- 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.
History
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.
Aircraft products
Civilian
Military
Drones
External links
