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Beechcraft Staggerwing!
The new plane, given the factory name of Model 17, rose into the air for the first time on November 4th, 1932. Flight results were even better than the designers expected. A month later the plane gained its flying certificate, and in January of the following year pilot Eric Wood won the Texas Cup for high-speed aircraft. During the next four years the plane was modified and improved several times and in 1937 appeared the D17, whose main new features were the removal of the ailerons to the
upper wings, with flaps located on the lower wings, a modified fin and rudder, a new braking system for the undercarriage, and additional fuel tanks.

After the D17A and the D17R came the D17S, which had a more powerful Pratt & Whitney R-985-SB Wasp Junior engine, and a new Hamilton Standard propeller. Takeoff weight increased to 1,925 kg. 53 of this version were built, all of them for private owners, but at the beginning of WWII some of them were requisitioned by the army, where they were known as the GB-2. The aircraft of the final series which appeared in 1946 became known as the G17S. The shape of the cowling and the windscreen of the plane were more streamlined than that of its predecessor, but only a small quantity of this model was built.
After the end of WWII, requisitioned Staggerwings were returned to civilian owners, and many of the military machines, built for military contracts, were also sold to private traders. These elegant and unique planes are prominent participants of modern air shows, and highly popular. This unusually shaped aircraft, created almost 80 years ago, is today the embodiment of aesthetic and tasteful aircraft design.

DC-6 for the President!
In 1944 the Douglas company designed the C-112, a development of its precursor, the well-known C-54 transport aircraft. The civilian version of the C-112 was named the DC-6 and by 1946 had already successfully passed its tests. The following year the first production aircraft were delivered to customers, among whom were leading U.S. carriers such as United Airlines and Pan American. Series production lasted until 1958, during which time manufacturing plants released more than 500 aircraft of the different versions of the type, the most common of which was the DC-6B. The twenty-ninth C-118 built was delivered to the aircraft fleet of the Presidental administration. After certain additional work by the secret services it was named the "Independence" and a huge white eagle was painted on the fuselage - the bird that symbolized American power. The cabin of the aircraft had 24 passenger seats, and additional recreation space with 12 chairs, and also a working room for the head of state. More fuselage space was outfitted with various pieces of special equipment. Harry Truman used this VC-118 (ie. 'V' as in 'V.I.P.') for the full term of his presidency.