The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing is an American

biplane A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two main wings stacked one above the other. The first powered, controlled aeroplane to fly, the Wright Flyer, used a biplane wing arrangement, as did many aircraft in the early years of aviation. While ...

with an atypical negative wing stagger (the lower wing is farther forward than the upper wing). It first flew in 1932, and was sold on the civilian market, being used for transport and air racing. During World War II, it was used by allied forces, and after the war continued in civilian production until 1949, with 785 having been produced.

Development

In 1932, Walter H. Beech, formerly head of the aircraft manufacturer

Travel Air The Travel Air Manufacturing Company was an aircraft manufacturer established in Wichita, Kansas, United States in January 1925 by Clyde Cessna, Walter Beech, and Lloyd Stearman. An early leader in single-engine, light-aircraft manufacturing, ...

, left

Curtiss-Wright The Curtiss-Wright Corporation is an American manufacturer and services provider headquartered in Davidson, North Carolina, with factories and operations in and outside the United States. Created in 1929 from the consolidation (business), consoli ...

, which had purchased Travel Air in 1929, to set up a new company, Beech Aircraft Corporation, based in

Wichita, Kansas Wichita ( ) is the List of cities in Kansas, most populous city in the U.S. state of Kansas and the county seat of Sedgwick County, Kansas, Sedgwick County. As of the 2020 United States census, 2020 census, the population of the city was 397, ...

. Beech took the airplane designer Ted A. Wells from Curtiss-Wright, and the first project of the new company was the Model 17, a fast

with an enclosed cabin designed to meet the needs of business executives. It was based on a design drafted by Wells while at Curtiss-Wright, but rejected by the Curtiss-Wright board. The

Beechcraft Beechcraft is an American brand of civil aviation and Military aircraft, military aircraft owned by Textron Aviation since 2014, headquartered in Wichita, Kansas. Originally, it was a brand of Beech Aircraft Corporation, an American manufacture ...

Model 17, popularly known as the "Staggerwing", was first flown on November 4, 1932. During its heyday, it was used as an executive aircraft, much as the

private jet A business jet, private jet, or bizjet is a jet aircraft designed for transporting small groups of people, typically business executives and high-ranking associates. Business jets are generally designed for faster air travel and more personal ...

is now, and its primary competition were the Waco Custom Cabin and Waco Standard Cabin series of biplanes. The Model 17's unusual negative stagger

wing A wing is a type of fin that produces both Lift (force), lift and drag while moving through air. Wings are defined by two shape characteristics, an airfoil section and a planform (aeronautics), planform. Wing efficiency is expressed as lift-to-d ...

configuration (the upper wing staggered behind the lower) and unique shape maximized pilot visibility and was intended to reduce

interference drag Parasitic drag, also known as profile drag, is a type of aerodynamic drag that acts on any object when the object is moving through a fluid. Parasitic drag is defined as the combination of ''form drag'' and ''skin friction drag''. It is named as ...

between the wings (although it was later found to have negligible effect). The fabric-covered

fuselage The fuselage (; from the French language, French ''fuselé'' "spindle-shaped") is an aircraft's main body section. It holds Aircrew, crew, passengers, or cargo. In single-engine aircraft, it will usually contain an Aircraft engine, engine as wel ...

was faired with wood

former A former is an object, such as a template, gauge or cutting die, which is used to form something such as a boat's hull. Typically, a former gives shape to a structure that may have complex curvature. A former may become an integral part of the ...

s and stringers over a welded, steel tube frame. Construction was complex and took many man-hours to complete. The Staggerwing's retractable

conventional landing gear Conventional landing gear, or tailwheel-type landing gear, is an aircraft Landing gear, undercarriage consisting of two main wheels forward of the Center of gravity of an aircraft, center of gravity and a small wheel or skid to support the tail ...

, uncommon at that time, combined with careful streamlining, light weight, and a powerful

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

, helped it perform well. In the mid-1930s, Beech undertook a major redesign of the aircraft, to create the Model D17 Staggerwing. The D17 featured a lengthened

that improved the aircraft's handling characteristics by increasing control leverage, and the

aileron An aileron (French for "little wing" or "fin") is a hinged flight control surface usually forming part of the trailing edge of each wing of a fixed-wing aircraft. Ailerons are used in pairs to control the aircraft in roll (or movement aroun ...

s were relocated to the upper wings, eliminating interference with the flaps.

Braking A brake is a mechanical device that inhibits motion by absorbing energy from a moving system. It is used for slowing or stopping a moving vehicle, wheel, axle, or to prevent its motion, most often accomplished by means of friction. Background ...

was improved with a foot-operated brake linked to the

rudder A rudder is a primary control surface used to steer a ship, boat, submarine, hovercraft, airship, or other vehicle that moves through a fluid medium (usually air or water). On an airplane, the rudder is used primarily to counter adverse yaw ...

pedals. Between April 1936 through May 1940 there were six Model 17 fatal accidents involving midair breakups that were attributed to weather conditions and structural failures, later determined to be caused by flutter of the ailerons and wings. The CAA Bureau of Safety Regulation initially issued an edict to restrict maximum airspeed and

instrument flight In aviation, instrument flight rules (IFR) is one of two sets of regulations governing all aspects of civil aviation aircraft operations; the other is visual flight rules (VFR). The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration's (FAA) ''Instrument Fly ...

, which was later replaced by a safety bulletin requiring lead balance weights to be added to the ailerons and flaps, and plywood panels to the outboard portion of the wings to increase torsional stiffness of the wing tip section.

Operational history

Sales began slowly. The first Staggerwings' high price tag (between

US$ The United States dollar (Currency symbol, symbol: Dollar sign, $; ISO 4217, currency code: USD) is the official currency of the United States and International use of the U.S. dollar, several other countries. The Coinage Act of 1792 introdu ...

14,000 and $17,000, depending on engine size) scared off potential buyers in an already depressed civil aircraft market. Only 18 Model 17s were sold during 1933, the first year of production, but sales steadily increased. Each Staggerwing was custom-built by hand. The luxurious cabin, trimmed in

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning (leather), tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffal ...

and

mohair Mohair (pronounced ) originated from the Arabic word �هيرand it is a fabric or yarn made from the hair of the Angora goat (not Angora wool from the fur of the Angora rabbit). Both durable and resilient, mohair is lustrous with high shee ...

, held up to five passengers. Eventually, the Staggerwing captured a substantial share of the passenger aircraft market. By the start of World War II, Beechcraft had sold more than 424 Model 17s.

Air racing

The Staggerwing's speed made it popular with 1930s air racers. An early version of the Model 17 won the 1933

Texaco Texaco, Inc. ("The Texas Company") is an American Petroleum, oil brand owned and operated by Chevron Corporation. Its flagship product is its Gasoline, fuel "Texaco with Techron". It also owned the Havoline motor oil brand. Texaco was an Independ ...

Trophy Race. In 1935, a British

diplomat A diplomat (from ; romanization, romanized ''diploma'') is a person appointed by a state (polity), state, International organization, intergovernmental, or Non-governmental organization, nongovernmental institution to conduct diplomacy with one ...

, Capt. H.L. Farquhar, successfully flew around the world in a Model B17R, traveling 21,332 miles (34,331 kilometers) from

New York New York most commonly refers to: * New York (state), a state in the northeastern United States * New York City, the most populous city in the United States, located in the state of New York New York may also refer to: Places United Kingdom * ...

London London is the Capital city, capital and List of urban areas in the United Kingdom, largest city of both England and the United Kingdom, with a population of in . London metropolitan area, Its wider metropolitan area is the largest in Wester ...

, by way of

Siberia Siberia ( ; , ) is an extensive geographical region comprising all of North Asia, from the Ural Mountains in the west to the Pacific Ocean in the east. It has formed a part of the sovereign territory of Russia and its predecessor states ...

Southeast Asia Southeast Asia is the geographical United Nations geoscheme for Asia#South-eastern Asia, southeastern region of Asia, consisting of the regions that are situated south of China, east of the Indian subcontinent, and northwest of the Mainland Au ...

, the

Middle East The Middle East (term originally coined in English language) is a geopolitical region encompassing the Arabian Peninsula, the Levant, Turkey, Egypt, Iran, and Iraq. The term came into widespread usage by the United Kingdom and western Eur ...

North Africa North Africa (sometimes Northern Africa) is a region encompassing the northern portion of the African continent. There is no singularly accepted scope for the region. However, it is sometimes defined as stretching from the Atlantic shores of t ...

and back across

Europe Europe is a continent located entirely in the Northern Hemisphere and mostly in the Eastern Hemisphere. It is bordered by the Arctic Ocean to the north, the Atlantic Ocean to the west, the Mediterranean Sea to the south, and Asia to the east ...

Louise Thaden Iris Louise McPhetridge Thaden (born Louise McPhetridge; November 12, 1905 – November 9, 1979) was an American aviation pioneer, holder of numerous aviation records, and the first woman to win the Bendix trophy, alongside Blanche Noyes. She was ...

and

Blanche Noyes Blanche Noyes (June 23, 1900 – October 6, 1981) was an American pioneering female aviator who was among the first ten women to receive a transport pilot's license. In 1929, she became Ohio's first licensed female pilot. Biography She was bo ...

won the 1936

Bendix trophy The Bendix Trophy is a U.S. aeronautical racing trophy. The transcontinental, point-to-point race, sponsored by industrialist Vincent Bendix founder of Bendix Corporation, began in 1931 as part of the National Air Races. Initial prize money f ...

in a Model C17R Staggerwing. Thaden also won the

Harmon Trophy The Harmon Trophy is a set of three international trophies, to be awarded annually to the world's outstanding aviator, aviatrix, and aeronaut (balloon or dirigible). A fourth trophy, the "National Trophy", was awarded from 1926 through 1938 in av ...

for her achievement. Jackie Cochran set a women's speed record of , established an altitude record of over 30,000 feet (9,144 m), and finished third in the 1937 Bendix Trophy Race, all in a special Model D17W Staggerwing. The aircraft made an impressive showing in the 1938 Bendix race, as well. In 1970, due to a dispute with the T-6 racing class, the Reno National Air Races invited five Staggerwings to perform a demonstration race. Two G models and two D17 models raced. The five pilots were Bryant Morris, Bert Jensen, Don Clark, Noel Gourselle, and Phil Livingston, the only pilot to have prior racing experience in the T-6 class. The race was flawless, with ''ABC Wide World of Sports'' coverage, but protesting T-6 racers prevented the class from future competition with allegations of safety issues.

World War II

As World War II loomed, a number of Model B17Ls were pressed into service as

bombers A bomber is a military combat aircraft that utilizes air-to-ground weaponry to drop bombs, launch torpedoes, or deploy air-launched cruise missiles. There are two major classifications of bomber: strategic and tactical. Strategic bombing is ...

by the

Spanish Republican Air Force The Spanish Republican Air Force was the air arm of the Armed Forces of the Second Spanish Republic, the legally established government of Spain between 1931 and 1939. Initially divided into two branches: Military Aeronautics () and Naval Aeron ...

, the air forces of the

Second Spanish Republic The Spanish Republic (), commonly known as the Second Spanish Republic (), was the form of democratic government in Spain from 1931 to 1939. The Republic was proclaimed on 14 April 1931 after the deposition of Alfonso XIII, King Alfonso XIII. ...

during the

Spanish Civil War The Spanish Civil War () was a military conflict fought from 1936 to 1939 between the Republican faction (Spanish Civil War), Republicans and the Nationalist faction (Spanish Civil War), Nationalists. Republicans were loyal to the Left-wing p ...

China China, officially the People's Republic of China (PRC), is a country in East Asia. With population of China, a population exceeding 1.4 billion, it is the list of countries by population (United Nations), second-most populous country after ...

ordered a number of Staggerwings to use as

air ambulance Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...

s in its fight against

Imperial Japan The Empire of Japan, also known as the Japanese Empire or Imperial Japan, was the Japanese nation state that existed from the Meiji Restoration on January 3, 1868, until the Constitution of Japan took effect on May 3, 1947. From Japan–Kor ...

Finland Finland, officially the Republic of Finland, is a Nordic country in Northern Europe. It borders Sweden to the northwest, Norway to the north, and Russia to the east, with the Gulf of Bothnia to the west and the Gulf of Finland to the south, ...

had one C17L as a liaison aircraft between 1940 and 1945. On October 2, 1941, Beech shipped a special

camouflage Camouflage is the use of any combination of materials, coloration, or illumination for concealment, either by making animals or objects hard to see, or by disguising them as something else. Examples include the leopard's spotted coat, the b ...

d D17S to Prince Bernhard of Lippe, who was in exile in

after the

German German(s) may refer to: * Germany, the country of the Germans and German things **Germania (Roman era) * Germans, citizens of Germany, people of German ancestry, or native speakers of the German language ** For citizenship in Germany, see also Ge ...

invasion of the

Netherlands , Terminology of the Low Countries, informally Holland, is a country in Northwestern Europe, with Caribbean Netherlands, overseas territories in the Caribbean. It is the largest of the four constituent countries of the Kingdom of the Nether ...

. He used it for refugee work in and around London. The Beech UC-43 Traveler was a slightly modified version of the Staggerwing. In late 1938, the

United States Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

purchased three Model D17Ss to evaluate them for use as light

liaison aircraft A liaison aircraft (also called an army cooperation aircraft) is a small, usually unarmed aircraft primarily used by military forces for artillery observation or transporting commanders and messages. Operation The concept developed before Worl ...

. These were designated YC-43 (''Y'' designating a development aircraft or non-standard type, ''C'' standing for ''Cargo''). After a short flight test program, the YC-43s went to

to serve as liaison aircraft with the

air attaché An atmosphere () is a layer of gases that envelop an astronomical object, held in place by the gravity of the object. A planet retains an atmosphere when the gravity is great and the temperature of the atmosphere is low. A stellar atmosphere ...

s in

Paris Paris () is the Capital city, capital and List of communes in France with over 20,000 inhabitants, largest city of France. With an estimated population of 2,048,472 residents in January 2025 in an area of more than , Paris is the List of ci ...

, and

Rome Rome (Italian language, Italian and , ) is the capital city and most populated (municipality) of Italy. It is also the administrative centre of the Lazio Regions of Italy, region and of the Metropolitan City of Rome. A special named with 2, ...

. Early in World War II, the need for a compact executive-type transport or courier aircraft became apparent, and in 1942, the

United States Army Air Forces The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

ordered the first of 270 Model 17s for service within the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

and overseas as the UC-43 (USAAF designation for ''Utility'', ''Cargo''). These differed only in minor details from the commercial model. To meet urgent wartime needs, the government also purchased or

leased A lease is a contractual arrangement calling for the user (referred to as the ''lessee'') to pay the owner (referred to as the Lessor (leasing), ''lessor'') for the use of an asset. Property, buildings and vehicles are common assets that are l ...

(impressed) additional "Staggerwings" from private owners, including 118 more for the Army Air Force plus others for the

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

. In Navy service, the airplanes were designated as GB-1 and GB-2 (under USN designating convention signifying ''General'' (purpose), ''Beech'', ''1st'' or ''2nd'' variant of type). The

British British may refer to: Peoples, culture, and language * British people, nationals or natives of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. * British national identity, the characteristics of British people and culture ...

Royal Air Force The Royal Air Force (RAF) is the Air force, air and space force of the United Kingdom, British Overseas Territories and Crown Dependencies. It was formed towards the end of the World War I, First World War on 1 April 1918, on the merger of t ...

and

Royal Navy The Royal Navy (RN) is the naval warfare force of the United Kingdom. It is a component of His Majesty's Naval Service, and its officers hold their commissions from the King of the United Kingdom, King. Although warships were used by Kingdom ...

acquired 106 "Traveller Mk. I" (the British name uses the UK double "l" spelling) through the

Lend-Lease Lend-Lease, formally the Lend-Lease Act and introduced as An Act to Promote the Defense of the United States (),3,000 Hurricanes and >4,000 other aircraft) * 28 naval vessels: ** 1 Battleship. (HMS Royal Sovereign (05), HMS Royal Sovereign) * ...

arrangement to fill its own critical need for light personnel transports. Beech UC-43 USAF

The production UC-43 differed in minor details from the service test YC-43. Two distinguishing external features of the UC-43 are the circular

automatic direction finder An automatic direction finder (ADF) is a marine or aircraft Radio navigation, radio-navigation instrument that automatically and continuously displays the relative bearing from the ship or aircraft to a suitable radio station. ADF receivers are n ...

antennae mounted between the main landing gear and

landing lights Landing lights are lights, mounted on aircraft, that illuminate the terrain and runway ahead during takeoff and landing, as well as being used as a collision avoidance measure against other aircraft and bird strikes. Overview Almost all moder ...

near the lower wingtips. They were all powered by the 450

horsepower Horsepower (hp) is a unit of measurement of power, or the rate at which work is done, usually in reference to the output of engines or motors. There are many different standards and types of horsepower. Two common definitions used today are t ...

(336

kilowatt The watt (symbol: W) is the unit of Power (physics), power or radiant flux in the International System of Units (SI), equal to 1 joule per second or 1 kg⋅m2⋅s−3. It is used to quantification (science), quantify the rate of Work ...

)

Pratt & Whitney R-985 The Pratt & Whitney R-985 Wasp Junior is a series of nine-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine, radial aircraft engines built by the Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company from the 1930s to the 1950s. These engines have a Engine displacement, displace ...

engine.

Postwar

After the war's end, Beech immediately converted its manufacturing capabilities back to

civil aircraft Civil may refer to: *Civility, orderly behavior and politeness *Civic virtue, the cultivation of habits important for the success of a society *Civil (journalism) ''The Colorado Sun'' is an online news outlet based in Denver, Colorado. It lau ...

production, making one final version of the Staggerwing, the Model G17S. They built 16 aircraft, which they sold for US$29,000 apiece.

Norway Norway, officially the Kingdom of Norway, is a Nordic countries, Nordic country located on the Scandinavian Peninsula in Northern Europe. The remote Arctic island of Jan Mayen and the archipelago of Svalbard also form part of the Kingdom of ...

sold one D17S to

in 1949, which the

Finnish Air Force The Finnish Air Force (FAF or FiAF; ; ) is one of the branches of the Finnish Defence Forces. Its peacetime tasks are airspace surveillance, identification flights, and production of readiness formations for wartime conditions. The Finnish Air ...

used from 1950 to 1958. The lightweight

V-tail The V-tail or ''vee-tail'' (sometimes called a butterfly tail or Rudlicki's V-tailGudmundsson S. (2013). "General Aviation Aircraft Design: Applied Methods and Procedures" (Reprint). Butterworth-Heinemann. p. 489. , 9780123973290) of an aircraf ...

Beechcraft Bonanza The Beechcraft Bonanza is an American general aviation aircraft introduced in 1947 by Beech Aircraft Corporation of Wichita, Kansas. The six-seater, single-engined aircraft is still produced by Beechcraft and has been in continuous productio ...

, a powerful four-passenger luxury aircraft, soon replaced the venerable Staggerwing in the Beech product line, at about a third of the price. The Bonanza was a smaller aircraft with less horsepower, but carried four people at a similar speed to the Staggerwing. Beechcraft sold the 785th and final Staggerwing in 1948 and delivered it in 1949. Beech YC-43

Critical praise

In March 2003, ''Plane & Pilot'' magazine named the Staggerwing one of its Top Ten All-Time Favorite aircraft. In the April 2007 issue of ''

AOPA The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) is a Frederick, Maryland-based American non-profit political organization that advocates for general aviation. AOPA's membership consists mainly of general aviation pilots in the United States ...

Pilot'' magazine, it was reported that the Staggerwing was voted by nearly 3000 AOPA members as the Most Beautiful Airplane. "Members said it's the perfect balance between 'muscular strength and delicate grace,' and rated it highly for its 'classic lines and symmetry.'" The November 2012 issue of ''Aviation History'' magazine ranked the Staggerwing fifth in their top 12 list of the Worlds Most Beautiful Airplanes. Stating that "Some might think 'the Stag' ungainly, backward wings and all, yet it has become the prime example of vintage beauty" and "...the aftward upper wing led to the big, steeply raked windscreen that is also a key element of what some have called an art deco classic."

Variants

;17 :Fixed gear prototypes, manufactured from 1932 to 1933. :;17R ::Prototypes, powered by Wright R-975-E2 engine. Made first flight on November 4, 1932. Two built. :;17J ::Proposed single-seat military development of the Model 17 powered by a

Wright Cyclone Wright Cyclone was the name given to a family of air-cooled radial piston engines designed by the Wright Aeronautical Corporation and used in numerous American aircraft in the 1930s, 1940s and 1950s. Background The Wright Aeronautical Corporatio ...

engine. The cockpit was moved aft of the upper wing, which was to be in an inverted gull configuration to improve visibility. Not built. ;A17 :Fixed gear, plans for production abandoned in 1935. :;A17F ::Powered by Wright R-1820-F11 engine. One built. :;A17FS ::Powered by Wright SR-1820-F3 engine. One built. ;B17 :Retractable gear, first production model, manufactured from March 1934 to March 1936. :;B17B ::

Jacobs L-5 The Jacobs R-830 or L-5 is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company, beginning in 1935.Gunston 1989, p.85. Design and development The R-830 was effectively ...

engine. One built 1934. :;B17E ::

Wright R-760 The Wright R-760 Whirlwind was a series of seven-cylinder air-cooled radial aircraft engines built by the Wright Aeronautical division of Curtiss-Wright. These engines had a displacement of 756 in³ (12.4 L) and power ratings of 225-35 ...

-E1 engine. Four built from 1935. :;B17L ::

Jacobs L-4 The Jacobs R-755 (company designation L-4) is a seven-cylinder, air-cooled, radial engine for aircraft manufactured in the United States by the Jacobs Aircraft Engine Company. Design and development The R-755 was first run in 1933 and was stil ...

engine. 48 built. :;SB17L ::B17L fitted with floats. One built. :;B17R :: Wright R-975-E2/E3 engine. 16 built from 1935. ;C17 :Manufactured from March 1936 to March 1937. :;C17B :: Jacobs L-5 engine. 40 built. :;SC17B ::Floatplane version of C17B - One built. :;C17E :: Wright R-760-E1. :;C17L :: Jacobs L-4 engine. Six built. :;C17R :: Wright R-975-E2/E3 engine. 16 built. :;SC17R :: Floatplane C17R. One built. 1944D17S

;D17 :Manufactured from March 1937 to 1945 (All were

military A military, also known collectively as armed forces, is a heavily armed, highly organized force primarily intended for warfare. Militaries are typically authorized and maintained by a sovereign state, with their members identifiable by a d ...

models after 1941). :;D17A :: Wright R-760-E2. 10 built. :;D17R :: Wright R-975-E3 engine. 27 built. :;D17S ::

-SB Wasp Junior. 23 built. :;SD17S ::Floatplane version of D17S. :;D17W :: geared and supercharged Pratt & Whitney R-985-SC-G Wasp Junior. Two built. ;E17 :Manufactured from March 1937 to 1941. :;E17B :: Powered by Jacobs L-MB engine. 50 built. :;SE17B :: Amphibian version of E17B. Four built. :;E17L :: Powered by Jacobs L-4 engine. One built. Beechcraft-F17D-Staggerwing

;F17 :Manufactured from April 1938 to 1941. :;F17D :: Powered by Jacobs L-6 engine. 61 built. :;SF17D :: One built. ;G17 :Manufactured from 1946 to 1948. :;G17S :: Powered by Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN4 engine. 20 built. ;Tachikawa-Beechcraft C17E Light Transport :20 built in licence production in Japan by Tachikawa, plus two assembled from imported parts for Dai Nihon Koku KK. Manshu, Chuka Koku and agencies such as provincial police headquarters. ;20M :Unbuilt twin-engine derivative of the Model 17. Was to have been powered by two Menasco C6S-4 Super Buccaneer engines. Canceled in favor of the Model 18.

Military designations

;YC-43 :Three Model D17S with a 450hp R-985-17 engine for evaluation by the United States Army Air Corps Beechcraft UC-43 43-10859 side view

;UC-43 Traveler :Production version with a 450hp R-985-AN-1 engine, 75 ordered for the Army Air Corps and 63 for the United States Navy as the GB-1, 132 were later transferred from the Navy to the Army Air Corps. ;UC-43A :Model D17R with 440hp R-975-11 engine, 13 impressed into service. ;UC-43B :Model D17S with 450hp R-985-17 engine, 13 impressed into service. ;UC-43C :Model F17D with 300hp R-915-1 engine, 37 impressed into service. ;UC-43D :Model E17B with 285hp R-830-1 engine, 31 impressed into service. ;UC-43E :Model C17R with 440hp R-975-11 engine, five impressed into service. ;UC-43F :Model D17A with 350hp R-975-3 engine, one impressed into service. ;UC-43G :Model C17B with 285hp R-830-1 engine, 10 impressed into service. ;UC-43H :Model B17R with 440hp R-975-11 engine, three impressed into service. ;UC-43J :Model C17L with 225hp R-755-1 engine, three impressed into service. ;UC-43K :Model D17W, one impressed into service. This aircraft was originally built in 1937 for famed

aviator An aircraft pilot or aviator is a person who controls the flight of an aircraft by operating its directional flight controls. Some other aircrew members, such as navigators or flight engineers, are also considered aviators because they a ...

Jacqueline Cochran Jacqueline Cochran (May 11, 1906 – August 9, 1980) was an American pilot and business executive. She pioneered women's aviation as one of the most prominent racing pilots of her generation. She set numerous records and was the first woman to br ...

. Cochran flew the airplane in the 1937 Bendix cross-country race and placed first in the Women's Division and 3rd overall. She also set a Women's National Speed Record of 203.895 miles per hour using the airplane. Beechcraft GB-1 Traveler

;GB-1 :United States Navy transport version of the D17, ten bought in 1939 and ten impressed into USN service. ;GB-2 :USN version as GB-1 but with a 450hp R-985-50 or R-985-AN-1 engine, 271 built, 132 later transferred to USAAF as UC-43s. Also additional aircraft from a cancelled British contract and impressed aircraft. ;JB-1 :One Model C17R as an executive transport for the United States Navy. ;Traveller I :British designation for the former US Embassy in London's YC-43 and 107 UC-43 and GB-2 aircraft delivered mainly for the Royal Navy. ;D1Be :

Brazilian Navy The Brazilian Navy () is the navy, naval service branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces, responsible for conducting naval warfare, naval operations. The navy was involved in War of Independence of Brazil#Naval action, Brazil's war of independence ...

designation for the Model D17A.

Engine selection

Operators

Military

Numbers operated from ; *

Royal Australian Air Force The Royal Australian Air Force (RAAF) is the principal Air force, aerial warfare force of Australia, a part of the Australian Defence Force (ADF) along with the Royal Australian Navy and the Australian Army. Constitutionally the Governor-Gener ...

(operated three from 1941 to 1947) ; *

Bolivian Air Force The Bolivian Air Force (BAF; or 'FAB') is the air force of Bolivia and branch of the Bolivian Armed Forces. History By 1938 the Bolivian air force consisted of about 60 aircraft ( Curtiss Hawk fighters, Curtiss T-32 Condor II and Junkers ...

(received one in 1941) ; * NAB – Navegação Aérea Brasileira (airline) *

Brazilian Air Force The Brazilian Air Force (, FAB) is the air branch of the Brazilian Armed Forces and one of the three national uniformed services. The FAB was formed when the Brazilian Brazilian Army Aviation (1919–1941), Army and Brazilian Naval Aviation, Nav ...

(operated 54 from 1942 to 1960) *

(operated four from 1940 to 1941) ; *

Chinese Nationalist Air Force Chinese may refer to: * Something related to China * Chinese people, people identified with China, through nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity **Han Chinese, East Asian ethnic group native to China. **''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic ...

(operated 21 from 1937 to 1945) ; Republic of China-Nanjing * Nanjing air force (operated one from 1941 to 1945) ; * Cuban Army Aviation Corps (operated two in 1945 and 1958) ; *Ethiopian Government (operated two from 1935 to 1936) ; *

(operated one C17L from 1940 to 1945 and one D17S from 1950 to 1958) ; *

Honduran Air Force The Honduras Air Force (, sometimes abbreviated to FAH in English) is the air force of Honduras. As such it is the air power arm of the Honduras Armed Forces. History The first Honduras military flying took place on 18 April 1921 in a Bristo ...

(operated two from 1936 to 1958) ; *

Netherlands Naval Aviation Service The Netherlands Naval Aviation Service (, shortened to MLD) is the naval aviation branch of the Royal Netherlands Navy. History World War I Although the MLD was formed in 1914, with the building of a seaplane base at De Mok, Texel, it deve ...

(one from 1942 to 1945) ; *

Royal New Zealand Air Force The Royal New Zealand Air Force (RNZAF; ) is the aerial warfare, aerial military service, service branch of the New Zealand Defence Force. It was formed initially in 1923 as a branch of the New Zealand Army, being known as the New Zealand Perm ...

** No. 42 Squadron RNZAF ; *

Peruvian Air Force The Peruvian Air Force (, FAP) is the branch of the Peruvian Military of Peru, Armed Forces tasked with defending the nation and its interests through the use of aerial warfare, air power. Additional missions include assistance in safeguarding i ...

five from 1946 to 1958 ; *

(operated nine in 1936) ; *

Fleet Air Arm The Fleet Air Arm (FAA) is the naval aviation component of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN). The FAA is one of five :Fighting Arms of the Royal Navy, RN fighting arms. it is a primarily helicopter force, though also operating the Lockhee ...

701 Naval Air Squadron 701 Naval Air Squadron (701 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom's Royal Navy (RN), which last disbanded during September 1958 at RNAS Lee-on-Solent where it was a Helicopter Trials, Communications and Fleet R ...

712 Naval Air Squadron 712 Naval Air Squadron (712 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was initially established as a (Catapult) Flight in 1936, before being upgraded to squadron status in 1938. It was charge ...

730 Naval Air Squadron 730 Naval Air Squadron (730 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was active between 1944 and 1945 as a Communications Squadron. The squadron was formed and operated out of RNAS Abbotsinc ...

740 Naval Air Squadron 740 Naval Air Squadron (740 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). It was initially active between May and August in 1943, formed as an Observer Training Squadron at HMS ''Condor'', RNAS Arbr ...

776 Naval Air Squadron 776 Naval Air Squadron (776 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which last disbanded at the end of October 1945. 776 Naval Air Squadron formed as a Fleet Requirements Unit at HMS ''Daedalu ...

778 Naval Air Squadron 778 Naval Air Squadron (778 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN). During the Second World War the squadron was a Service Trials Unit (STU) initially based at HMS ''Daedalus'', RNAS Lee-on-So ...

** 781 Naval Air Squadron ** 782 Naval Air Squadron **

787 Naval Air Squadron 787 Naval Air Squadron (787 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which disbanded in January 1956. It formed in March 1941, at HMS ''Heron'', RNAS Yeovilton, out of 804 Naval Air Squadron a ...

799 Naval Air Squadron 799 Naval Air Squadron (799 NAS) was a Fleet Air Arm (FAA) naval air squadron of the United Kingdom’s Royal Navy (RN) which last disbanded during August 1952. It initially formed as a Pool Squadron in South Africa during September 1943, shar ...

; *

US Army Air Corps The United States Army Air Corps (USAAC) was the aerial warfare service component of the United States Army between 1926 and 1941. After World War I, as early aviation became an increasingly important part of modern warfare, a philosophical ri ...

US Army Air Force The United States Army Air Forces (USAAF or AAF) was the major land-based aerial warfare service component of the United States Army and ''de facto'' aerial warfare service branch of the United States during and immediately after World War II ...

Civil Air Patrol Civil Air Patrol (CAP) is a Congressional charter, congressionally chartered, federally supported Nonprofit corporation, non-profit corporation that serves as the official civilian auxiliaries, auxiliary of the United States Air Force (USAF). CA ...

; *Uruguayan Air Force (operated one from 1944 to 1962)

Aircraft on display

;Brazil * 6691 – D17S on static display at the Museu Aeroespacial in Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. Beech UC-43 Traveler USAF

;United States * 1 – 17R on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. This airframe is the prototype Model 17. * 21 – B17L on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 93 – C17L on static display at the National Air and Space Museum in Washington, D.C. It was built as a C17B and originally owned by Buzz Aldrin's father. * 100 – C17B on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 231 – E17B on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 257 – F17D on display at the Mid-America Air Museum in Liberal, Kansas. * 305 – D17A on static display at the Evergreen Aviation & Space Museum in McMinnville, Oregon. This airframe was impressed into service during World War II as UC-43F 42-49071. * 333 – F17D on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 395 – D17S on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 2012 - D17S on display inside at the Clarksville Regional Airport and Jet Center at Clarksville, Tennessee. * 4835 – D17S on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * 4890 – UC-43 on display at the Yanks Air Museum in Chino, California. It has the USAAF serial number 43-10842. It was the museum's first aircraft and bears the seal of the U.S. Ambassador to the United Kingdom. * 6700 – GB-2 on static display at the National Naval Aviation Museum at Naval Air Station Pensacola near Pensacola, Florida. It has the US Navy Bureau Number 23688. * 6880 – UC-43 on display at the Fantasy of Flight in Polk City, Florida. * 6897 – D17S on display at the Lone Star Flight Museum in Houston, Texas. Registration N666TX. * 6913 – GB-2 on static display at the National Museum of the United States Air Force at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base near Dayton, Ohio. It is painted as UC-43 39-139. * B-3 – G17S on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. * B-7 – G17S on display at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee.

Surviving aircraft

Many Staggerwings remain registered with the FAA in flyable condition, or undergoing restoration. Several military versions are on display. ;Canada * 403 – D17S in storage at the Reynolds-Alberta Museum in Wetaskiwin, Alberta. * 4874 – D17S airworthy owned by 1138110 Alberta Ltd. of Edmonton, Alberta. It was previously owned by Vintage Wings of Canada in Gatineau, Quebec. ;United Kingdom * 4803 – D17S airworthy at Old Buckenham Airport in Norwich, Norfolk. * 6701 – D17S airworthy at The Fighter Collection in Duxford, Cambridgeshire. It was built in 1943 as a US Navy model GB-2. It was shipped to the UK and flown by Royal Navy's 782 Naval Air Squadron as Traveller Mk.I ''FT475''. Postwar, it was returned to the US and flown by the US Air Force before passing into private hands. It came back to the UK in 1990 and has since flown with several owners under the UK registration ''G-BRVE''. (see also c:G-BRVE (aircraft), media commons Gallery of G-BRVE) Beechcraft Staggerwing D17S NC67555 FDK MD2

Beechcraft Staggerwing D17S NC67555 FDK MD2

;United States * 102/110 – C17B airworthy with Christine M. St. Onge of Wexford, Pennsylvania. It is operated out of Grove City Airport in Grove City, Pennsylvania. The aircraft is painted in the colors and scheme used by Blanche Noyes and Louise Thaden for the 1936 Bendix Air Race. * 198 – UC-43D airworthy at the Frontiers of Flight Museum in Dallas, Texas. * 3098 – D17S airworthy at the Legacy Flight Museum in Rexburg, Idaho. * 6704 – UC-43 airworthy at the National Warplane Museum in Geneseo, New York. * 6914 – D17S airworthy at the Historic Flight Foundation in Spokane, Washington.

Specifications (Beech Model D17S)

References

;Notes ;Bibliography * * * * * *

External links

Beechcraft Heritage Museum
{{Authority control Beechcraft aircraft, Staggerwing Biplanes with negative stagger 1930s United States civil utility aircraft 1930s United States military transport aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1932 Single-engined piston aircraft Aircraft with retractable conventional landing gear