1936 Aeronca C3

The 1930s were a time of rapid innovation in aviation despite the severe financial constraints of the times.  And while getting in the air was expensive, not everyone who looked skyward with longing could afford to fly a Waco or Travel Air.  Entrepreneurs and tinkerers rushed in to fill the desire and demand of those who wanted to learn to fly or feed their fix for breaking the bonds of earth.  People like Bernard Pietenpol designed practical airplanes (see the Collection’s Model A powered version here) that could be built in a garage, but for would-be pilots that, like me, can’t do level or square, there were Taylorcraft, Porterfield (see The Collection’s version here), and especially Aeronca.  We have one of the earliest and one of the cutest Aeroncas in The Collection – the iconic C3.

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The Aeronautical Corporation of America, better known as Aeronca, was formed in 1928 in Middletown, Ohio, and produced its first airplane, the C2, in 1928.  Known as the flying bathtub, it was eventually superseded by the C3 in 1931.  The C3 is an externally wire-braced airplane with seating for two and absolutely no frills.  Powered by an Aeronca 2-cylinder engine (113C) of 36 horsepower, it flies but is going nowhere in a hurry.  In fact, the performance is so marginal that after reading Budd Davisson’s “Airbum” pilot report, I was skeptical of every flying one.

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Still, the C3 is an important part of the evolution of general aviation, and the C3 and its C2 forerunner are generally considered to be the first commercially viable light airplane.  So, when my friend and fellow museum operator Tom Frasca offered to sell me his, I jumped at the chance!  A mutual friend cautioned me that Tom’s version was “experimental” and lacked a “Standard Airworthiness Certificate,” which is something I tend to avoid because originality is something we value.  But in this case, Tom’s plane had been modified with the much more reliable and powerful Continental A65 engine.  It has also been restored as a single-person aircraft, which is also fine by me, as two 21st century humans seem crazy in such a small, underpowered airplane.

The C3 isn’t an especially rare airplane with 52 on the FAA’s registry, but there are likely fewer than two dozen actually flying.  And the Collection’s example still flies as all our airplanes must do.

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The Collection’s example NC17419 is dolled up a bit compared to most C3’s and features wheel streamlines (better known today as wheel pants).  But there are no other fancy modifications to this most basic of airplanes.  In fact, some have disputed whether the C3 is really an airplane at all and think of it more as a powered glider.  The airplane wasn’t made after 1937 because the CAA (the forerunner of today’s FAA) determined that it was not an airworthy design with its external wire bracing and lack of an air speed indicator.  Its huge 36-foot wingspan is hard to miss in the museum’s hangar despite its overall small stature.  But what the C3 lacks in size, it makes up for in curb appeal as it’s a lovely little airplane and fun flying at its most basic.