Aeronca C-2
| Aeronca C-2 | |
|---|---|
 C-2 Collegian in the museum |
|
| Type: | Light aircraft |
| Design country: | |
| Manufacturer: | |
| First flight: |
October 20, 1929 |
| Production time: |
1930 to 1937 |
| Number of pieces: |
about 500 C-2 and C-3 |
The Aeronca C-2 was a light aircraft produced by the American manufacturer Aeronautical Corporation of America in the late 1920s. It was the first American light aircraft to become widely used by private pilots because of its low acquisition and maintenance costs. With it began a new era in aviation, which succeeded despite the often ridiculed "caricature" appearance of the aircraft. Of the C-2 and the successor version C-3 , a total of over 500 copies were produced in the USA and Great Britain.
history
Development / goal setting
In the early 1930s, a number of small aircraft priced under $ 2000 appeared on the US market. Compared with a contemporary automobile cost the about 700 US dollars, this was indeed still a great price, but these patterns are considered the first affordable ( english affordable ) US aircraft. Examples of this were, in addition to the C-2, the Curtiss-Wright Junior and the American Eagle Eaglet .
The concept after which the C-2 was developed can be traced back to the design of the Dormoy Bathtub , which was developed in the mid-1920s by Etienne Dormoy, a French who emigrated to the USA. A prominent feature was the attempt to bring the thrust line of the propeller to the level of the profile line of the wing and tailplane. Dormoy's concept inspired Jean A. Roche, a designer who worked in aircraft development for the Materiel Division of the US Army Air Corps at McCook Field in Dayton, Ohio. In addition to a glider, he designed the Roche-Dohse monoplane, also known as the Flying Flivver , together with John Dohse . As a wing profile, he was one of the first to use the Clark-Y, which was later used in many light aircraft . His goal was to build the cheapest possible airplane for students and sportsmen . This should be able to cover a distance of 260 to 300 km with a fuel consumption of 19 l (5 US gal.). To save fuel, Roche stipulated that the machine should have good gliding properties so that the engine could be switched off over longer distances. The development of a suitable engine was initially undertaken by Harold E. Morehouse, whose 29 hp two-cylinder O-80 boxer engine, developed in 1924, was then also used in other ultralight aircraft. Morehouse later played a key role in the development of the Lycoming boxer engines.
The Flying Flivver with the aircraft registration number NX3774 flew for the first time with Roche at the controls on September 1, 1925, whereby the flight came about by chance due to excessive acceleration while taxiing. The flight test with 200 flights in the following year was very successful, with a second person temporarily housed behind the pilot who flew with them. Even then an altitude of 4800 m could be reached. In 1925, Roche and Dohse founded the Roche-Dohse Company to market the aircraft , which, however, was unsuccessful due to a lack of financial resources.
Prototype C-2
The situation changed, however, due to the increasing general aviation enthusiasm from 1927, which is seen primarily as an effect of the Lindbergh Atlantic flight. Even non-specialist business people, such as B. Robert A. Taft , the son of US President William Howard Taft invested in a project by the Lunken family, who operated the Cincinnati Airport (now Cincinnati Municipal Lunken Airport ). The family founded the Aeronautical Corporation of America (Aeronca) in 1928 with the aim of building and selling light aircraft. Roche was able to successfully produce its Flying Flivver design and sell it to Aeronca in return for shares and a seat on the company's board of directors.
Roche replaced the original Morehouse engine with the two-cylinder boxer engine E-107, which he had designed and developed 26 hp. However, according to another source, the engineers behind the engine were Ray Poole and Robert Galloway. In this form, the Flying Flivver served as a prototype for the Aeronca C-2, which had its maiden flight on October 24, 1929. The "C" stood for Cincinnati , where Aeronca was based at Lunken Airport.
The first public presentation of the C-2 took place in February 1930 at the Aircraft Show in Detroit. Aviation Week of March 1, 1930 gives the name of the aircraft Aeronca C-2 Scout .
In order to make the design of the original Flying Flivver suitable for large-scale production, extensive changes were necessary. Aeronca engaged Roger Schlemmer, who had just graduated from the University of Cincinnati Aeronautical School, to carry out a major overhaul of the airframe . At the same time, Roy Poole and Robert Galloway carried out appropriate work for mass production of the engine.
Series production
Despite the stock market crash that began two weeks after the first flight of the C-2 , the company saw a good chance of being able to sell the aircraft in sufficient numbers because of its low price. Due to the low initial cost of 1880 US dollars and just as low maintenance costs, the C-2 offered private individuals the opportunity to operate an aircraft even in economically difficult times. After 50 C-2s were completed in a short time, Aeronca offered the C-2 in a float version and a "deluxe" version in addition to the standard version. By the end of 1930 over 100 copies of these three versions had been produced. The 1931 deluxe version of the C-2N had a slightly wider fuselage than the standard version and a more powerful E-113 engine.
Further development to the C-3
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At the beginning of 1931 the first two prototypes of the C-3 were completed and in March 1931 the first machines of series production left the hall. The variant was immediately so popular that by the end of 1931 almost 100 aircraft had been delivered. For flight schools it was now possible to offer the purchase of a pilot license for US $ 65 and the solo flight lessons for US $ 5 to 7. The C-3 remained in production for a few years and was continuously developed. The 1932 version received a removable cabin cover, among other improvements. In 1933, Aeronca introduced a slightly wider fuselage with more leg room. A new engine mount, together with the new E-113A engine, reduced the vibrations transmitted to the cabin. For the 1934 model year, an improved cabin cover, a new landing gear and the new E-113B engine were presented. In 1935 the C-3 received a new hull shape, giving up the previous "Razorback" layout. Only minor improvements were planned for 1936, apart from the newly introduced E-113C engine, which developed 40 hp. In the following year, sales of the C-3 fell so sharply , not least because of the market success of the new Aeronca K , that production was discontinued in 1937.
Special services
Despite the low engine power, the C-2 / C-3 was able to provide remarkable flight performance. Equipped with swimmers, a C-2 set an altitude record for this weight class at 4,600 m (15,082 ft.). Also as a wheel version, heights of over 6100 m (20,000 ft.) Were reached several times in 1930. In addition to a long-term flight record with a flight time of 26 hours, several long-haul flights over distances of more than 1200 km were carried out.
A C-3 Collegian took part in the National Air Tour in 1931 , with pilot George Dickson reaching an average speed of 102 km / h over a distance of 7800 km. The C-3 was the first light aircraft ever to make it through the required distance to the end.
Also noteworthy was the three-week transfer of the G-AEAC from England to South Africa with David Llewellyn at the wheel.
Manufactured in England
Two copies of the earliest version were exported to Great Britain. These machines arrived in England in January (G-ABHE) and April 1931 (G-ABKX). The latter is said to have been a two-seat C-2 Collegian. The first two C-3s (including G-ADSO) reached the country on September 19, 1935. For license production of the C-3, the Aeronautical Corporation of Great Britain (Aeronco) was founded on April 15, 1936 as a stock corporation with an unusually large one Starting capital of 300,000 pounds . The initial headquarters in Hanworth were soon relocated to Peterborough , Cambridgeshire , where production also took place.
The reasons for the subsequent failure of the C-2 / C-3 in England lay both in the period of mismanagement over 17 months and in the difficult-to-meet changes in British airworthiness standards. Compared to the US version, higher-strength steels had to be used for the welded tubular framework. The material and construction of the oars also had to be adapted before the type certification for the first model built in Great Britain (G-AENW) could be carried out at the end of 1936. The Aeronca JAP J-99 engine, built under license, has also undergone a few changes with double ignition and two magnetos. As a result of the changes required, the curb weight of the C-3 increased from 243 to 258 kg. The name also changed; the British machines became Aeronca 100.
At the beginning of August 1937, Aeronco stopped production, followed by voluntary liquidation on November 5 of that year. The remaining, unsold aircraft were transported to Hanworth, where they were offered for sale until 1939. But even at a greatly reduced price of 325 pounds, no buyers were found. Probably only 21 copies of the Aeronca 100 could be sold in England. There was also a copy of the Aeronca Ely 300 variant (G-AEVE) and two Ely 700s (G-AFLU and G-AFLT). That left six or seven cells, one of which was custom-built as the Ely Type FC1.
construction
The C-2 is a single-engine, single-seat monoplane designed as a shoulder-wing monoplane with wire-braced wings. The simple design comprises a fuselage structure made of welded chrome-molybdenum steel tubes (1025-Chrom-Moly-Steel), which has an approximately square cross-section in the front area, while the three longitudinal elements of the rear fuselage in the cross-section at the top run in a "cutting edge". The C-2 was also known as the Razorback in this version . The fuselage structure is covered with narrow strips of wood and covered with fabric.
The wooden wings are braced against the fuselage on the one hand, while the bracing of the upper sides with the help of a tripod pylon is used to absorb the bending forces of the two-part wings during landing. The leading and trailing edges of the wings are dural-planked, while otherwise a fabric covering is used. The open cockpit of the first 112 aircraft had "plastic curtains" to offer the pilot minimal protection against the elements.
The two-cylinder Aeronca E-107A engine, which served as drive, delivered an output of 26 to 30 hp and was installed in such a way that a minimum of fairing was necessary. So the crankcase formed the top of the engine's bow. A 30 L tank was installed behind the fire bulkhead, which could optionally be supplemented by another 19 L or 23 L tank in the overhead compartment.
The chassis existed in three versions. The basic C-2 from 1930 had a simple, fixed chassis with a straight, continuous axle and large wheels, which were also jokingly referred to as " buggy wheels ". In this variant, rubber ropes in the fuselage connected the landing gear axis with the lower side member. In the later C-2s, the wheels were first exchanged for smaller low-pressure wheels. In the further development, a landing gear braced against the fuselage with these small balloon wheels was introduced. No shock absorbers or brakes were provided. From the year of construction 1934 onwards, all machines had a chassis, which essentially consisted of a U-profile beam with hydraulic shock absorbers and balloon wheels built transversely in the fuselage floor and clad. This chassis could be retrofitted in all earlier versions.
variants
The variant designations are based on the type approvals (ATC: Approved Type Certificate):
- C-2 (PC-2) (ATC # 351 issued August 13, 1930)
- Output variant, E-107, 26 hp. PC-2 was the swimmer version of the C-2, also known as the "Scout" and "Collegian".
- C-3 (PC-3) Duplex (ATC # 396 January 31, 1931)
- two-seat variant of the C-2, also known as the "Master".
- C-1 Cadet (ATC # 447 August 29, 1931)
- "Sport version" with shorter wings
- C-2N (also C-2-N) Deluxe Scout (ATC # 448 of August 29, 1931)
- 4 built
- Aeronca 100
- 21 copies built in England according to local regulations
- Ely 300
- slightly improved Aeronca 100 (1 copy)
- Ely 700
- based on the Ely 300 it had a slightly wider hull and was about 12 cm longer (2 copies)
Technical specifications
| Parameter | Specifications of the C-2 In brackets: C-2N Deluxe |
Data of the C-3 |
|---|---|---|
| crew | 1 | 2 |
| length | 6.10 m | |
| span | 10.98 m | |
| Wing depth | 1.25 m | |
| Wing area | 13.19 m 2 | |
| height | 2.29 m | |
| Empty mass | 180.7 (193.4) kg | 212 kg |
| Takeoff mass | 305.1 (317.8) kg | 397 (1931) to 457 kg (last model) |
| payload | 124.4 (124.4) kg | 186 kg |
| Glide ratio | 11 | |
| Cruising speed | 104 km / h | |
| Top speed | 128 km / h | |
| Landing speed | 51 km / h | 56 km / h |
| Climb performance | at 1500 m in 10 min at 3000 m in 30 min |
to 1220 m in 10 minutes |
| Summit height | 4880 m | 4270 m |
| Range | 380 km at 7.6 L / h | |
| Engine | 1 × two-cylinder boxer Aeronca E-107 engine with 26 hp | 1 × Aeronca E-113 with 36 hp |
| price | US $ 1880 initially reduced to US $ 1495 in May 1930, from late 1931: US $ 1245, Deluxe: US $ 1695 (1931) |
Duplex: $ 1,895 (1931) |
Preserved copies
Selected museum pieces:
- Aeronca C.2, N11276 / serial no. A-106, The Western Antique Airplane and Automobile Museum
- Aeronca C.2, NC525V / WNr. 9, Canada Aviation Museum (exhibit marker CF-AOR)
- Aeronca C.2, X-626N / WNr. 2, National Air & Space Museum (1st production aircraft)
- Aeronca C.2, NC647W / WNr. 27, Yanks Air Museum
- Aeronca C.2, N30RC (ex NC643W) / WNr. 23, Museum of Flight
See also
literature
- Aeronca C . In: AERO - The illustrated collective work of aviation, Volume 3, 1985, p. 79 f.
- Janet Bednarek, Michael Bednarek: Dreams of Flight . Texas A&M University Press, 2003, ISBN 1-58544-257-7 , pp. 28-31
- Arthur WJG Ord-Hume: The Aeronca Experience (Part 1) . In: Airplane Monthly January 1998, pp. 56-61
- Joseph P. Juptner: US Civil Aircraft Series Vol. 4 , Aero Publishers 1967, reprinted by Tab Books 1993, without ISBN, pp. 166-170, pp. 295-300
- Joseph P. Juptner: US Civil Aircraft Series Vol. 5 , Aero Publishers 1971, reprinted by Tab Books 1993, pp. 138-141
Web links
- Flight recordings of a C-3 on youtube (accessed on July 22, 2017)
- Two British C-3s in flight (G-ADYS and G-AEFT)
- C-2 in the Museum of Flight
Individual evidence
- ↑ Juptner, 1967/1993, p. 166
- ^ Description of the Roche-Dohse Flying Flivver
- ↑ History of Harold Morehouse ( Memento from September 27, 2017 in the Internet Archive )
- ↑ Photo of the Roche-Dohse Flying Flivver
- ↑ a b Roche-Dohse
- ↑ Bednarek, Bednarek, 2003, p. 30
- ^ Leslie E. Neville: Airplanes at the Show . In Aviation Week of March 1, 1930, pp. 421 and 427
- ↑ Ord-Hume, p. 61
- ^ Aviation Week, May 5, 1930
- ↑ Compilation of preserved C-2
