WALTER
BEECH.
Walter Beech was born January 30, 1891,
in Pulaski, Tennessee.
He first flew July 11, 1914, in a Curtiss
brand pusher airplane.
In 1917 he enlisted in the Army and
served three years in the air branch of the signal corps.
In 1920 he came to Arkansas City, where
he spent three years. He worked as an aircraft salesman and an aircraft
repairman as well as a barnstormer. As a barnstormer based in Arkansas City,
he performed all over the nation.
In 1923, after the hanger at the north
field burned down, he went to work for Mattie Laird in Wichita. Laird Aircraft
built the Swallow aircraft.
In 1924 Walter Beech left Swallow
Aircraft and formed his own company building the Travelaire Airplane.
In 1929, Travelaire merged and was
absorbed into the Curtis-Wright aircraft company. The Wichita plant continued to operate and
Walter Beech continued to work for them.
In 1931, Curtis-Wright closed the Wichita
plant and Walter Beech left their employment.
In April of 1932, Walter Beech created
Beechcraft Aircraft.