Aeronca: The Journey of America’s Pioneer in Commercial General Aviation
The Aeronautical Corporation of America, originally formed as Cincinnati Aeronautical Corporation, was founded on November 11, 1928, in Cincinnati, Ohio. It is often shortened to Aeronca and became the first American company to produce a commercially successful general aviation aircraft. In 1941, the company officially changed its name to Aeronca Aircraft Corporation. The company began production in 1929 with the Aeronca C-2 monoplane, known as the “Flying Bathtub.” The “C” in its name stands for Cincinnati. In 1937, the company introduced the Scout, a two-seater model. The Scout evolved into the Chief and Super Chief the following year. In 1937, the Ohio River flood washed away the entire Lunken Airport area, destroying Aeronca’s factory, tooling, and nearly all early blueprints and drawings. Because of this, the company moved out of the floodplain in 1939 to Hook Field Municipal Airport in Middletown, Ohio. By October 1940, the factory had to expand by 25,000 square feet to meet production needs.
