By Jim Roberts
From the day the Aeronautical Corporation of America set up shop in 1928 at Lunken Airport in Cincinnati, until it closed the doors in 1951 in Middletown, Ohio, the company built thousands of personal light airplanes. Known simply as Aeronca, the factory turned out multiple variants, ranging from the single-pilot, 36-hp C-3 up to the four-seat, 145-hp 15AC Sedan. During the 1940s, it contributed to the war effort with the L-3/O-58D Defender, a light observation aircraft. More well known today are the side-by-side Model 11 Chief and the ubiquitous tandem-seat 7AC Champion, best known — and loved — as the Champ.
This year at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh, a gathering of more than 100 of these aircraft are on site to celebrate the “Aeronca Nation” and the 80th anniversary of the Champ. Wandering the grounds in Vintage aircraft parking, I spoke to some of their proud owners to learn a bit about these aircraft.
Frank Johnson bought his bright orange 1940 Aeronca TC-65 three months ago, “just to fly it here” from his home in Donie, Texas. Frank said the aircraft sat in pieces in a hangar for 50 years before being restored in 2016. The TC-65 is nicknamed the “Tall Chair” because, built as a trainer during World War II, the rear seat sits about 4 inches higher than the front seat so the instructor could better see over the student’s head.
Frank’s trip from Texas, accompanied by a Champ and a Carbon Cub, took six days with stops to visit friends along the way. Frank noted, “At 75 mph, you don’t just go that fast, but we had a ball flying low and slow.”
A few rows over from Frank, I found Kevin Cassin and Nick Biondo enjoying coffee under the wing of Kevin’s 1948 15AC Sedan. Kevin and Nick became fast friends during AirVenture 2019 and make a point to reunite each year. The trip from Lancaster, Pennsylvania, was a relatively short hop for Kevin in the Sedan; it wasn’t so easy for Nick who traveled from Hagåtña (formerly Agaña), Guam, for the reunion!
Kevin and his wife, Bridgid, have owned their Sedan for three years, and Kevin credited Ralph Jacobson for the restoration, completed in 2001. Modifications include most of the available STCs, including big brakes, a 180-hp Lycoming engine with constant-speed propeller, and seaplane doors on both sides of the fuselage. Kevin said Bridgid, who is also a pilot, “has always loved the aesthetics of an Aeronca,” so when their daughter came along they replaced their Citabria with the Sedan, a decision that Kevin is thrilled with. He’s excited to see so many Sedans on the field this week, noting, “There are at least nine here. I don’t think anybody’s seen that many Sedans together in a long time.”
Farther down the line, I spotted Diane Asher diligently cleaning the windshield on the family Champ. Diane and husband Lonnie flew their 1946 model 7AC from Cape Fair, Missouri, and she noted, “It was the longest flight I’ve ever made in a private plane.” She said the airplane sat in a hangar since 1971 before being restored three years ago, and she and Lonnie have enjoyed ownership for the past two years. When asked what she likes most about the Champ, she said, “We really enjoy flying this little plane, and slow-flying around the Missouri hills and Ozark Mountains.”
If an award is given for the shortest distance traveled by an Aeronca to AirVenture, Scott Johnson will win the prize. Scott’s 1942 olive-drab O-58D Defender is based at Wittman Regional Airport, and it was a short taxi from his hangar to Vintage parking.
Scott has owned the airplane for 18 years, and in 2022 he completed a 13-year restoration, bringing it back to its original military configuration. He credited Darrell Khun, a friend and fellow Defender owner, for mentoring him through the work. Darrell advised, “Whatever you do, if you don’t like it, just do it again.” That advice came in handy.
Scott said, “The sheet metal was a big challenge, because it had been converted to a civilian configuration when the Army sold it. They took the metal ‘greenhouse’ out and replaced it with a wooden structure covered with fabric over the top, like a Champ.” Scott toiled mightily to restore the bird to its military configuration, declaring, “I wasted a lot of aluminum until I figured out how I was doing it. But that’s how you learn.”
Scott is also indebted to his sister, Tracy Noack, for the beautiful fabric work. Tracy spent years working for the aircraft restoration staff at EAA, and her skills shine in the Defender. You can read the full story of Scott’s restoration in the September/October 2024 issue of Warbirds magazine.
In recognition of the “Aeronca Nation,” there will be numerous seminars throughout the week, and some outstanding examples of the breed are on display in front of the VAA Red Barn. The airplanes and their pilots will also be featured daily at the Red Barn during Vintage in Review presentations.