5 Airplanes Other than Beechcrafts, Cessnas, and Learjets That Were Built in Wichita, Kansas

Wichita, Kansas, is known for producing famous airplanes such as Beechcrafts, Cessnas, and Learjets, but its rich aviation history extends beyond those brands.

Here are five vintage models that played memorable roles and had their roots in Wichita.

1. Laird Swallow. This two-seat biplane, which debuted in the early 1920s, was the first mass-produced commercial airplane in the U.S.

2. Culver Cadet. This two-passenger-cabin airplane, designed by Albert Mooney, served as a target drone for the U.S. Army Air Corps and Navy in 1940 and 1941. 

3. Travel Air 2000. Travel Air Manufacturing Co.—which Walter Beech, Lloyd Stearman, and Clyde Cessna founded in 1925—produced dozens of models in its four-year history, including this popular two-seat biplane. 

4. Stearman Kaydet. This two-seat biplane was what brought Boeing to Wichita when it acquired Stearman Aircraft Co. in 1934. 

5. Boeing B-52 Stratofortress. Boeing’s Wichita division served as a second source of production for variants of this venerable Air Force jet bomber.