in a special Model D17W Staggerwing.

The aircraft made an impressive showing in the 1938 Bendix race as well.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:33

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:34

In 1970, due to a dispute with the T-6 racing class, the Reno National Air Races invited five Staggerwings to perform a demonstration race.

Two G models and two D17 models raced.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:34

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:35

The five pilots were Bryant Morris, Bert Jensen, Don clark, Noel Gourselle, and Phil Livingston the only pilot to have prior racing experience in the T-6 Class.

The race was flawless with ABC Wide World of Sports Coverage but protesting T-6 racers prevented the class from future competition with allegations of safety issues.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:36

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:36

World War II

As World War II loomed, a number of Model B17L were pressed into service as bombers by the forces of the Second Spanish Republic during the Spanish Civil War.

China ordered a number of Staggerwings to use as ambulance planes in its fight against Imperial Japan. Finland had one B17L as a liaison aircraft between 1940-1945.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:38

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:39

On October 2, 1941, Beech shipped a special camouflaged D17S to Prince Bernhard of Lippe, who was in exile in London after the Germany invasion of the Netherlands.

He used it for refugee work in and around London.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:39

YC-43

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:40

The Beech UC-43 Traveler was a slightly modified version of the Staggerwing.

In late 1938, the United States Army Air Corps purchased three Model D17S to evaluate them for use as light liaison aircraft.

These were designated YC-43. After a short flight test program, the YC-43s went to Europe to serve as liaison aircraft with the air attachés in London, Paris, and Rome.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:41

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:42

Early in World War II, the need for a compact executive-type transport or courier aircraft became apparent, and in 1942 the United States Army Air Forces ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service within the United States and overseas as the UC-43.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:44

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:45

These differed only in minor details from the commercial model.

To meet urgent wartime needs, the government also purchased or leased (impressed) additional "Staggerwings" from private owners including 118 more for the Army Air Force plus others for the United States Navy.

In Navy service the planes were designated as GB-1 and GB-2.

The British Royal Air Force and Royal Navy acquired 106 "Traveller Mk. I" (the British name uses the UK double "l" spelling) through the Lend-Lease arrangement to fill its own critical need for light personnel transports.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:46

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:46

The production UC-43 differed in minor details from the service test YC-43.

Two distinguishing external features of the UC-43 are the circular ADF antenna mounted between the main landing gear and landing lights near the lower wingtips.

They were all powered by the 450 horsepower (336 kilowatt) Pratt & Whitney R-985 engine.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:49

Beech UC-43 Traveler Fact Sheet :

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par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:50

Post-war

After the war's end, Beech immediately converted its manufacturing capabilities back to civil aircraft production, making one final version of the Staggerwing, the Model G17S.

They built 16 aircraft, which they sold for US$29,000 apiece.

Norway sold one D17S to Finland in 1949, which the Finnish Air Force used from 1950 to 1958.

par Thipail Ven 24 Sep 2010, 09:51

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