What did the wheels of the first Staggerwing do in flight?

Short answer

They retracted: the Beechcraft Model 17 Staggerwing, first flown on November 4, 1932, had retractable conventional landing gear, unusual for its time. That gear was combined with careful streamlining, light weight and a powerful radial engine.

Published: November 4, 2026 · Updated: November 4, 2026 · Edited by Above Ten Thousand · Editorial policy

What did the wheels of the first Staggerwing do in flight?

Beechcraft Model 17 StaggerwingThornfield Hall (CC BY SA), vía commons

Landing gear that retracted in flight

The Beechcraft Model 17, popularly known as the "Staggerwing", first flew on November 4, 1932. Its conventional landing gear was retractable, an unusual solution at the time. That retractable gear was combined with careful aerodynamic streamlining, light weight and a powerful radial engine.

The negative-stagger wing

The Model 17 was a biplane with an unusual negative wing stagger: the lower wing sits further forward than the upper one. With that arrangement, automatic stall stability is achieved because the lower wing stalls first and, being further forward, lowers the nose before the upper wing can stall. The negative stagger also gives the pilot good sideways and rearward visibility and leaves a flat underside on the fuselage, making it possible to land on the belly with no risk of nosing over. In addition, ground crew could climb onto the lower wing's leading edge to reach the fuel caps on the upper wing.