This is the 7th in a series of aircraft designed, built and flown by more than 25 aircraft companies that called Wichita, the Air Capital of the World, “home.” Some of these early aircraft companies are world famous today, while most are nearly all but forgotten. However, their history should be recorded and aviation aficionados will find great pleasure in seeing these aircraft. Thanks to the photographic artistry of pioneer aviation photographer, Edgar B. Smith (1896-1966) and other pioneer aviation photographers, excellent photographs exist today of most of these early day aircraft.
The photos in this series were printed from Edgar B. Smith’s original 8X10-inch negatives. Additional photographs are from Boeing Military Airplane Co., Robert J. Picket Collection, Cessna Aircraft Co., Walter D. House Collection, William T. Larkins Collection and the Wichita Eagle-Beacon. All photographs are furnished by and are at the courtesy of the Kansas Aviation Museum.
X75 PRIMARY TRAINER PROTOTYPE (1934) Stearman Aircraft Company, South Oliver, Wichita, KS.
MODEL R (1929) Travel Air Manufacturing Co., East Central, Wichita, KS.
EC-2 (1932) Cessna Aircraft Company, 5800 E. Franklin Rd., Wichita, KS.
MODEL AX LOW WING (1930) Mooney Aircraft Company, 3301 S. Oliver, Wichita, KS.
MODEL 4RM-1 “SENIOR SPEEDMAIL” (1931) Stearman Aircraft Company, South Oliver, Wichita, KS.
MODEL C17B “STAGGERWING” (1936) Beech Aircraft Corp., East Central, Wichita, KS.
MODEL DC6A (1929) Cessna Aircraft Company, 5800 E. Franklin Road, Wichita, KS
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MODEL A (1933) Straughn Aircraft Corp., Kellogg and Webb Road, Wichita, KS.
MODEL 4D “JUNIOR SPEEDMAIL” (1931) Stearman Aircraft Company, South Oliver, Wichita, KS.
MODEL 2000 (1928) Travel Air Manufacturing Co., East Central, Wichita, KS.
MODEL T-50 (1940) Cessna Aircraft Company, 5800 E. Franklin Road, Wichita, KS.
MODEL G-29 (1928) Swallow Aircraft Company, 2901 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS.
LAIRD “AIR LIMOUSINE” (1923) E. M. Laird Company, 2700 N. Hillside, Wichita, KS.
The Wichita Municipal Airport Terminal, shown here in the mid 1930s, was chosen as the site for Wichita’s long south Air Museum. This grand old structure was erected during 1930 to 1931 but was not finished and occupied until 1935. Work has been going on through the years to restore the building.