Aeronca Chum

Aeronca Aircraft

Aeronca, located in Middletown, Ohio, is a US manufacturer of engine components and airframe structures for commercial aviation and the defense industry. In the 1930s and 1940s, the company was a major producer of general aviation aircraft, and also produced the engines for some of their early designs.

Aeronca has now become a division of Magellan Aerospace, producing aircraft, missile, and space vehicle components at the same location adjacent to Middletown’s Hook Field.

History

Origins

The Aeronca Aircraft Corporation was founded November 11, 1928 in Cincinnati, Ohio. Backed by the financial and political support of the prominent Taft family and future Ohio senator Robert A. Taft who was one of the firm's directors, Aeronca became the first company to build a commercially successful general aviation aircraft, and by the time production ended in 1951, Aeronca had sold 17,408 aircraft in 55 models.

Flying Bathtub

Production began with the Jean A. Roche-designed Aeronca C-2 monoplane, often called the Flying Bathtub, in 1929. The next major model was the Scout of 1937, a two-seater, which was developed into the famous Chief and Super Chief the next year.

In 1937 there was a massive flood at the Lunken Airport, resulting in the entire airport area being washed away. Water was almost as deep as the control tower. Aeronca's factory was destroyed, along with the tooling and almost all of the very early blueprints and drawings. At this time a decision was made to move the entire operation to a more stable area. Middletown Ohio was chosen and the company has remained there ever since. All of the airplanes produced from the start of production in 1929 to 1937 are known as the "Lunken" Aeroncas. The first Aeronca built in Middletown was produced on 5 June 1940, and after this time all Aeroncas were built here.

World War II

The Defender, a tandem trainer version of the Chief with a higher rear seat, was used in training many of the pilots who flew in World War II. Several observation and liaison aircraft designs were also produced during and after the war, including the L-3, L-16 and O-58.

Postwar

In 1945, following the end of World War II, Aeronca returned to civilian production with two new models, the 7AC Champion or Champ and the 11AC Chief. While the Champ shared its tandem seating arrangement with the prewar tandem trainer and the Chief shared its name with the prewar Chief designs, both were new designs. A benefit of the concurrent development was that the new designs had about 80% of their parts in common. Nevertheless, the Champ was favored by the public, evidenced by its outselling its sibling at a rate of 4 to 1. Between 1945 and 1951, nearly 8,000 Champions were manufactured; while over the same period, approximately 2,000 Chiefs were produced.

New Ownership

Aeronca ceased light aircraft production in 1951, and in 1954 sold the Champion design to the new Champion Aircraft Corporation of Osceola, Wisconsin, which continued building variants of the Champion as well as the derivative design, the Citabria. Aeronca now builds components for aerospace companies including Boeing, Northrop, Lockheed and Airbus. In its 23-year history as a general aviation and military aviation manufacturer, Aeronca produced 17,408 aircraft spanning 55 different models but the company will be forever best known as the creator of “The Flying Bathtub.”

Aircraft

Aeronca C-2-------------------(1929) Single-engine single-seat tube and fabric high-wing monoplane with tailskid

Aeronca C-3-------------------(1931) Two-seat (side-by-side) development of Aeronca C-2

Aeronca C-100-------------------(1931) English-built variation of Aeronca C-3

Aeronca L------------------------(1935) Single-engine two-seat (side-by-side) low-wing monoplane with conventional tailwheel landing gear

Aeronca K------------------------(1937) Single-engine two-seat high-wing monoplane with conventional tailwheel landing gear

Aeronca 50 Chief-------------------(1938) Single-engine two-seat (tandem) high-wing monoplane with conventional tailwheel landing gear and 50hp engine

Aeronca 65 Super Chief-------------------(1938) Aeronca Chief with 65hp engine

Aeronca Defender-------------------(1938) Aeronca Super Chief with rear seat raised - used for flight training

Aeronca L-3-------------------(1941) Military version of Aeronca Super Champ

Aeronca TG-5------------------(1942) Army glider trainer based on L-3 structure

Aeronca LNR-----------------(1942) US Navy designation for Aeronca TG-5

Aeronca L-16------------------(1944) Military liaison aircraft; basis of Aeronca 7 Champ

Aeronca 7 Champion------------------(1945) Single-engine two-seat (tandem) high-wing monoplane conventional tailwheel landing gear

Aeronca 11 Chief---------------------(1945) New design but similar to the pre-war Chief but with a wider cabin and different wing

Aeronca 15 Sedan---------------------(1947) Four-seat aircraft with fabric covered fuselage and full metal wings

Aeronca Arrow-------------------(1947) Single-engine two-seat low-wing monoplane with retractable landing gear. One built; not put into production

Aeronca Chum---------------(1946) Aeronca-built version of ERCO Ercoupe. Two prototypes built; not put into production

Engines

Museum Displays

Mid-Atlantic Air Museum, Reading, Pennsylvania

1936 Aeronca C-3 Master

1937 Aeronca Model "K"

References

"Aeronautical Corporation of America (Aeronca)" by Roger Guillemette, US Centennial of Flight Commission, retrieved 20 January 2006.

External links

Aeronca Aviators Club, started by Joe Dickey. Only club currently publishing a newsletter.
aeronca.com, run by Todd Trainor, supporting various models of the aircraft.
Aeronca Club of Germany
Aeronca Club of Great Britain
Fearless Aeronca Aviators, a very popular Aeronca email list.
National Aeronca Association, associated with the factory.