^THE KANSAS
AVIATION
CENTENNIAL
100 Years of Aviation Progress
1911-1912 to 2011-2012

K.A.C. IMAGES
FOR JOURNALISTIC
& EDUCATIONAL
USE ONLY
CLICK IMAGES
TO ENLARGE

Please credit:
"Ks. Aviation Centennial Cmte."

KAC Logo
For Journalistic Use Only, in covering activities of (or sanctioned by) the Kansas Aviation Centennial Committee.

KAC Banner Logo
For journalistic & educational use only

Kansas Aircraft Factories,
past & present
For journalistic & educational use only

Albin K. Longren closeup
For journalistic & educational use only

Albin K. Longren in his first plane: "Topeka I"
For journalistic & educational use only

Longren Flyer #1 - "Topeka I," derived from the design of the Curtiss Golden Pusher. First flight, Sept.2, 1911, near Topeka.
For low-contrast ORIGINAL image, CLICK HERE.
For HIGH-CONTRAST image, CLICK HERE.
For journalistic & educational use only

Longren's factory building, just north of the Capitol Building, in downtown Topeka, still stands.
For journalistic & educational use only

Inside Longren airplane factory, where almost everything was done by hand. This is where Longren began developing advanced airplane-manufacturing machines, which would become valuable to aviation of the future.
For journalistic & educational use only

One of Longren's several patents (this one in the mid-1930s) on his process for building hollow-shell aluminum aircraft -- using a "stretch press" for aluminum forming -- drawing on work he'd begun in 1916. His technology would be sought by many manufacturers, and his concept of planemakeing would become the standard way that most aircraft would be built for the rest of the 20th Century.
For journalistic & educational use only

Kansas-built
Trend-Setters in Speed: 1929 Travel Air Mystery Ship
and
Boeing B-47 Stratojet
For journalistic & educational use only

KANSAS-RELATED AIRCRAFT
Aircraft with exceptional Kansas connections --

Built entirely or partially here,
    or
Designed entirely or partially here,
    or
Flown by Kansas-based airlines,
    or
Based at local military bases,
    or
Key to important aviation events in Kansas,
    or
Flown to fame by Kansas aviators.

Some examples (illustrated by actual U.S. postage stamps; designed/built here, except as noted) include:
ALL AIRCRAFT BY:

Cessna Aircraft Co.

Beech / Raytheon /
Hawker-Beechcraft

Lear Jet / Gates Learjet /
Learjet, Inc. of Bombardier
EARLY AIRCRAFT:

Longren
Laird/Swallow
Travel Air
Stearman
American Eagle

GENERAL AVIATION:
- Past & Present:

Helio
Culver
Alon Aircoupe (Ercoupe revival)
Funk
Porterfield
Rearwin / Commonwealth
Inland Sport
Rawdon
Great Lakes biplane (revived here; Kansan Harold Krier was legendary U.S. acrobatic flying champ with original.)
Eagle 150B (Australian import; assembled here)
Bell JetRanger helicopter
(many frames built by Beech; Charles Siebel, Kansan, one of its trio of designers)
LIGHT SPORT / SINGLE-SEAT:
Bede BD-5 Micro
/ BD-5J Microjet
Mooney M-18 Mite
Belite
RANS
Powrachute
FAMOUS HOMEBUILT DESIGNS:
Corben Baby Ace
Wichhawk
Prescott Pusher

MILITARY & COMMERCIAL:

Many BOEING aircraft -
(some built completely here;
major sections of the rest built here):

Military:
whole: B-29, B-47, B-52.
part: B-17, KC-135, Air Force One.

Jetliners:
part: 707, 720, 727, 737*, 747, 757*, 767, 777, 787 Dreamliner *737 & 757 structure mostly Wichita-built

AIRBUS A380
(its wings designed here)

TWA AIRLINERS:
(based in Kansas City, KS)

Ford & Fokker Trimotor
Douglas DC-2 & DC-3
Lockheed Constellation
Convair 880/990
Boeing jetliners:
707, 720, 727, 737, 747

ADDITIONAL WORLD WAR II AIRCRAFT:

North American B-25 Mitchell (built here)
Consolidated B-24 Liberator
(crews trained across Kansas)
Douglas B-26/A-26 Invader
(wings, etc., built at Beech & Cessna; crews trained in Ks.)
WACO CG-4A invasion glider
(multiple Kansas mfrs.)

MILITARY PLANES BASED and/or BUILT IN KANSAS:

Bombers:
B-17, B-24, B-25, B-26, A-26, B-29,
B-47, B-52, B-1
Fighters/attack planes:
P-80 / F-80, F-84, F-86,
F-100, F-105, F-4, F-16,
Cessna AT-37
Tankers:
KB-29, KB-50, KC-97, KC-135
Trainers:
Stearman PT trainers,
Cessna Bobcat,
Beech AT-10, AT-11,
Beech T-34, T-34C, T-6A Texan II
Beech T-1A, T-44
Cessna T-37
AT-33, T-33, T-38, T-39
Recon/Observation/Other:
Cessna O-1, O-2
Beech QU-22, RC-12
Boeing Scout
Culver PQ-8 / PQ-14
Air Force One

OTHER NOTABLES:

Lockheed Electra
(Developed by Lloyd Stearman while Lockheed President in Calif.;
flown by Amelia Earhart; on stamp in background.)

Rutan /
Virgin Atlantic
"Global Flyer"
(first non-stop, unrefueled, 'round-the-world airplane solo, flown by Steve Fossett,
started/ended at Salina, KS Airport; assisted by Kansas State Univ. aviation faculty & students.)

Air Force One (Boeing 747)
(Manufactured as airliner in Washington state; converted into President's plane by Boeing-Wichita)

Space Shuttle
(Shuttle prototype Enterprise commanded by Kansan Joe Engle on its first flight; other Shuttles manned by Kansas astronauts; Wichita-headquartered Learjet built major parts of some Shuttles)

Join us in celebrating
a Century of Kansas Aviation!

| HOME | ABOUT US | The STORY | EVENTS | RESOURCES | CONTACTS | LINKS |