Beechcraft Staggerwing ~ lovely radial engine sound

Beechcraft GB-2 Staggerwing flight demonstration at Airshow Degerfeld 2018. The Name of the Plane is "The Red Rockette" - Beechcraft GB-2 Staggerwing NC16S #6687 flown by Captain Biff Windsock.

GB-2: USN version as GB-1 but with a 450hp R-985-50 or R-985-AN-1 engine, 271 built, 132 later transferred to USAAF as UC-43s. Also additional aircraft from a cancelled British contract and impressed aircraft.

At the height of the Great Depression, aircraft executive Walter H. Beech and airplane designer Ted A. Wells joined forces to collaborate on a project to produce a large, powerful, and fast cabin biplane built specifically for the business executive. The Beechcraft Model 17, popularly known as the "Staggerwing", was first flown on November 4, 1932. During its heyday, it was used as an executive aircraft, much as the private jet is now, and its primary competition were the Waco Custom Cabin and Waco Standard Cabin series of biplanes.

The Model 17's unusual negative stagger wing configuration (the upper wing staggered behind the lower) and unique shape maximized pilot visibility and was intended to reduce interference drag between the wings (although it was later found to have negligible effect). The fabric-covered fuselage was faired with wood formers and stringers over a welded, steel tube frame. Construction was complex and took many man-hours to complete. The Staggerwing's retractable conventional landing gear, uncommon at that time, combined with careful streamlining, light weight, and a powerful radial engine, helped it perform well.


General characteristics

Crew: one
Capacity: three passengers
Payload: 125 lb (56.7 kg) of baggage
Length: 26 ft 10 in (8.18 m)
Wingspan: 32 ft (9.75 m)
Height: 8 ft (2.44 m)
Wing area: 296.5 ft² (27.55 m²)
Empty weight: 2,540 lb (1,150 kg)
Loaded weight: 4,250 lb (1,930 kg)
Powerplant: 1 × Pratt & Whitney R-985-AN-1 "Wasp Junior" radial engine, 450 hp (340 kW) at 2,300 rpm

Performance

Maximum speed: 212 mph (184 knots, 341 km/h)
Cruise speed: 202 mph (176 knots, 325 km/h)
Range: 582 nm (670 mi, 1,078 km)
Service ceiling: 25,000 ft (7,600 m)
Rate of climb: 1,500 ft/min (7.6 m/s)
Wing loading: 14.3 lb/ft² (70.0 kg/m²)
Power/mass: 9.44 lb/hp (5.68 kg/kW)