Klayd Vernon Sessna American aircraft designer Date of Birth: 05.12.1879 Country: USA

1. Birth and Early Life
2. Fascination with Aviation
3. Building His First Aircraft
4. Learning to Fly and Establishing a Factory
5. Aircraft Development and Experimentation
6. Founding Cessna Aircraft Company
7. Legacy of Achievement
8. Retirement and Recognition

Birth and Early Life

Clyde Vernon Cessna was born on December 5, 1879, in Hawthorne, Iowa. At the tender age of two, he moved with his family to rural Kansas. From his youth, Cessna displayed a keen interest in mechanics, using his self-taught knowledge to improve his family's farm equipment and develop innovative farming techniques.

Fascination with Aviation

Cessna's fascination with aviation began in 1910. Inspired by newspaper accounts of the Wright brothers' success and Louis Blériot's cross-channel flight, he became captivated by the possibility of human flight. In January 1911, witnessing an exhibition of itinerant aviators in Oklahoma City ignited his passion.

Building His First Aircraft

Shortly after the exhibition, Cessna purchased a Blériot XI fuselage from the Queen Aeroplane Company. With the help of his brother Roy, he assembled the aircraft, installing an engine and propeller. Through numerous modifications and setbacks during testing at the Salt Plains in northern Oklahoma, Cessna learned every intricate detail of his machine.

Learning to Fly and Establishing a Factory

Throughout 1911, Cessna spent countless hours self-teaching the art of flying while attempting to get his first aircraft airborne. After several crashes and costly repairs, he finally achieved a successful flight in June 1911. In 1916, Cessna returned to his native Kansas as the first manufacturer of powered aircraft in Wichita.

Aircraft Development and Experimentation

Cessna transformed a lumber mill near King City into an aircraft hangar and workshop. Each winter, he built and tested a new aircraft, taking it on tours across the country in a trailer for exhibition at fairs and air shows. His designs varied significantly, with Cessna constantly making modifications and improvements.

Founding Cessna Aircraft Company

In September 1927, Cessna established his own company, Cessna Roos Aircraft Company. It was renamed Cessna Aircraft Company on December 22, 1927. The first mass-produced model, the Cessna Model A, entered production in 1927.

Legacy of Achievement

Over the following decades, Cessna Aircraft Company designed, built, and delivered approximately 195,000 aircraft of various models and modifications to customers worldwide. The Cessna name became synonymous with general aviation.

Retirement and Recognition

In 1936, Cessna stepped down from the company, passing the leadership to his nephew, Dwayne Wallace. He returned to his farm in Rayoga, where he peacefully passed away on November 20, 1954. Cessna received numerous awards and accolades for his contributions to aviation throughout his lifetime, including induction into the National Aviation Hall of Fame in 1978.