Beechcraft Staggerwing

[Stationair8]

An interesting article in a pilot magazine about Beechraft Stagerwings being built under licence in Japan prior to WW2. Nothing mentioned in the Putnam guide to BEECH aircraft, anyway have any more info?

[Rosevidney1]

Never heard of the Beech 17 being made by any other firm.

[evansb]

Yes, Beechcraft exported 2 C17Es to Japan in 1937, resulting in Japanese construction of 20 C17Es built under license, from 1937 to 1940. Preliminary design work was done in Japan on a proposed gull-wing biplane fighter designated A17J, and based on the A17F, but nothing ever came of it.

http://img163.imageshack.us/img163/6262/beechc17e.jpg

[Rosevidney1]

That is interesting evansb. Where can we find details of the Japanese built Staggerwings please?

[A30yoyo]

Precious little online Beechcraft (http://www.aerofiles.com/_beech.html)

and ALEX REMEMBERS a personal memoir (http://propilotmag.com/archives/2012/May%2012/Alex-May12.html)

[skytrain10]

Hi Stationair. Putnam's Beech aircraft does make mention of the Japanese Staggerwings and in fact evansb's picture is reproduced in that publication. There is more comprehensive information in their book on Japanese Aircraft 1910-1941, including reference to the one armed example.

[Flightwatch]

Slightly off topic, anyone interested in the Staggerwing should take a look at the following link.

Around the world in a Staggerwing | D-17S Beechcraft | Captain Biff Windsock | William M. Charney | Reno, NV (http://www.captainbiff.com/index.html)

It tells the story of "Capt Biff Windsock" aka Bill Charney, a charming gentleman, a retired USAF and United pilot who I was lucky enough to hear a presentation from when he was passing through Cyprus a year ago.

Having bought his Staggerwing (originally delivered to the Fleet Air Arm) in '94 he has since had it completely rebuilt in New Zealand and is currently flying it back to the US the long way round.

The website will give you the complete story including his current location (near Pau) and is worthy of a read and it has some excellent photos of the machine he has christened "Red Rockette".