simonbp on Nostr: But not a new one! The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing (ancestor of bizjets), had ...
But not a new one!
The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing (ancestor of bizjets), had similar runners made of mahogany on the 1932 prototype. Retractable landing gear were new back then, and no one really trusted them. Kevlar is definitely a lot lighter/stronger than mahogany, though, and Beech dropped the heavy wood runners for the production aircraft.
(Dusting off the 1932 prototype was briefly a high school summer job for me)
The Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing (ancestor of bizjets), had similar runners made of mahogany on the 1932 prototype. Retractable landing gear were new back then, and no one really trusted them. Kevlar is definitely a lot lighter/stronger than mahogany, though, and Beech dropped the heavy wood runners for the production aircraft.
(Dusting off the 1932 prototype was briefly a high school summer job for me)