Continental Engine, Beech 35 Bonanza, Horizontally Opposed 6 Engine

Once the largest independent manufacturer of automotive engines, Detroit’s Continental Motors Corporation purchased the rights to a single-sleeve valve engine design in 1925, believing this technology might replace poppet valves in aircraft engines. However, after considerable testing with U.S. Navy support, the company only became successful in aviation after reverting to poppet valves. Continental’s seven cylinder, air cooled A-70 128 kW (170 hp) radial was introduced in 1929, and the similar but larger W-670, first produced in 1934, grew to 179 kW (240 hp) during World War II.

Continental’s future success began in 1931 when it began production of four cylinder horizontally opposed engines. For example, the Continental A-40 made the classic Piper Cub possible. Today the opposed engine design has replaced all other types of piston engines for various reasons, including fewer cylinders for equal power and smooth running. And Continental is one of the world’s largest manufacturers of general aviation engines.

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Beech 35 Bonanza Waikiki Beech

The Beechcraft Bonanza is one of general aviation's great success stories. This classic airplane first flew in 1947 and is still in continuous production with a conventional tail

rather than the distinctive V-tail with which it first flew. In addition to a generous

acceptance within the aviation world, where it is regarded as the Cadillac of the single engine light-plane field, the Bonanza also rated high marks in the industrial design field. In a survey of 100 leading designers, design teachers, and architects, published in Fortune

magazine, April 1959, the Bonanza was rated as one of the 100 best designs of mass produced products.

The Bonanza's fine performance encouraged a number of people to select it for record breaking flights. Probably the best known of these is the Waikiki Beech, in which William P. "Bill" Odom set two distance records. Beech Aircraft Corporation sponsored both of these record-breaking flights to demonstrate the efficiency and dependability of its airplane.

On January 12, 1949, Odom established a record for light-plane flights from Hawaii to the continental United States. The Bonanza was the first light plane to make this flight, a great circle distance of 2,406.9 miles, though Odom actually flew 2,900 miles. Severe weather over Nevada forced Odom to abandon his ultimate goal of flying the entire continent and return to Oakland 22 hours and 6 minutes after takeoff.

In the log book of the Waikiki Beech, under the dates of March 6,7, and 8, 1949, is the

following entry: "X-country record-breaking flight: 36 hours 01 minutes, Honolulu to

Teterboro, New Jersey. Signed Wm. P. Odom." This brief entry summed up the flight, which covered 4,957.24 officially accredited great circle miles (5,273 actual miles). Of

this distance, 2,474 miles were over the waters of the Pacific Ocean and 2,799 were over

the North American continent. The flight was completed at a total cost of less than $75 for fuel and oil. The average fuel consumption was 19.37 miles per gallon and average speed was 146.3 miles per hour.

A smooth takeoff from Hickam Field, Honolulu, began this record-making flight. It was

uneventful, proceeding as planned except for two detours to avoid bad weather enroute. As he passed over Ohio, Odom changed his shirt and used his electric razor. When he stepped out of the Bonanza at Teterboro, he was clean-shaven and neatly dressed, as any young executive might be on arrival for a business conference.

Following the Honolulu-to-Teterboro flight, Odom made a national tour with the Bonanza, after which it was turned over to the National Air Museum. In 195 1 the plane was returned to Beech Aircraft to be refurbished and lent to Congressman Peter F. Mack, Jr., for a worldwide goodwill flight. Leaving Springfield, Illinois, on October 7, 1951, the

plane, rechristened Friendrhip Flame, visited forty-five major cities in thirty-five countries. On April 19, 1952, 113 days and 33,000 miles later, the plane returned to

Wichita, Kansas.

The Waikiki Beech was the fourth Bonanza built: the only modifications made to the

otherwise standard Model 35 were the fixtures and tubing required to install the extra fuel

tanks, 126 gallons in the cabin and a 62-gallon streamlined tank on each wing tip. The

Bonanza is regarded as a classic aircraft design of the post-World War Iera and is easily identified by its distinctive V-tail. Though a number of other design refinements

contributed to the efficiency of this airplane, the 'butterfly tail" is the most distinguishing

outward characteristic. This unique feature was tested during the waning years of World

War II and found promising. The most important advantages of this design were the

reduction in the number of parts and in weight. Control response with the V-tail is

equivalent to conventional tail surfaces of 40 percent greater area.

Early in 1975 the Waikiki Beech was once again refurbished by Beech for exhibit in the

new National Air and Space Museum. In recognition of its two significant record flights,

the plane carries its Waikiki Beech markings on the left side of the fuselage and the

Friendship Flame markings on the right.