Aeronca
Backed by the Taft family, Aeronca put America’s first commercially successful light aeroplane in the air, lost its factory to a flood, and sold 17,408 aircraft before turning to building parts for everyone else.
Aeronca: the company and the aircraft that made its name
The Flying Bathtub
The Aeronautical Corporation of America was founded in Cincinnati on 11 November 1928 with money and political weight from the Taft family; the future senator Robert A. Taft sat on its board. Its first product, Jean Roche’s tiny C-2 of 1929, looked so odd that it was nicknamed the Flying Bathtub. It was also the first commercially successful American general aviation aeroplane, and Aeronca made its own engines for the early models. The Scout, Chief and Super Chief followed in the late 1930s.
Flood, war and the Champ
In 1937 the Ohio River flooded Lunken Airport and washed away Aeronca’s factory, tooling and almost all of its early drawings. The company moved to Hook Field in Middletown. In the war its Defender trainer taught thousands to fly, the TG-5 glider trainer prepared men for the Waco CG-4A, and the L-3 Grasshopper flew liaison at the front. Peace brought the 7AC Champion, and about 7,200 Champs were built in just four years, outselling the sister Chief four to one.
From aeroplanes to aerostructures
The bubble burst. Aeronca stopped building light aircraft in 1951 after selling 17,408 aircraft in 55 models, and sold the Champion design in 1954; it lives on today as the American Champion line. Aeronca itself bought Longren Aircraft in 1959, nearly went bankrupt by 1965, assembled the first BD-5J microjet and walked away from it, and was taken over by Fleet Aerospace in 1986. It still works at Middletown, now as part of Magellan Aerospace, building structures for Boeing, Airbus and the defence primes.
Aeronca in numbers
The company
- In short
- Founded 1928
- Founded in Cincinnati on 11 November 1928
- Factory destroyed by the Ohio River flood, 1937
- Moved to Hook Field, Middletown, Ohio
- Hostile takeover by Fleet Aerospace, 1986
Production
- Best known for
- C-2 and Champion
- 17,408 aircraft in 55 models, 1929–1951
- 7AC Champion: about 7,200 built 1945–1948
- L-3 Grasshopper and TG-5 for the US Army in WWII
Today
- Now
- Aerostructures for Magellan Aerospace
- Builds components for Boeing, Northrop Grumman, Lockheed and Airbus
- Champion design still built by American Champion
The numbers
- Aircraft sold
- 17,408 in 55 models1929–1951
- Champions built
- about 7,200 (7AC)1945–1948
- Champ to Chief sales ratio
- about 4 to 1
Every notable Aeronca aircraft
| Aircraft | Role | First flight | Built | Status | Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Aeronca C-2 | Single-seat light monoplane | Retired | The Flying Bathtub; designed by Jean A. Roche | ||
| Aeronca C-3 | Two-seat light monoplane | Retired | |||
| Aeronca Chief / Super Chief | Side-by-side light aircraft | Retired | |||
| Aeronca Defender (Tandem Trainer) | Primary trainer | Retired | Trained many wartime pilots | ||
| Aeronca L-3 Grasshopper | Observation and liaison | Retired | Largest sub-variants: 875 and 490 built | ||
| Aeronca TG-5 | Training glider | 250 | Retired | Engine replaced by a third seat | |
| Aeronca 7AC Champion | Two-seat tandem trainer | 1944 | about 7,200 | In service | Design continued by Champion, Bellanca and American Champion |
| Aeronca 11AC Chief | Two-seat side-by-side light aircraft | about 2,000 | Retired | Shared about 80 per cent of parts with the Champ |
Aeronca aircraft in the world’s air forces
1 air forces in the Order of Battle fly or flew Aeronca types. 0 of them still have one in service.
| Air force | In service | Formerly flown |
|---|---|---|
| Japan Ground Self-Defense Force aviation | Aeronca L-16 and Piper L-21 Super Cub |
Where Aeronca built, who led it, what it achieved
Factories
- Lunken Airport works · Cincinnati, Ohio — Destroyed in the 1937 flood
- Hook Field works · Middletown, Ohio — Home since about 1939; still in use
- Dayton assembly hangars · Dayton Municipal Airport, Ohio — Leased for postwar production
People
- Jean A. Roche · designer — Designed the C-2
- Robert A. Taft · director, later US senator
Records and firsts
- First commercially successful American general aviation aircraft, the C-2
Aeronca, year by year
Aeronautical Corporation of America founded in Cincinnati
C-2 Flying Bathtub enters production
Ohio River flood destroys the Lunken Airport factory
Renamed Aeronca Aircraft Corporation; L-3 ordered by the Army
7AC Champion first flight
Light aircraft production ends
Champion design sold to Champion Aircraft
Fleet Aerospace takes over Aeronca
Before and after Aeronca
Everything people ask about Aeronca
What does Aeronca stand for?
Why was the Aeronca C-2 called the Flying Bathtub?
How many aircraft did Aeronca build?
Is Aeronca still in business?
Around Aeronca
Every fact, checked
Verified 2026-10-03.