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Aeronca's
pioneering aircraft
 Aeronca
History: Founded in 1928 as the Aeronautical
Corporation of America, Aeronca was the first U.S.
company to market a truly light airplane. The C-2
aircraft opened up flying to the general public and
made the corporation a major force in general
aviation. Changing its name to Aeronca in 1941, it
served in World War II as the producer of the
Aeronca Grasshopper, a light liaison and
observation monoplane. The Company also
manufactured hundreds of trainers and gliders for
the war effort. The Post-War era saw the release of
popular aircraft from Aeronca: the Champ, the Chief
and Super Chief; the Defender, and the Arrow, a
low-wing cabin monoplane with retractable landing
gear. From 1945 to 1950, Aeronca built thousands of
light aircraft, reaching a peak production of 50
aircraft per day. Production of light aircraft
ceased in 1951. In the short span of twenty-three
years Aeronca manufactured 17,408 airplanes of some
55 different models.
 The
legacies of Aeronca's pioneering aircraft remain
for thousands of vintage aircraft buffs.
Biannually, enthusiast and their aircraft gather
for the Aeronca Association Convention at the
adjacent Hook Field. Millions have also seen the
Aeronca C-2 lightplane on display at the
Smithsonian National Air and Space Museum in
Washington, D.C.
Subsequent to the recession
that hit the light aircraft industry in the late
1940's, Aeronca assumed the role of pioneer in the
field of brazing and bonding of honeycomb and other
heat resistant structures for the aerospace
industry. The high temperature brazed honeycomb
techniques Aeronca developed won the contract for
the Apollo command module and Aeronca manufactured
nearly all of the outer structure of the
spacecraft. This structure preformed successfully
during the reentry to earth of all Apollo
missions.
Aeronca Today: Today,
Aeronca is a major aerospace sub-contractor for
engine/nacelle components, aircraft structures,
space structures, and missile control
surfaces.
Located near U.S. Interstate
75, midway between Cincinnati and Dayton, Ohio,
Aeronca sits on 39 acres of land adjacent to Hook
Field. The plant itself encompasses 450,000 square
feet of floor space. Geared to producing complex
aerospace structures, Aeronca has CATIA based
CAD/CAM equipment used for computerized design and
manufacture. The ability to design, test, and
certify new components is highly valued by
Aeronca's customers.
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