The Beech Aircraft Corporation, purchased by Raytheon Aircraft on February 8, 1980, and often known as Beechcraft, is a manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. It was founded in 1932 by Walter H. and Olive Ann Beech.
They first set up in Wichita, Kansas in an idle Cessna factory and, with Ted Wells, began their first aircraft; the Beech Staggerwing model 17R. Two hundred and seventy were manufactured for the U.S. Army during World War II.
After the war the Staggerwing was replaced by the Bonanza. Perhaps the best-known Beech plane, the single-engine Bonanza has been manufactured for more than 50 years.
Beechcraft aircraft include:
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