The Cessna Airmaster , is a family of single-engined aircraft manufactured by the Cessna Aircraft Company . The Airmaster played an important role in the revitalization of Cessna in the 1930s after the crash of the aviation industry during the Great Depression .
80-516: In the mid-1930s, nearing the end of the Great Depression, the American economy began to slowly strengthen. Dwane Wallace (founder Clyde Cessna 's nephew who was a recent college graduate in aeronautical engineering) decided to assist his uncle and cousin, Eldon Cessna (Clyde's son), in building more modern airplanes for Cessna Aircraft. The design of the first Airmaster is credited to Wallace, and
160-656: A WSU-owned course adjacent to campus which closed in November 2014. Ground broke on the first building, the Technology Transfer/Experiential Learning Building, in Q1 2015. The university has secured on-campus partnerships with multiple companies including Sunnyvale, Calif.-based NetApp , which moved its entire Wichita operations into a new building on campus; Airbus ; Deloitte ; Textron Aviation ; Boston Consulting Group ; and Dassault Systèmes to name
240-438: A concerted lobbying effort on the part of WU boosters to persuade the legislature and governor to agree to the change. On July 1, 1964, the school officially entered the state system of higher education as Wichita State University (WSU). Located on campus is the original building of the first Pizza Hut. The original building was located at Kellogg and Bluff. An effort to move it out of the path of Kellogg expansion resulted in
320-488: A customer-finance division to the company, boosting sales substantially. Wallace, however, was slow to embrace the industry's shift towards nosewheel-equipped aircraft, replacing tailwheel-equipped planes, allowing rival Piper to recapture much of the light plane market with its Tri-Pacer for several years. Eventually, Wallace responded with a nosewheel-equipped variant of the 170, the Cessna 172 , which would eventually become
400-615: A few. The Innovation Campus has added more than 15 buildings to campus, including Woolsey Hall, a new building for the Frank W. Barton School of Business; a new residence hall; commercial offices; "creative collision" facilities; two mixed-use developments and a hotel. In October 2022, President Richard Muma announced that Wichita State University, WSU Tech and the University of Kansas were moving forward with plans to build an approximately 470,000‑square‑foot, $ 300 million shared biomedical campus in
480-509: A field goal kick based on the distance. The school discontinued its football program following the 1986 season due to financial red ink, NCAA recruiting violations, and WSU students voting against raising fees to pay for higher football expenses. It had never fully recovered from losing 16 starters, its athletic director, football coach and many others critical to the WSU program in a plane crash in 1970 (see below). Legendary NFL coach Bill Parcells
560-492: A game against Utah State University . It flew into a mountain valley too narrow to enable it to turn back and smashed into a mountainside, killing 31 of the 40 players, administrators, and fans near a ski resort 40 miles (64 km) away from Denver . It was the first, or "gold" plane, the twin to a second black plane. President Richard Nixon sent the president of the university a note which read, "Our thoughts and prayers go out to you in this time of sorrow." A monument exists to
640-645: A landing flap under the fuselage. Changes common to both the C-37 and C-38 included wider fuselages and landing gear along with rubber engine mounts to hold the 145 hp (108 kW) Warner Super Scarab engine. The final revisions of the C-34 were the C-145 and the C-165, of which 80 were built. On these models, the belly flaps added on the C-38 were removed and the overall length of the fuselage
720-489: A licensed pilot, certified to fly multi-engine aircraft, and worked closely with Wallace for many years. The two remained married until Wallace's death. (Eventually the couple had four daughters: Linda, Karen, Diana and Sarah; the New York Times obituary calls the latter "Farah". ) In 1938, Wallace's review of twin-engined airplane market indicated opportunity for a new, inexpensive, light twin, and he began development of
800-612: A lower-drag wing, and easier landing in small areas. The plane won numerous races and competitions. When Wallace won a major national efficiency-and-performance competition—the Detroit News Trophy at the All American Air Races —for the third year, in a C-34 variant, the Cessna Aircraft design was awarded the trophy permanently, and given the title "World's Most Efficient Airplane." The notoriety boosted sales, and in 1936,
880-486: A mascot who gave a tough impression, with a serious, no-nonsense scowl." Once Elsea's mascot was adopted by the university, which by that time was known as the Municipal University of Wichita, all that was needed was a name. The October 7, 1948, issue of The Sunflower , the student newspaper, ran an advertisement urging students to submit names for the school's new mascot. It was freshman Jack Kersting who suggested
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#1732872555076960-537: A much-improved variant on the Cessna Model A series, and also produced older Cessna DC-6A cabin monoplanes. In 1934, Wallace, with help from Eldon and others, designed the Cessna C-34 (for "Cessna – 1934"), an exceptionally low-drag airplane, offering 162-mph speed with a 145-horsepower engine, and delivered the first one to a customer in 1935. The plane (and its variants) introduced wing flaps to Cessna, allowing
1040-447: A new costume was introduced in fall 1998. In fall 1999, the head of the new costume underwent another redesign after a number of supporters suggested the mascot needed a more intimidating look. In 2006 it was decided to once again update the Wu costume. The general consensus was that many wanted the costume to more accurately reflect the depiction of WU in the school's logo. The new WuShock now has
1120-715: A new factory in May 1940. The gamble paid off. Under Wallace, the Cessna Aircraft Company survived until the early years of World War II , before American involvement, when Wallace was able to secure contracts with the U.S. and Canadian government to build training plane variants of the Bobcat for the Royal Canadian Air Force (which was already aiding Great Britain in the war), and, as the Cessna AT-8 advanced trainer, it
1200-431: A private women's Congregational preparatory school which was supported mainly by Wichita's Plymouth Congregational Church, Rev. Parker's church. The school never opened its doors. Called the "Young Ladies College," "Wichita Ladies College" and "Congregational Female College" and founded during a boom in college and university creation, the private school was envisioned to admit women twelve years and older. In early 1887,
1280-499: A total of five times. Cessna re-entered the civilian plane market after World War II with a key advantage over most of its light-plane rivals: Cessna had the know-how and means to build all-metal light planes—an advantage accruing to Cessna from the company's rights to key metal-plane manufacturing technologies pioneered and patented by former Cessna Vice President Albin K. Longren , and Cessna's government-funded, wartime subcontracting work with large metal airplane sections. After
1360-558: A wide range of industrial uses) in Hutchinson, Kansas , and opened Cessna parts or aircraft factories in Glenrothes , Scotland, Reims , France, and later in Mendoza, Argentina —along with marketing and servicing centers at other places around the world. In 1964, to honor Cessna's international trade development, U.S. President Lyndon Johnson , at a White House ceremony, presented Wallace with
1440-493: Is commonly credited with having been a contributing engineer, along with engineers Tom Salter and Gerry Gerteis. In addition to advancing the Cessna airplanes' reputation, and sales, exhibition flying at county fairs and major events, and trophy racing, also brought prize money, which helped keep the company solvent—making exhibition flying and racing necessary duties of Wallace's early Cessna career. The early years, during
1520-475: Is the Shockers and students are also collectively referred to as "Shockers." The name reflects the university's heritage: Early students earned money by shocking, or harvesting, wheat in nearby fields. Early football games were played on a stubbled wheat field. Pep club members were known as Wheaties. Tradition has it that in 1904, football manager and student R.J. Kirk came up with the nickname Wheatshockers. Although
1600-539: The Cessna T-50 Bobcat , which introduced twin engines and retractable landing gear to Cessna production aircraft. Though not formally trained in twin-engine aircraft, and not licensed for their operation, he taught himself to fly the Bobcat in 1939, as its test pilot. Gambling on a good market for the civilian plane, and potential military market for it upon the eruption of World War II in Europe, Wallace invested heavily in
1680-612: The Coleman Company set up gas-powered lighting for a night game against Cooper College (now Sterling College ), which became the first night football game played west of the Mississippi River . In 1905, there was an experimental game against Washburn College (now Washburn University ) that had three new rules: 1) increase first down requirement from 5 yards to 10 yards, 2) allowing forward passes (suggestion came from President Theodore Roosevelt ), 3) varying points (4/5/6) for
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#17328725550761760-709: The Douglas A-26 and tails for the Boeing B-29 , enabled Cessna to leap ahead of other pre-war light plane makers (most of whom were largely relegated to producing their original frame-and-fabric aircraft, or similar planes, soon made obsolete by the technological leaps of the Second World War). During the war, Cessna became the first of Wichita's planemakers to win the Army-Navy "E" Award , an award for excellence given to only 3% of U.S. defense contractors. Cessna would win it
1840-594: The General Aviation Manufacturers Association , selected founder Wallace as its first chairperson. Perhaps Wallace's most daring late-career venture was the first Cessna business jet, the Cessna FanJet 500 , soon renamed Cessna Citation . Despite widespread criticism—even mockery of the unusually slow business jet—Wallace held firm to the belief that it would be successful. Early sales paled against cross-town rival Lear Jet , whose Model 23
1920-533: The Great Depression —while he took no salary—were reportedly extremely difficult for the company and Wallace, and photos of him at the time show an extremely gaunt man. One enduring legend says that at one point he only had five dollars in the company bank account. Wallace added aircraft maintenance services to the company's business activity by February 1935. In 1937, Wallace hired an executive secretary, Velma Lunt, in 1937, and married her in 1941. She became
2000-527: The Kansas Board of Regents . The university offers more than 60 undergraduate degree programs in more than 200 areas of study in nine colleges. The university's graduate school offers more than 50 master's degrees in more than 100 areas and a specialist in education degree and 13 doctoral degrees. It is classified among "R2: Doctoral Universities – High research activity". The idea behind Wichita State University began in 1886. Rev Joseph Homer Parker founded
2080-719: The Kansas Collegiate Athletic Conference (KIAC) of the National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics (NAIA) from 1902–03 to 1922–23. WSU competes in 15 intercollegiate athletic teams: Men's sports include baseball, basketball, cross country, golf, tennis and track & field (indoor and outdoor); while women's sports include basketball, cross country, golf, softball, tennis, track & field (indoor and outdoor) and volleyball. Also, it offers club sports such as crew, bowling, shooting sports, and other intramural sports. The name for WSU's athletic teams
2160-607: The Lockheed T-33 , Lockheed F-94 , Republic F-84 , Boeing B-47 and Boeing B-52 . That work complimented Cessna's development of the Cessna T-37 , selected by the U. S. Air Force as its basic jet trainer for several decades. In the late 1950s and early 1960s, Wallace decided to diversify Cessna, acquiring avionics -producer Aircraft Radio Corporation and propeller-maker McCauley Industrial Corporation . He expanded Cessna's Fluid Power Division (producing hydraulic cylinders for
2240-560: The Society of Experimental Test Pilots and the Quiet Birdmen . Although Wallace was the principal force in the transformation of Cessna from a tiny, struggling company into the world's largest-volume producer of aircraft, he kept his uncle's last name on the company, rather than naming it after himself. However, in the 1960s, the Wallace name was attached to the company's new factory building, at
2320-476: The University of Kansas (KU). Research facilities include: The university comprises the following academic colleges and schools: The Aerospace Engineering department was founded in 1928 and has longstanding collaborative relationships with Airbus North America , Boeing , Bombardier-Learjet , Cessna , Hawker Beechcraft , Spirit AeroSystems , and other Wichita aviation concerns. The department teaches in
2400-511: The "wheatshockers," came about during a football game in 1906 and referred to the fact that many of the football players also shocked wheat during the harvest. Amid growing financial troubles in the 1920s, the college's supporters tried to get the city of Wichita to buy it in 1925, but failed. A second referendum passed in 1926, and that fall it became the Municipal University of Wichita (popularly known as "Wichita University" or "WU"). It
2480-407: The 120/140 into the 4-seat Cessna 170 (which conquered its market segment, as well). When the postwar recession of the late 1940s and early 1950s wiped out most general aviation planemakers, Wallace diversified and survived adding an industrial division producing furniture and hydraulic equipment at a factory in Hutchinson, Kansas , He expanded the company's dealer network globally, and added
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2560-501: The 1900s and 1910s, the school grew with structures including a men's dormitory, Fiske Hall, begun in 1904 and dedicated June 1906, and a Carnegie library, built in 1908, occupied in January 1909 and dedicated in January 1910. Fairmount trustees decided to phase out and eventually close the institute after the 1915 school year. For 20 years, students of the institute formed the nucleus of Fairmount College's student body. The school's mascot,
2640-741: The 2011 National Invitation Tournament Championship, beating the Alabama Crimson Tide. The Shockers have three alumni currently playing in the NBA in Fred VanVleet , Landry Shamet and Craig Porter Jr. Other Wichita State products who have played in the league include All-Star Xavier McDaniel , power forwards Antoine Carr , Cliff Levingston , Cleanthony Early , two-time All-American Dave Stallworth , centers Gene Wiley and Jaime Echenique , guards Gal Mekel , Toure' Murry , Ron Baker , and Greg Dreiling . Four-time All-American Cleo Littleton joined
2720-402: The Cessna factory, Dwane, with lawyer-brother Dwight, approached their uncle Clyde with the idea of a proxy fight to try to regain control of Cessna Aircraft, reopen the factory, and resume aircraft development and production. Traveling the country to meet and persuade investors, and committing to them that the three family leaders would work with little or no pay, the Wallace brothers won
2800-629: The Municipal University of Wichita , in Wichita, Kansas (one of the nation's first three such programs), and graduated in May/June 1933 (historian Ed Phillips says June 1932), the first (of many) to graduate that university with a bachelor's degree in aeronautical engineering. While at Wichita U., Wallace learned to fly from his uncle's test pilot, George Harte. He soloed in the Cessna CG-2 after only an hour and 45 minutes training, and advised changes to
2880-645: The Presidential "E" for Export Award. Along the way, under Wallace's guidance, Cessna produced "an airplane for every need"—almost every conceivable type of light-to-medium, single-engine and multi-engine aircraft—including: gliders , bush planes , small military transports, floatplanes , aerobatic stunt planes, helicopters , executive aircraft, cropdusters , small airliners, military spotter and liaison aircraft , military trainers (propeller and jet), attack jets, and business jets —over 40 models in all. Not all of Wallace's ventures were successful—most notably
2960-615: The Shocks in 1951, breaking the unofficial color barrier in the Missouri Valley Conference. The men's baseball team is college baseball 's highest winning team for the past 31 years, with numerous conference championships and NCAA tournament appearances. The baseball team won the national championship in 1989 and was runner-up in 1982, 1991 and 1993. They play at Eck Stadium . The men's and women's bowling teams have won 23 combined USBC Intercollegiate Team Championships, including
3040-553: The Wheatshockers name was never officially adopted by the university, it caught on and survived until it was later shortened to Shockers. Until 1948, the university used a nameless shock of wheat as its symbol. WuShock came to life when junior Wilbur Elsea won the Kappa Pi honorary society's competition to design a mascot typifying the spirit of the school. Elsea, who had been a Marine during World War II , decided that "the school needed
3120-481: The Wichita Photo Archives. The library faculty offer workshops throughout the year to students and community members. In 2014, President John Bardo announced plans to launch a major academic and student life initiative, dubbed the "Innovation Campus." The plan includes public/private partnerships with domestic and international companies that would build offices on the WSU main campus and collaborate with
3200-654: The ability to run, jump, and walk up stairs without help. Many officials feel that a more professional and intimidating mascot on the field will certainly bolster WSU's image. The men's basketball team has played in the NCAA tournament 16 times since 1954, advancing to the Final Four in 1965 and 2013, the Elite Eight in 1981, and the Sweet Sixteen in 2006 and 2015, and also entering the 2014 NCAA tournament unbeaten. The team also won
3280-461: The areas of composites, structures, Engineering mechanics , computational Fluid dynamics , applied Aerodynamics , and Flight simulation . Students can readily do internships at the nearby airports and many airplane companies like Cessna, Learjet, etc. The Wichita State University Libraries have holdings of more than 2 million volumes, over 350 electronic databases and more than 70,000 journal subscriptions. The University Libraries consist of
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3360-553: The arts, graduates included opera stars Joyce DiDonato and Samuel Ramey , actor Shirley Knight and Broadway performer Karla Burns . In athletics, notable individuals include basketball players Antoine Carr and Fred VanVleet , as well as Pro Football Hall of Fame coach Bill Parcells . Notable politicians include U.S. Representative Garner E. Shriver , the U.S. diplomat Robert D. Blackwill and Indonesian politician Sandiaga Uno . U.S. Army captain Riley L. Pitts , who graduated with
3440-681: The building coming to Wichita State University in the 1980s. After three decades of being located near the campus water tower, the building underwent a second move. In 2017, the university moved it to its current location on the Innovation Campus. The Main Campus is located at 1845 North Fairmount in northeast Wichita, is mostly bounded between the streets of 17th St N, 21st St N, Hillside St, Oliver Ave. The Hughes Metropolitan Complex and Advanced Education in General Dentistry buildings, located at
3520-479: The company sold 33 of the planes. NOTE: Some controversy exists among historical accounts of the development of the C-34. Eldon Cessna, and historians acquainted with him, have credited its design to Eldon. However, most historical accounts (mostly produced by Cessna personnel or authors aided by the company while under the control of Dwane Wallace), credit the design to Wallace – some saying it originated in Wallace's mind while still in college, though Eldon Cessna
3600-558: The company to the Wallace brothers, though remained the figurehead president. Within about a year, in October 1936, shortly before Wallace's 25th birthday, Clyde resigned, leaving Wallace fully in charge. For the next four decades, Wallace would lead Cessna, transforming it from a small-but-noted maker of light planes into the world's foremost producer of such aircraft, and a major source of many other types of civilian and military aircraft, including jets. Throughout his career, Wallace
3680-483: The early 1980s, when he helped shape one of the company's most important aircraft, the Cessna 208 Caravan . His obituary in the New York Times reports that Wallace "severed his ties" with Cessna in 1983, following a dispute with his hand-picked successor, Meyer. Dwane Wallace died at age 78, after a lengthy illness, on December 21, 1989. Wallace had been a member of the Aviation Pioneers Hall of Fame,
3760-499: The first flight of the C-34 model was in June 1935. Not long after introduction of the C-34, Clyde Cessna retired from the aircraft industry, leaving the company to his nephew. The original Airmaster, the C-34, evolved into more advanced versions of the Airmaster. The C-37 had a wider cabin, improved landing gear and electric flaps. The C-38 had a taller vertical tail, curved main gear legs and
3840-749: The four-engined Cessna 620 airliner, and the Cessna Skyhook helicopter line. Both were scrapped before any significant production, as was the four-seat, civilian version of the otherwise-successful Cessna T-37 military jet trainer. However, many Cessna aircraft types developed under Wallace became the most popular of their kind in the world, including the world's most popular line of floatplanes, most popular training airplane ( Cessna 150 ), most popular light plane ( Cessna 172 /Skyhawk), most popular "high-performance" light plane ( Cessna 182 /Skylane), most popular bush plane ( Cessna 185 /Skywagon 185), and most popular cropdusters ( Cessna 188 /AgWagon). Wallace
3920-616: The fuselage was structured with steel tubing coupled with wooden stringers and formers. Both C-145 and C-165 models were offered with floats. As of December 31, 2006, there are 69 aircraft in the FAA database with the listed Models (totals) being C-165 (30), C-145 (10), C-34 (8), C-37 (14), and C-38 (7). Data from American Aircraft Specifications General characteristics Performance Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era Related lists Dwane Wallace Dwane Leon Wallace (October 29, 1911 – December 21, 1989)
4000-690: The glider that resulted in the Cessna CG-3 . He first soloed in Travel Air biplane in March 1932, earning his private pilot 's license in 1933. (Later he would advance to a commercial pilot license, with multi-engine and instrument-flight ratings.) Upon his graduation, in May 1933, Wallace entered the workforce during the depths of the Great Depression . His uncle Clyde Cessna's enterprise had been taken over by its investors, and had closed its doors—ejecting Clyde and his son, Eldon Cessna . However, Wallace
4080-588: The heart of downtown Wichita. The project, later dubbed the Wichita Biomedical Campus, would create a centrally located corridor where health care services, education, research and technology can be established near existing private hospitals and health care providers. In April 2023, the Kansas Legislature set aside $ 142 million in federal American Rescue Plan Act of 2021 funds. Construction began in 2024. Recognized fraternities and sororities at
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#17328725550764160-610: The intersection of 29th St N and Oliver Ave, are considered part of the main campus. WSU has seven satellite locations: Since July 1, 2018, the Campus of Applied Sciences and Technology , also known as "WSU Tech" and formerly known as the Wichita Area Technical College, is located at 4004 N. Webb Road in Wichita. WSU is one of three research institutions in the state of Kansas , along with Kansas State University (KSU) and
4240-430: The lunchtime softball team, fetched water for factory workers, and swept floors. Shyness notwithstanding, according to his long-time second-in-command, Del Roskam, Wallace was a "hands-on" manager, "a good people-person," who would tour the factory, meeting foremen and workers, and talking through problems with them personally. Starting in 1933, Wallace aided Clyde and Eldon Cessna in developing their CR-3 aircraft,
4320-856: The main Ablah Library, the McKinley Chemistry Library, the Thurlow Lieurance Music Library and University Libraries Special Collections and University Archives. The libraries are open to community users and serve as a regional United States Federal Government Documents Depository, a State of Kansas Government Documents Depository, and is the State of Kansas' only Patents and Trademarks Library. WSU Special Collections and University Archives contains numerous rare books, incunabula , historical manuscripts collections, maps and photographic archives documenting Kansas history, as well as hosting
4400-774: The men's 2003, 2008, 2009 and 2010 title and the women's 2005, 2007 and 2009 title. Shocker Track and Field History: Seven Olympians. Two National Champions. 60 NCAA All-Americans. Under Steve Rainbolt (2001–2012): 14 Missouri Valley Conference Championship Teams. 29 NCAA All-Americans. Men's Cross Country: Established in 1947. Eight Missouri Valley Conference titles, five consecutive (1971–75). Five NCAA All-Americans. Nine Missouri Valley Conference Champions. 46 All-MVC award winners. Women's Cross Country: Established in 1983. 10 Missouri Valley Conference titles, six consecutive (2005–10). Four NCAA All-Americans. Six Missouri Valley Conference Champions. 56 All-MVC award winners. In 1897, Fairmount College played its first football game . In 1905,
4480-681: The most-produced aircraft in history, the Cessna 172 , as well as the popular Cessna Citation I business jet. He was posthumously inducted into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 2012, and was included in Flying Magazine ' s list of the "51 Heroes of Aviation" in 2013, placing at number 11. Dwane Wallace was raised in Belmont, Kansas . He and his brothers Deane and Dwight, and sister Doreen, were children of physician Dr. Eugene Wallace and Grace Opal (Cessna) Wallace. Grace's brother
4560-456: The municipal airport on Wichita's southwest side. Additionally, in 1979, the new main building of the College of Engineering at Wichita State University —his alma mater, which he had richly endowed—was named Wallace Hall for him. Wichita State University Wichita State University ( WSU ) is a public research university in Wichita, Kansas , United States. It is governed by
4640-546: The preparatory school Fairmount Institute . Also known as Fairmount Academy, this Congregational church prep school opened in September to boys and girls age 12 and above. In 1895, on the same site, Fairmount College opened collegiate classes for men and women with funding by the Congregational Education Society. The society selected Dr. Nathan Jackson Morrison to be the president of the new college. During
4720-465: The project's leaders received a land parcel from the developers of the adjacent Fairmount Neighborhood and, in response, renamed their school Fairmount College . Envisioned to be the "Vassar of the West," the streets of the neighboring residential areas were named after prominent women's colleges including Vassar and Holyoke. The street names remain in 2023. In 1892, a corporation bought the property and named
4800-515: The proxy fight. At a stockholders' meeting on January 10, 1934, they seized control of the company, with Clyde serving as figurehead president, while the Wallace brothers (Dwane as plant manager and engineer, Dwight as secretary-treasurer) ran the company. Clyde's son, Eldon (also an aeronautical engineer), remained at the company until a disagreement with Wallace over salary led to his departure in summer 1935. In December 1935, tired of aviation and longing for his old farm, Clyde sold his stock in
4880-409: The role of Cessna's chairman of the board —handing over the company to Meyer, and stepping down to become a regular member of the board of directors. Wallace quickly disappeared from the public eye, except for philanthropic activity (particularly in Wichita and for his alma mater, Wichita State University ) with his wife Velma. However, he remained a consultant and director of the company well into
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#17328725550764960-700: The south of Memorial Drive on the Wichita State Campus to commemorate those who died. Wichita State University has produced multiple notable businessmen, including the founders of Pizza Hut Dan and Frank Carney , and Garmin founder Gary Burrell . Notable scientists include Mona Nemer , who served as the Canadian Chief Science Advisor . Notable engineers include Harold G. White , lead in NASA 's Advanced Propulsion Physics Laboratory , and Dwane Wallace , President and Chairman of Cessna . In
5040-418: The students and faculty on research projects and product development through a technology transfer system. The plan kicked off with the completion of renovations to the university's student union, the Rhatigan Student Center, and the opening of Shocker Hall, a new 318,000-square-foot, 784-bed housing facility on the main campus. Subsequent development has taken place on the site of the former Braeburn Golf Course,
5120-467: The time, was that it was one of the first all-metal light planes. Sleek, sturdy and modern, and cheaply mass-produced, the 120/140 largely devoured the market for two-seat light airplanes. In December 1946, Cessna produced almost as many planes as all its competitors combined. Most other U.S. light plane makers, by the early 1950s, were driven out of business by the 120/140 design, and by a long, postwar market recession. Cessna survived and prospered—stretching
5200-484: The university include: The Wichita State (WSU) athletic teams are called the Shockers. The university is a member of the NCAA Division I ranks, primarily competing in the American Athletic Conference (AAC) since the 2017–18 academic year. The Shockers previously competed in the D-I Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) from 1945–46 to 2016–17; as an Independent from 1940–41 to 1944–45; in the Central Intercollegiate Athletic Conference (CIC) from 1923–24 to 1939–40; and in
5280-404: The war, Wallace quickly developed an all-metal replacement of the C-34—the Cessna 190 / Cessna 195 , a speedy 6-seat, single-engine, executive aircraft, powered by a large, traditional radial engine. Wallace then guided Cessna away from the pioneering un-braced cantilever -wing design concepts of Clyde Cessna, towards more conservative-and-traditional, strut-braced, high wings—producing
5360-409: The winning name, "WuShock." During the 1980s, WuShock briefly had a sidekick named WeeShock, that was introduced as an attempt to make the mascot more appealing to children. In 1998, WuShock , also referred to as "Wu," marked his 50th birthday by undergoing a redesign and getting a pumped-up physique and revved-up attitude. The mascot's costume has changed over the years, as well. With the redesign,
5440-545: The world's most popular light airplane (still in production as of 2016). By 1958, Cessna was producing more light aircraft than all four of its main competitors combined, eventually controlling over half the market. Starting in the late 1950s, Wallace added light twins to the Cessna line, and began the diversification of the Cessna line into almost every conceivable type and market. Wallace sought military subcontracting work, resulting in Cessna building major sections of various U.S. jet trainers, fighters and bombers, including
5520-422: The world's most successful line of single-engine light aircraft, ranging through numerous variants from the Cessna 120 / Cessna 140 to the Cessna 207 —despite the industry's move towards cantilever wings. The 120/140 also was the beginning of Cessna's conversion to smaller-cabin aircraft with streamlined, flat, horizontal-cylinder engines. The 120/140's distinguishing feature, compared to other two-seaters of
5600-843: Was (like most contemporary business jets) 150 mph faster, carrying more passengers, farther—though also more expensive, more difficult to fly, and requiring longer runways. Wallace persisted, and the Citation line soon evolved into the world's most popular line of business jets, utterly eclipsing all rivals. By the end of his tenure in office, Wallace's Cessna Aircraft Co. had out-produced every other civilian airplane maker in world history, with over 170,000 aircraft produced—ranging from fabric-skinned, taildraggers and two-seat training planes, to combat aircraft and business jets. In 1974, Wallace recruited aviation industry executive Russell W. Meyer Jr. from his role as president and CEO of rival Grumman American Aircraft Corp., and groomed Meyer to replace himself. Wallace then retired, in 1975, from
5680-399: Was a linebacker at WSU in 1962 and 1963 before serving as a graduate assistant in 1964. Wichita State University was also the first Division I-A school to hire a black head coach in college football, Willie Jeffries , in 1979. On October 2, 1970, a plane carrying players and staff of the WSU football team took off from a Colorado airport after refueling and was bound for Logan, Utah for
5760-539: Was able to find work assisting one of his uncle's former business partners, aviation pioneer Walter Beech , at the newly formed Beech Aircraft Corporation in Wichita—which, ironically, was operating from rented space in the closed Cessna factory. Wallace assisted the development of the Beech Model 17 "Staggerwing" biplane, one of the more advanced aircraft of its time. In 1934, following Beech's relocation out of
5840-594: Was acquired by the thousands by the U.S. Army Air Corps , to train most U.S. transport and bomber pilots for the war, and for use as a light transport. By war's end, over 5,000 had been delivered, making Cessna, undeniably, one of the nation's major plane-makers, though only with small planes. Additional wartime contracts—making parts of other manufacturers' military planes, and assembling Waco CG-4A combat transport gliders—helped Wallace's company grow. The government funding supporting Cessna's manufacture of sections of advanced all-metal aircraft, such as engine cowls for
5920-501: Was an American aviation businessman and aircraft designer . He served as the president and/or chairman of the board of the Cessna Aircraft Company from 1935 until the 1970s, continuing then on the board as a director and consultant into the 1980s. Later known as the "Quiet Giant of Aviation", Wallace oversaw the company during a period of rapid and expansive growth within the general aviation industry, including development of
6000-494: Was aviation pioneer Clyde Vernon Cessna , founder of Cessna Aircraft Company . Cessna became the first planemaker-aviator of the Great Plains in the year Dwane was born, and gave the brothers their first airplane ride in an OX-5 Swallow in 1924. One account describes Wallace as having made up his mind at age 10 to make his life in aviation. In his early adulthood, Wallace entered the aeronautical engineering program at
6080-471: Was described as totally focused on the company. According to successor Russ Meyer , Wallace did not play golf or tennis, and had "absolutely no avocation [except] Cessna." Despite his achievements, and the scope of his wealth, power and influence, Wallace had a reputation for shyness and humility, and was known to humbly mingle and dine with factory workers. In his early years as company president, he also test-flew, raced and sold planes, painted them, pitched for
6160-475: Was increased. The only difference between the C-145 and C-165 was the engine horsepower, with the latter having an upgraded 165 hp (123 kW) Warner engine. It was with the beginning of World War II that the Airmaster line came to an end. The welded tubular fuselage, fabric-covered body, extensive woodwork, wooden wings and radial engines, all characteristic of 1930s-era aircraft technology, became too expensive and slow to produce. The old-style aircraft
6240-507: Was president of Cessna Aircraft from 1935 to 1964, then advanced to chairman of the board. The company that he had revived from the brink of bankruptcy, in 1935, had become, by 1972, the first company in world history to manufacture over 100,000 airplanes. In 1972, Wallace led the industry movement to establish a trade organization for general aviation aircraft manufacturers, separate from the industry trade organizations for manufacturers of commercial and military aircraft. The new organization,
6320-402: Was quickly replaced with aircraft constructed from aluminium with strut braced wings first seen in the Cessna 120 . The design of the C-34 incorporates characteristics that were borrowed from previous models of Cessna Aircraft. These similarities include the high mounted cantilever wing and the narrow design of the cabin windows. The wings and tail surfaces were composed entirely of wood while
6400-458: Was the first municipal university west of the Mississippi. By the 1950s, university leaders and President Harry Corbin explored adding the institution to the State of Kansas Regents System along with the University of Kansas and Kansas State University. These two schools had powerful friends who did not feel that the University of Wichita was on par with the state's two main universities. It took
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