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by Marshall Brain and Brian Adkins
The Martin Model 130 China Clippers were four-engine, all-metal flying boats that used an innovative air-filled sponson for stability on the water. Learn more about these noisy planes that 1930s passengers nevertheless considered quite luxurious.
The Beech Staggerwing was an amazing leap forward on the date of its first flight, November 4, 1932. Learn how the reverse stagger of its wings, its clean fillets, and its retractable landing gear made this Depression-era gamble into a success.