Beechcraft: aircraft manufacturer

Beechcraft is a manufacturer of business jets and light aircraft. This aircraft manufacturer is also known for its excellent military aircraft.

Today, this American manufacturer is renowned for its production of Beechcraft King Air aircraft, as well as the Beechcraft 1900.

AEROAFFAIRES we take a look back at the history of this aircraft manufacturer, one of the pioneers of business aviation to this day.

Beechcraft today :

A few figures:

Today, Beechcraft is part of the aeronautics giant Textron Aviation.

The company has 15,000 employees worldwide. We do not have information on the number of employees within Beechcraft.

Textron Aviation’s turnover in Europe will be €22.6 million in 2021.

A committed manufacturer :

Beechcraft is committed to meeting the new environmental challenges facing the sector, through the initiatives put in place by Textron Aviation.

To this end, Beechcraft is committed to reducing its carbon emissions by 50% by 2050.

The company also communicates on :

• its use of “green” fuel
• its objective of reducing its fuel and energy consumption by 10% by 2025.
• its “Eco-friendly” aircraft interiors

The origins of Beechcraft

• 1924: The story of this manufacturer began with Clyde Cessna and Walter Beech. They were 2 partners with the common goal of building aircraft. However, there were already disagreements over the type of aircraft to be built. While one (Cessna) wanted to make single-plane aircraft, the other (Walter Beech) wanted to create biplanes.

• 1927: The two partners split up and went their separate ways. Clyde Cessna founded the Cessna Aircraft Corporation.

• 1932: Walter Beech and Olive Ann Beech, his wife and business partner, set up their own company: the Beech Aircraft Corporation, more commonly known as Beechcraft.

The launch of the company

The company began operations in 1932 with a variety of aircraft types. Based in Kansas, in Wichita to be exact, this young company produced aircraft for the air force as well as a completely different range of aircraft, jets for business aviation.

One of the Beech couple’s first goals was to build a jet with advanced flight technology, 5 seats and as much luxury as the interior of a saloon car.

That same year, the company took off with a new aircraft. It was the Model 17 Staggerwing private jet. It took off in November 1932 and, on its maiden flight, became the fastest biplane on the market. Its top speed reached 323 km/h, phenomenal for the time. Hundreds of these jets were sold, both to civilians and for American military operations.
Their first production run was a resounding success.

At the time, the company was very focused on customer satisfaction and the technologies it offered. Walter Beech and his wife’s aim was to create the best aircraft in the world. This is still the guiding principle and philosophy that Beechcraft follows to this day.

After an impressive 781 examples, production of the Model 17 ended in 1948. This left more room for the development of the Model 18 (Twin Beech), created in 1937.

Beechcraft aircraft diversify

The Model 18

As you can see, Beechcraft’s speciality was not airliners, but small business jets, far removed from civil aviation. Other innovations will follow. After the Model 17, the Model 18 was produced for almost 40 years, until 1970.

The American company knew how to perpetuate and enhance the reputation of its famous aircraft. In fact, they were inundated with orders during the Second World War. American pilots flew most of their training flights in these aircraft. As a result, the company grew from 235 to over 2,000 employees to meet all the unexpected demands.

The Bonanza

In 1947, the Bonananza was born, one of Beechcraft’s flagship aircraft.

This revolutionary model holds the world record for the longest production period in the history of private aviation. In fact, this piston-powered aircraft was manufactured for almost 60 years.

This 6-seater flying at a cruising speed of 300 km/h is still in operation today. It guarantees first-rate performance and technological quality for a smooth take-off and landing.

These aircraft are the first of a long list that Beechcraft will gradually build. Below you can see all the business jets that Beechcraft has produced.

A change of direction

It was in 1950 that the company experienced a major change of direction. The CEO at the time, Walter Beech, died suddenly. His wife, Olive Ann Beech, took over directly at the helm and became President of the company for 30 years. She was one of the few female company directors in the United States.

The group did not cease trading for all that, on the contrary, it grew during these years. The company had no fewer than 10 production plants and 17 subsidiaries. During her presidency, Beechcraft’s sales tripled.

But in February 1980, it was time for the President to take her leave and hand over governance of Beechcraft to the Raytheon Company , which had bought her company.

Merger with Hawker and changes of ownership

In August 1993, Raytheon also acquired the manufacturer Hawker .

The following year, Hawker and Beechcraft merged to form Raytheon Aircraft. For eight years, the names of the two companies faded into the background, but in 2002, the two brands resurfaced.

Another change of ownership followed in 2007. Raytheon packed its bags and abandoned its airspace and aeronautical activities. American and Canadian investment funds joined forces to buy out the latter, and renamed the company Hawker Beechcraft.

A few years later, in 2011, the company suffered a major blow and went bankrupt. The company was sold to Textron in 2013. Textron already owned Bell, a helicopter manufacturer, as well as Beechcraft’s oldest competitor, Cessna. The two companies became partners, and now own around 70,000 business jets in use around the world.

The company’s considerable advantage is that they operate small business jets, whereas many European and American aircraft manufacturers (Dassault and Gulfstream) produce much larger business jets with a longer range.

Beechcraft’s 3 main aircraft ranges today

The Baron G58

This small, very light private jet is a twin-engine piston aircraft. It can accommodate 6 people at a flight speed of 325 km/h.

It’s ideal for short journeys in a day, for example. It’s an economical model of business aviation.

Combining practicality, know-how and efficiency, it’s a business jet to choose for short leisure trips or business travel, and all in complete safety!

The King Air range

In Beechcraft’s fleet, the King Air family includes several models, such as the King Air 200 and the King Air 350.

These are turboprops that seat up to 8 passengers, ideal for short-haul routes.

These are the manufacturer’s must-have models, with proven strength and robustness. They tick a number of boxes, including cabin comfort and contemporary design. All with a touch of cutting-edge avionics technology.

The Beech 1900D

The Beech 1900D, an evolution of the 1900C, far from being a propeller-driven aircraft, is slightly larger than the original Beech model.

In fact, this turboprop private jet stands out from other types of aircraft. It can seat up to 19 passengers.

It is therefore ideal for group flights, but can also be used for air freight.

Finally, with its cabin that can be fitted out, the aircraft can also be used for medical evacuations ( EVASAN ). It can be fitted with 6 stretchers and all the necessary medical equipment.

Rent a Beechcraft with AEROAFFAIRES

Despite years of company takeovers and changes of ownership, Beechcraft has never lost its splendour or even its reputation.

This is not the time to pull out the landing gear. It has one of the richest legacies in the private aviation sector against other competitors. Its activities even extend beyond business aviation. In fact, certain models are used by airlines for medical repatriation missions, as well as in the military sector. This company meets the many and varied demands of its customers, and offers tailor-made business jets.

If you are looking for a small private jet Beechcraft, at AEROAFFAIRES we have the potential to select the aircraft you want. Fill in the online quote form or call us on +33 (0) 1 44 09 91 82.