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See also: Hawker Beechcraft

The Beech Aircraft Corporation, previously the Beechcraft Division of Raytheon and now a unit of Hawker Beechcraft, is a manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports.

1978 Beech Bonanza F33C.

Beechcraft was founded in 1932 by Walter H. Beech and his wife Olive Ann Beech. The Beeches began operations in an idle Cessna factory. With designer Ted Wells, they developed their first aircraft, the classic Beech Staggerwing model 17, which flew for the first time in November 1932. Over 750 Staggerwings were built, with 270 manufactured for the U.S. Army during World War II.

After the war, the Staggerwing was replaced by the revolutionary Beechcraft Bonanza. Perhaps the best known Beech aircraft, the single-engine Bonanza has been manufactured for nearly 60 years. The Bonanza has had the longest production run out of any airplane, past or present, in the world. Other important Beech planes are the King Air/Super King Air line of twin-engine turboprops, in production since 1964, the Baron, a twin-engine variant of the Bonanza and the Beech 18, originally a business transport and commuter airliner in the 1950s and 1960's, which remains in active service as a cargo transport.

In 1950, Olive Ann Beech was installed as president and CEO of the company, after the sudden death of her husband Walter from a heart attack on November 29th of that year. She continued as CEO until Beech was purchased by Raytheon Company on February 8, 1980.

In 1994, Raytheon merged Beechcraft with the Hawker product line it had acquired the previous year from British Aerospace, forming Raytheon Aircraft Company. In 2002, the Beechcraft brand was revived. In 2007, Raytheon sold Raytheon Aircraft to Hawker Beechcraft. Since its inception Beechcraft has resided in Wichita, Kansas, also the home of chief competitor Cessna Aircraft Company.

1943 Beech D.17S Staggerwing.

Beechcraft Model 2000 Starship.

• Model 17 Staggerwing
• Model 18
• Model 23 Musketeer and Sundowner
• Model 24 Sierra
• Model 33 Debonair
• Model 35 and 36 Bonanza
• Model 50 Twin Bonanza
• Model 55 & 58 Baron
• Model 60 Duke
• Model 65 Queen Air
• Model 76 Duchess
• Model 77 Skipper
• Models 90 and 100 King Air
• Models 200, 300 and 350 (Super) King Air
• Model 95 Travel Air
• Model 99 Airliner
• Model 400 Beechjet
• Model 1900 Beechliner
• Model 2000 Starship
• Model 390 Premier 1A Entry Level Jet

A USAF T-6A Texan II out of Randolph Air Force Base.

• XA-38 Grizzly
• AT-7 Navigator
• C-6 Ute
• C-12 Huron
• C-43 Traveler
• C-45 Expeditor
• CT-128 Expeditor
• CT-134 Musketeer
• CT-145 Super King Air
• CT-156 Harvard II trainer
• RC-12 Guardrail
• T-1A Jayhawk
• T-6 Texan II Joint Primary Aircraft Training System
• T-34 Mentor
• T-42 Cochise
• U-8 Seminole
• U-21 Ute

• AQM-37 Jayhawk
• MQM-61A Cardinal

• Beechcraft Division web site
• Aerofiles - Reference site for all Beech aircraft
• Aircraft-Info.net - Beechcraft
• RTP-TV AeroSpace Show: 1942 Beech C45 Aerobatic Video
• Beech Aero Club (Owners and Pilots Association)
• Patents owned by Beech Aircraft Corporation. US Patent & Trademark Office. Retrieved on December 5, 2005.

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