In article >,
Mitchell Holman > wrote:

> begin 644 Beech 17 54.jpg
> [Image]
>
> end

YES! Finally a G-Model! This was the last model )postwar) built and is
highly-prized!

Orval Fairbairn > wrote in news:o_r_fairbairn-
:

> In article >,
> Mitchell Holman > wrote:
>
>> begin 644 Beech 17 54.jpg
>> [Image]
>>
>> end
>
> YES! Finally a G-Model! This was the last model )postwar) built and is
> highly-prized!


Makes you wonder why they do not resume production.

They would be bound to sell pretty well..........

In article >,
Mitchell Holman > wrote:

> Orval Fairbairn > wrote in news:o_r_fairbairn-
> :
>
> > In article >,
> > Mitchell Holman > wrote:
> >
> >> begin 644 Beech 17 54.jpg
> >> [Image]
> >>
> >> end
> >
> > YES! Finally a G-Model! This was the last model )postwar) built and is
> > highly-prized!
>
>
> Makes you wonder why they do not resume production.
>
> They would be bound to sell pretty well..........

The story is that Beech had a cadre of woodworkers left at the end of
WW-II and decided to put them to work until their more modern stuff came
on line (the Bonanza and its derivatives). The Model 17 was a far more
complex design and far more expensive to build, operate and maintain.

The steel tube fuselage frame was heat-treated after welding, for
instance. Manufacture required several skills to maintain in-house:
welding, heat treating, woodworking, dope and fabric, in addition to
metal work.

Orval Fairbairn > wrote in
:

> In article >,
> Mitchell Holman > wrote:
>
>> Orval Fairbairn > wrote in
>> news:o_r_fairbairn-
>> :
>>
>> > In article >,
>> > Mitchell Holman > wrote:
>> >
>> >> begin 644 Beech 17 54.jpg
>> >> [Image]
>> >>
>> >> end
>> >
>> > YES! Finally a G-Model! This was the last model )postwar) built and
>> > is highly-prized!
>>
>>
>> Makes you wonder why they do not resume production.
>>
>> They would be bound to sell pretty well..........
>
> The story is that Beech had a cadre of woodworkers left at the end of
> WW-II and decided to put them to work until their more modern stuff
> came on line (the Bonanza and its derivatives). The Model 17 was a far
> more complex design and far more expensive to build, operate and
> maintain.
>
> The steel tube fuselage frame was heat-treated after welding, for
> instance. Manufacture required several skills to maintain in-house:
> welding, heat treating, woodworking, dope and fabric, in addition to
> metal work.
>


An all metal version would be both stronger and lighter
than the original, and could probably dispense with the
exterior wing struts as well. The stumbling block I would
forsee would be the radial engine. Difficult to maintain
and find trained people to do it. I had a Beaver once and
know the drill..........

In article >,
Mitchell Holman > wrote:

> Orval Fairbairn > wrote in
> :
>
> > In article >,
> > Mitchell Holman > wrote:
> >
> >> Orval Fairbairn > wrote in
> >> news:o_r_fairbairn-
> >> :
> >>
> >> > In article >,
> >> > Mitchell Holman > wrote:
> >> >
> >> >> begin 644 Beech 17 54.jpg
> >> >> [Image]
> >> >>
> >> >> end
> >> >
> >> > YES! Finally a G-Model! This was the last model )postwar) built and
> >> > is highly-prized!
> >>
> >>
> >> Makes you wonder why they do not resume production.
> >>
> >> They would be bound to sell pretty well..........
> >
> > The story is that Beech had a cadre of woodworkers left at the end of
> > WW-II and decided to put them to work until their more modern stuff
> > came on line (the Bonanza and its derivatives). The Model 17 was a far
> > more complex design and far more expensive to build, operate and
> > maintain.
> >
> > The steel tube fuselage frame was heat-treated after welding, for
> > instance. Manufacture required several skills to maintain in-house:
> > welding, heat treating, woodworking, dope and fabric, in addition to
> > metal work.
> >
>
>
> An all metal version would be both stronger and lighter
> than the original, and could probably dispense with the
> exterior wing struts as well. The stumbling block I would
> forsee would be the radial engine. Difficult to maintain
> and find trained people to do it. I had a Beaver once and
> know the drill..........

Trouble is -- it would have been a whole new engineering effort to do
one in metal -- Beech had a whole new design coming on line.