nuckolls.bob(at)aeroelect Guest
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Posted: Thu Jan 30, 2014 1:40 pm Post subject: Aviation archaeology |
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From all of my personal recollections, the facility on
the northeast corner of Kellogg and Webb was always Beech Plant II.
It's the building where many Bonanzas and Barons were built.
I only recently became aware of it's history. Uncle Walter
didn't built the original structure. The building has been
there for more than 85 years and dates back to a time when
Wichita had 20+ manufacturers of airplanes.
http://tinyurl.com/lgjgnb2
One such company was the Knoll Aircraft Corporation
http://tinyurl.com/lf363n5
http://tinyurl.com/ksxrx2v
In operation barely one year they started out on
West 1st street (right next to Cessna!) before
they built the 'largest building in Kansas devoted
to the manufacturing of airplanes.
They closed the doors in 1929.
Yellow Air Cab company occupied it for about 4 years
http://tinyurl.com/ksxrx2v
Followed by Straughn Aircraft
http://tinyurl.com/kpnnsky
Not until 1940, 21 years after its construction did
it become Beechcraft Plant II.
Vestiges of the original Knoll facility
were visible from outside the additions
constructed over the years by Beech.
Many pages of aviation history were written in
and around that building. They're starting
to tear it down . . . should be level ground
in a few weeks. Ground that hasn't seen the
light of day for over 85 years.
Bob . . .
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