Cessna’s Pursuit of a Full Cantilever Monoplane

The aviation pioneer joined Travel Air, but soon struck out on his own again.

Monday, December 12, 2022 at 06:05 PM ET

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Clyde Cessna started into the aircraft business in Wichita with partners in the Travel Air Company, but soon after struck out on his own again to build Cessna’s full cantilever wing monoplanes. [Courtesy Kansas Aviation Museum]

Key Takeaways:

Clyde Cessna co-founded the Travel Air Company in 1925 with Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech, contributing the largest financial stake and producing successful biplanes like the Travel Air Model A.
Despite Travel Air's focus on biplanes, Cessna independently developed his preferred monoplane designs, creating the successful Type 500 with a semi-cantilever wing, which evolved into the record-setting Type 5000.
Cessna left Travel Air to pursue his vision for full cantilever wing designs, unofficially establishing the Cessna Aircraft Company around April 1927.
He famously demonstrated the strength of his pioneering full cantilever wing on the Cessna Common by loading it with over 15,000 pounds of sandbags, later officially organizing the company (briefly as Cessna-Roos) that same year.

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In the first part of this short biography on Clyde Cessna—in honor of his birthday last week—his early years that led him to Wichita, and his first airplanes, come to light.

Cessna joined Lloyd Stearman and Walter Beech in establishing the Travel Air Company as 1925 began. Though the trio had the backing of the local business community, each had a financial stake as well—Cessna’s being the largest, at $25,000, according to The Legend of Cessna, by Jeffrey L. Rodengen.