On 29th November 1950, Walter Beech, an American aviator and entrepreneur, died from a heart attack, aged 59.
Walter Herschel Beech was born on 30th January 1891 in Pulaski, Tennessee. There is a high probability his only education was elementary school, as no records confirming his further studies were found.
Nevertheless, Beech was a bookworm and had an amazing talent for mechanics. As a teenager, he worked at several mechanical workshops in the city and quickly became interested in technical novelties, including automobiles and aircraft. Beech´s aviation adventure began already at the age of fourteen, when he designed and built his first glider. Then, together with some friends, he bought a damaged aeroplane and worked on its repairs.
When the United States joined the Great War, Walter Beech enlisted the Army Signal Corps and became an aviation mechanic. After the war, he stayed in the Army and became a pilot.
In 1921, Beech left the army and started to work for Wichita Laird Airplane Company, later known as Swallow Airplane Manufacturing Company. Over the years, he quickly climbed up the career ladder – from a mere pilot to a general manager.
In 1924, Beech, Stearman and Cessna founded their own aviation enterprise, Travel Air Manufacturing Company, with its seat in Wichita. Within the next five years, that joint venture became the world’s largest aircraft manufacturers. Then, Travel Air merged with Curtiss-Wright corporation, with Walter Beech appointed president of the company. The aeroplane production was moved to St. Louis, Missouri but, however, ceased shortly after due to the Great Depression.
Walter Beech returned to Wichita in 1932, and, together with his wife, founded the Beech Aircraft Corporation at the former Travel Air site. The first aircraft made by the new company was Beech Model 17 Staggerwing, initially intended as the 17th aeroplane manufactured by Travel Air.
In the following years the Beech Aircraft Corporation developed and built several types of aircraft that not only marked the history of aviation, but also became the world-known icons of air travel.
Among them there were Model 18, a twin-engine passenger and transport aeroplane; Model 33 Bonanza, a small sport and utility aircraft with revolutionary design; Model 90/100 King Air and Model 200 Super King Air, a series of twin-engine turboprops; as well as Model 45 Mentor, military training aircraft.
For many years, the Beech Aircraft Corporation was considered one of the ´Big Three´ brands in general aviation, together with Cessna and Piper.
However, the amazing aviation career of Walter Beech was broken in 1950 by his sudden death from a heart attack. The company was taken over by his wife, Olive Ann Beech, who run it until 1980. Then, she sold the Beech Aircraft Corporation to Raytheon Company.
In 1977, Walter Beech was inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame at the National Museum of the United States Air Force. Five years later, he was also inducted into the International Air & Space Hall of Fame at the San Diego Air & Space Museum.
In spite of all the upheaval of the aviation industry market, the Beech brand survived until today. It was acquired by Textron Aviation in 2013 but, similarly to Cessna, the management of Textron decided to keep the name as separate brand in the company portfolio.
Currently, the company offers for sale three variants of the King Air, as well as Beechcraft Model 220 Denali (previously known as Cessna Denali), Model G58 Baron and Model G36 Bonanza.
Cover photo: Beechcraft C-45H Expeditor
