Kansas Aviation Legacy

Clyde Cessna, with only a fifth-grade education and lacking a private pilot’s license, helped create the general aviation industry. […]

The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American biplane with an atypical negative stagger (the lower wing is further forward than the upper wing). […]

The Cessna T-37 Tweet is one of the most prominent of the trainer-attack type aircraft. This small, economical twin-engine jet aircraft flew for decades as a primary trainer for the United States Air Force, and in the air forces of several other nations. […]

When World War II grew in scope and intensity, the military wanted some cheap light planes which could be fitted with remote controls for use as target drones, to train aerial and anti-aircraft gunners – but which could hold a pilot for ferrying and other flights. […]

MONOCOUPES: A TWIN AND A DART […]

In 1929, restless young Al arrived to attempt starting a company of his own in Wichita, Kansas, the “Air Capital City” – already home to several plane manufacturers – and 1929’s largest civilian plane maker, Walter Beech’s Travel Air. […]

Alexander turned to engineer Noonan, and directed him to create a new plane design, from scratch, using some of the extra parts acquired with the Longren fleet. It was a daunting task, made all the more difficult by the fact that Noonan was only a “shirtsleeves” engineer, lacking the formal training of a “real” engineer. […]

Kansas has many famous general aviation plane-makers today. But there is another legendary general aviation airplane manufacturer — still very much alive today — that started in Wichita, as well: Mooney Aircraft. […]

Forbes Field (also known as the Topeka Army Airfield and later as Forbes Air Force Base during DOD use) consisted of 4,233 acres. Forbes Field is located approximately 3 miles south of Topeka, Kansas in Shawnee County. […]

It’s hard to think of the Bonanza as anything but immortal. After all, it’s a design that has endured for almost six decades. […]