Walter Herschel Beech

Walter Herschel Beech

Walter Herschel Beech (January 30, 1891 – November 29, 1950) was an American pioneer aviator.

Born in Pulaski, Tennessee, Beech started flying at age 14, when he built a glider of his own design. Then, after flying for the U.S. Army during World War I, he joined the Swallow Airplane Company as a test pilot. He later became General Manager of the company. In 1924, Beech joined Clyde Cessna in co-founding Travel Air Manufacturing Company, which was to become the world's largest producer of both monoplane and biplane commercial aircraft. When Travel Air merged with the Curtiss-Wright Airplane Company, Beech became vice-president of the new corporation.

In 1932 he and his wife, Olive Ann Beech, co-founded Beech Aircraft Company. Their early Beechcraft planes won the Bendix Trophy. During World War II, he produced more than 7,400 military aircraft. The twin Beech AT-7/C-45 trained more than 90 percent of the U.S. Army Air Forces navigator/bombardiers and 50 percent of its multi-engine pilots.

Beech died from a heart attack on November 29, 1950. He and his wife are buried at Old Mission mausoleum in Wichita, Kansas.

References

*cite book |last= Dick |first= Ron |authorlink= |coauthors= Dan Patterson |editor= |others= |title= Aviation Century: The Early Years |accessdate= 2007-01-23 |date= 2003 |publisher= Boston Mills |location= Erin, Ontario |isbn= 1-55046-407-8 |pages= 206 |chapter= Great Names

External links

* [http://www.hill.af.mil/library/factsheets/factsheet.asp?id=5843 Biography at Hill Air Force Base website]
* [http://nationalaviation.blade6.donet.com/components/content_manager_v02/view_nahf/htdocs/menu_ps.asp?NodeID=-1645502171&group_ID=1134656385&Parent_ID=-1 Biography at National Aviation Hall of Fame]
* [http://specialcollections.wichita.edu/collections/ms/97-02/97-2-a.html Archive - Walter H. and Olive Ann Beech Collection at Wichita State University]


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