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Walter Beech co-founded Beech Aircraft Company in 1932, creating notable aircraft such as the Model 17 Staggerwing. The Staggerwing had unique features including multiple sets of wings and was favored by business executives and the military. It featured a retractable landing gear and Pratt & Whitney engine, with various variants sold and used in air races.
Walter H. Beech is one of the most well-known aviation pioneers of the early 1900s. Born in Pulaski, Tennessee, in January 1891, he developed an early passion for aviation, beginning to fly at age 14 in 1905. After serving as a pilot in the United States Army during World War I, Beech became an aircraft engineer and test pilot at several major manufacturers, including Swallow Airplane Company before starting Travel Air Manufacturing Company.
In 1932, Walter Beech left Travel Air Manufacturing Company. Along with his wife Olive Ann Beech and several investors, he founded Beech Aircraft Company in Wichita, Kansas. This company would eventually become one of the most historically significant aircraft manufacturers, designated as one of the "Big Three" in general aviation alongside Cessna and Piper.
