Fri, Apr 01, 2022
From April 1st, 2017: Classic Airplane With Modern Upgrades
ANN’s April 1 “April Fools” Special Edition Classic
Beechcraft announced April 1 that it has plans to bring back the Staggerwing … “because it’s just the coolest-looking airplane ever.”
The classic biplane was last produced in 1949, “but it is still a head-turner wherever it goes,” said a Beechcraft executive not authorized to speak to the media. “When we presented this to the Textron board, they all wanted to place an order right now. “So we dug the plans out of the archives and started setting up the jigs in Wichita … and we expect to be in production by the 4th quarter of this year.
Pratt & Whitney has been contracted to bring the R-985 engine back into production for the project.
“We looked at the success of WACO with their classic biplanes, and we just knew that this was the direction we had to go. You can’t have King Airs as your only viable product line. And with more and more business people wanting to make a statement with their airplane, well who wouldn’t want a Staggerwing,” Boisture said.
The new Staggerwing will come standard with Avidyne R-9 avionics, but otherwise, the cabin will have a decidedly retro feel. “We want to take owners back to the “Golden Age of Aviation,” Boisture said. “And this is the airplane to do it.
Not wanting to be outdone, Textron's Cessna division is said to be considering a return to production of the model T-50 Bobcat Twin, for those nostalgia buffs who want an engine on each wing. Like the Staggerwing, the Bobcat would appeal to pilots who don’t have to be the fastest, but want to turn heads on the ramp. Cessna president and CEO Scott Ernest said that there has always been a friendly rivalry between the Beech and Cessna divisions once both companies were absorbed by Textron. “We’re always looking for ways to compete for market share. And so I’ve placed a little bet with Bill to see which airplane will be the most popular.”
Terms of the bet were not disclosed, but a Textron insider said that the loser will have to shine the winner's shoes each day at NBAA 2020.
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