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RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE
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The Beech Staggerwing, with powerful engines, retractable landing gear, and smooth aerodynamics, was one of the best performing single engine pre-World War II light aircraft.
The name "staggerwing" comes from the bottom wing of the Beech17 being staggered forward of the upper wing. Its intent is to increase the pilot's upward visibility while decreasing stall speed.
The USAAF, U. S. Navy, and Royal Air Force all used the Beech Staggerwing during World War Two. A total of 342 Beech Staggerwing aircraft were ordered by the military during World War II. Great Britain received the majority, a total of 105 Beech Staggerwing aircraft.
Originally two very high performance Beech Staggerwing 17R aircraft were built. They were very much an experienced pilot's aircraft, and not suitable for the general aviation marketplace.
The Beech Staggerwing Model 17R aircraft had a wide speed range of from about 60 mph to just over 200 mph. The basic structure of the Beech Staggerwing was made up mostly of fabric covered welded steel tubing. The landing gear had a unique feature. The main landing gear were enclosed in streamline fairings, but the wheels could be retracted in flight so that they were completely within the fairings. The enclosed cabin held a pilot and three or four passengers. The 420 hp radial engine was mounted in a unique tunnel cowling.
The Beech Staggerwing Model B17L, first flown in Feb. of 1934, featured a new thicker lower wing that allowed the main landing gear to fully retract in to it. A new 425 hp. Jacobs L-4 radial engine was also introduced in the Beech Staggerwing 17L model. The combination of fully retractable landing gear, together with a more reliable, lighter, smoother running engine, made the aircraft much easier to fly for novice pilots
Although production ended in 1949, of 785 Beech Staggerwing aircraft that were produced about 100 are still flying.
From Sept. 5 - 7,1936 a Beech Staggerwing set a speed record from New York to Los Angeles of 14 hours, 55 minutes with an average speed of 165.35 mph.
On May 29,1937 a Beech Staggerwing set a 100 Km speed record of 197.7 mph.
