Clyde Vernon Cessna
Encyclopedia
Clyde Vernon Cessna was an American
aircraft
designer
, aviator
, and founder of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation
.
on December 5, 1879. When he was 2, he and his family moved to rural Rago in Kingman County, Kansas
along the Chikaskia River
. During his boyhood he used his self-taught innovation and mechanical skills to improve farm machinery and to develop new farming methods. He later became a successful car dealer in Enid, Oklahoma
.
Clyde's interest in aviation began in 1910 after witnessing an aerial exhibition in his home state of Kansas
. It was this exhibition that led him in future years to pursue his career in aviation. After realizing his interest in aviation, Clyde left Oklahoma and moved to New York
where he worked for a short period at the Queen Aeroplane Company where he first learned about the construction of aircraft.
In 1911, he set out to build his first airplane, an airplane he named "silverwing". His first design was a monoplane
, constructed of spruce and linen and which took the form of an American version of the Bleriot XI
. The engine was a modified Elbridge motorboat motor, dubbed the "aero special", which was a 2 stroke, 4 cylinder engine with a maximum of 40 hp and 1,050 rpm. Upon completion, he sought to test the aircraft at the Great Salt Plains (adjacent to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
) in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
. His first attempt at flight ended in a ground loop
which required $100 to repair. After repairs, Cessna attempted flight 13 more times, each time ending in some sort of failure. Finally on his 13th attempt, Cessna got a glimpse of hope as his aircraft bounced up into the air for a short time before crashing into the trees as he attempted to turn it. After his crash, Cessna exclaimed in frustration, "I'm going to fly this thing, then I'm going to set it afire and never have another thing to do with aeroplanes!". Finally, in June 1911 Cessna had his first successful flight. The crowds that had scoffed at his failures changed their tone and began calling him a "daring hero" and nicknamed him the "Birdman of Enid". Cessna continued to teach himself how to fly over the next several months until December 1911 when he made a successful 5 miles (8 km) flight and a successful landing at the point of departure.
After the success of the Silverwing, Cessna permanently quit his work with the automobile industry to pursue his interests in aviation. Between 1912 and 1915, Cessna developed several new monoplanes, all powered by a 6 cylinder Anzani Radial with 40-60 hp. During this time, Clyde often flew his aircraft at holiday events and county fairs, an endeavour that at the time proved to be lucrative.
It was in 1916 that Clyde acquired a vacant building to begin building a new aircraft for the 1917 aviation exhibition season. His factory served a dual purpose as he also opened a flight school in which he had five enrolled student pilots. However in April 1917 when the United States declared war, the exhibition flying market ground to a halt. With his primary source of income grounded, Clyde returned to his old home near Rago, Kansas
where he resumed his duties on the family farm.
public interest in private flying increased, leading Cessna in 1925, along with Walter Beech
and Lloyd Stearman
, to found the Travel Air Manufacturing Company which was located in Wichita, Kansas
. While Cessna was president, the company soon became one of the leading United States aircraft manufacturers. This success may be attributed to Cessna's advanced design concepts and aircraft that attained international recognition in the course of establishing numerous speed and distance records. However, after two years at the company, design disputes with his partners over the monoplane
versus the biplane
, Cessna left the company with plans to again start his own.
. The "AW" was completed near the end of 1927, a single wing aircraft with top speeds of up to 145 mi/h and a maximum cruise time upwards of 7 hours. The first plane flew on August 13, 1927. In the following decade, the company produced many racing and sports aircraft generally known for their tradition of safety, performance and economy.
Despite the success of new models, the Great Depression
led to a catastrophic drop in aircraft sales, a bankruptcy filing for the corporation, and the complete closure of the company in 1931. In 1934, Cessna reopened his Wichita plant which he soon sold to his nephews in (1936).
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
designer
Designer
A designer is a person who designs. More formally, a designer is an agent that "specifies the structural properties of a design object". In practice, anyone who creates tangible or intangible objects, such as consumer products, processes, laws, games and graphics, is referred to as a...
, aviator
Aviator
An aviator is a person who flies an aircraft. The first recorded use of the term was in 1887, as a variation of 'aviation', from the Latin avis , coined in 1863 by G. de la Landelle in Aviation Ou Navigation Aérienne...
, and founder of the Cessna Aircraft Corporation
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
.
Early years
Clyde Vernon Cessna was born in Hawthorne, IowaMontgomery County, Iowa
-2010 census:The 2010 census recorded a population of 10,740 in the county, with a population density of . There were 5,239 housing units, of which 4,558 were occupied.-2000 census:...
on December 5, 1879. When he was 2, he and his family moved to rural Rago in Kingman County, Kansas
Kingman County, Kansas
Kingman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,858. The largest city and county seat is Kingman.-History:...
along the Chikaskia River
Chikaskia River
The Chikaskia River is a tributary of the Salt Fork of the Arkansas River in southern Kansas and northern Oklahoma in the United States...
. During his boyhood he used his self-taught innovation and mechanical skills to improve farm machinery and to develop new farming methods. He later became a successful car dealer in Enid, Oklahoma
Enid, Oklahoma
Enid is a city in Garfield County, Oklahoma, United States. In 2010, the population was 49,379, making it the ninth largest city in Oklahoma. It is the county seat of Garfield County. Enid was founded during the opening of the Cherokee Outlet in the Land Run of 1893, and is named after Enid, a...
.
Clyde's interest in aviation began in 1910 after witnessing an aerial exhibition in his home state of Kansas
Kansas
Kansas is a US state located in the Midwestern United States. It is named after the Kansas River which flows through it, which in turn was named after the Kansa Native American tribe, which inhabited the area. The tribe's name is often said to mean "people of the wind" or "people of the south...
. It was this exhibition that led him in future years to pursue his career in aviation. After realizing his interest in aviation, Clyde left Oklahoma and moved to New York
New York
New York is a state in the Northeastern region of the United States. It is the nation's third most populous state. New York is bordered by New Jersey and Pennsylvania to the south, and by Connecticut, Massachusetts and Vermont to the east...
where he worked for a short period at the Queen Aeroplane Company where he first learned about the construction of aircraft.
First flight
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
, constructed of spruce and linen and which took the form of an American version of the Bleriot XI
Blériot XI
The Blériot XI is the aircraft in which, on 25 July 1909, Louis Blériot made the first flight across the English Channel made in a heavier-than-air aircraft . This achievement is one of the most famous accomplishments of the early years of aviation, and not only won Blériot a lasting place in...
. The engine was a modified Elbridge motorboat motor, dubbed the "aero special", which was a 2 stroke, 4 cylinder engine with a maximum of 40 hp and 1,050 rpm. Upon completion, he sought to test the aircraft at the Great Salt Plains (adjacent to the Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge
The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States system of National Wildlife Refuges. It is located in Alfalfa County in northern Oklahoma, north of Jet The Salt Plains National Wildlife Refuge is part of the United States system of National Wildlife Refuges. It is located in...
) in Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
Alfalfa County, Oklahoma
Alfalfa County is a county located in the U.S. state of Oklahoma. As of 2000, the population is 6,105. Its county seat is Cherokee. Alfalfa County was formed in 1907 from Woods County. The county is named after William H...
. His first attempt at flight ended in a ground loop
Ground loop (aviation)
In aviation, a ground loop is a rapid rotation of a fixed-wing aircraft in the horizontal plane while on the ground. Aerodynamic forces may cause the advancing wing to rise, which may then cause the other wingtip to touch the ground...
which required $100 to repair. After repairs, Cessna attempted flight 13 more times, each time ending in some sort of failure. Finally on his 13th attempt, Cessna got a glimpse of hope as his aircraft bounced up into the air for a short time before crashing into the trees as he attempted to turn it. After his crash, Cessna exclaimed in frustration, "I'm going to fly this thing, then I'm going to set it afire and never have another thing to do with aeroplanes!". Finally, in June 1911 Cessna had his first successful flight. The crowds that had scoffed at his failures changed their tone and began calling him a "daring hero" and nicknamed him the "Birdman of Enid". Cessna continued to teach himself how to fly over the next several months until December 1911 when he made a successful 5 miles (8 km) flight and a successful landing at the point of departure.
The middle years
It was in 1916 that Clyde acquired a vacant building to begin building a new aircraft for the 1917 aviation exhibition season. His factory served a dual purpose as he also opened a flight school in which he had five enrolled student pilots. However in April 1917 when the United States declared war, the exhibition flying market ground to a halt. With his primary source of income grounded, Clyde returned to his old home near Rago, Kansas
Kingman County, Kansas
Kingman County is a county located in the U.S. state of Kansas. As of the 2010 census, the county population was 7,858. The largest city and county seat is Kingman.-History:...
where he resumed his duties on the family farm.
Travel Air Manufacturing Company
In the years following World War IWorld War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
public interest in private flying increased, leading Cessna in 1925, along with Walter Beech
Walter Herschel Beech
Walter Herschel Beech was an American pioneer aviator.-Biography:He was born in Pulaski, Tennessee on January 30, 1891. Beech started flying in 1905, at age 14, when he built a glider of his own design. Then, after flying for the United States Army during World War I, he joined the Swallow...
and Lloyd Stearman
Lloyd Carlton Stearman
Lloyd Carlton Stearman was an American aviator and aircraft designer.Stearman was born in Wellsville, Kansas. From 1917 – 1918, he attended Kansas State College in Manhattan, Kansas, where he studied engineering and architecture. In 1918, he left school to enlist in the U.S...
, to found the Travel Air Manufacturing Company which was located in Wichita, Kansas
Wichita, Kansas
Wichita is the largest city in the U.S. state of Kansas.As of the 2010 census, the city population was 382,368. Located in south-central Kansas on the Arkansas River, Wichita is the county seat of Sedgwick County and the principal city of the Wichita metropolitan area...
. While Cessna was president, the company soon became one of the leading United States aircraft manufacturers. This success may be attributed to Cessna's advanced design concepts and aircraft that attained international recognition in the course of establishing numerous speed and distance records. However, after two years at the company, design disputes with his partners over the monoplane
Monoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
versus the biplane
Biplane
A biplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with two superimposed main wings. The Wright brothers' Wright Flyer used a biplane design, as did most aircraft in the early years of aviation. While a biplane wing structure has a structural advantage, it produces more drag than a similar monoplane wing...
, Cessna left the company with plans to again start his own.
Cessna Aircraft Corporation
On 7 September 1927, the Cessna Aircraft Corporation officially became incorporated. In the later part of 1927, Cessna struggled to design and build an efficient monoplaneMonoplane
A monoplane is a fixed-wing aircraft with one main set of wing surfaces, in contrast to a biplane or triplane. Since the late 1930s it has been the most common form for a fixed wing aircraft.-Types of monoplane:...
. The "AW" was completed near the end of 1927, a single wing aircraft with top speeds of up to 145 mi/h and a maximum cruise time upwards of 7 hours. The first plane flew on August 13, 1927. In the following decade, the company produced many racing and sports aircraft generally known for their tradition of safety, performance and economy.
Despite the success of new models, the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
led to a catastrophic drop in aircraft sales, a bankruptcy filing for the corporation, and the complete closure of the company in 1931. In 1934, Cessna reopened his Wichita plant which he soon sold to his nephews in (1936).