Instantly recognizable with its unusual wing design, the Beech Staggerwing is a gorgeous airplane. Walter Beech wanted a high-performance, four- to five-seat cabin biplane that flew very fast and he got one—in a design that combined a steel tube fuselage; wooden stringers and horizonal and vertical stabilizers; moveable tail surfaces of steel tubing; and fabric covering.
Officially known as the Beech Model 17, the Staggerwing gets its nickname from the fact that the top wing is mounted aft of the lower wing. Theories about the purpose of the design range from improved stall characteristics to an accommodation for the airplane’s retractable landing gear—a first in a general aviation biplane.
Put all of this into a single package with one of 15 engines—everything from a 285-horsepower Jacobs to a 600-horsepower Pratt & Whitney—and you’ve got an eye-catching airplane. Taxiing is said to be a challenge because of the massive nose that sits so high off the tarmac, but airborne the Staggerwing is said to fly like its cousin, the Beech Bonanza. It’s slippery, and its ailerons are light and responsive. You may never own or fly a Staggerwing, but you can admire some beautifully preserved versions all day long at the Beechcraft Heritage Museum in Tullahoma, Tennessee. beechcraftheritagemuseum.org
Jill W. Tallman
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