The Aeronca Model 50 Chief is an American light plane of the late 1930s. Consumer demand for more comfort, longer range and better instrumentation resulted in its development in

1938 Events January * January 1 – state-owned enterprise, State-owned railway networks are created by merger, in France (SNCF) and the Netherlands (Nederlandse Spoorwegen – NS). * January 20 – King Farouk of Egypt marries Saf ...

, powered by a 50-horsepower (37-kilowatt) Continental, Franklin or Lycoming engine. A 65-horsepower (48-kilowatt) Continental engine powered the Model 65 Super Chief, which was also built in a flight trainer version, the Model TC-65 Defender, with its rear seat positioned higher than the front for better visibility.

Variants

;Aeronca 50C Chief :1938 model. An improved KCA with enlarged wings and a wider cabin, powered by a

Continental A-50 The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Teledyne Continental Motors, Continental ...

.Jutpner 1978, p. 260 248 built. A 50C made the first non-stop flight by a lightplane between

Los Angeles Los Angeles, often referred to by its initials L.A., is the List of municipalities in California, most populous city in the U.S. state of California, and the commercial, Financial District, Los Angeles, financial, and Culture of Los Angeles, ...

New York City New York, often called New York City (NYC), is the most populous city in the United States, located at the southern tip of New York State on one of the world's largest natural harbors. The city comprises five boroughs, each coextensive w ...

, on November 29–30, 1938, taking 30 hours 47 minutes to travel , at an average speed of . ;Aeronca 50F Chief :1938 version of 50C powered by a Franklin 4AC-150. 36–40 built. ;Aeronca 50L Chief :Late 1938 version of 50 powered by a Lycoming O-145-A1 engine, which had exposed cylinder heads. Could be fitted with EDO floats.Juptner 1980, pp. 13–15 65 built. ;Aeronca 50LA Chief :Improved 1939 derivative of 50L, with fully-closed cowling. Could be fitted with EDO floats. 20 built. ;Aeronca 50M Chief :1938 model of 50 Chief powered by a

Menasco M-50 The Menasco M-50 was an American four-cylinder horizontally opposed aircraft engine An aircraft engine, often referred to as an aero engine, is the power component of an aircraft propulsion system. Aircraft using power components are refe ...

engine. One built, which was later converted to serve as prototype of 50F and 50LJuptner 1978, pp. 265–266 ;Aeronca 50TC Tandem Trainer : 1940 tandem trainer intended for

Civilian Pilot Training Program The Civilian Pilot Training Program (CPTP) was a flight training program (1938–1944) sponsored by the United States government with the stated purpose of increasing the number of civilian pilots, though having a clear impact on military prepare ...

and powered by Continental A-50-7. 16 built.Juptner 1980, pp. 108–111 ;Aeronca 50TL Tandem Trainer : Tandem trainer powered by Lycoming O-145-A1. 33 built. ;Aeronca 50TF : Proposed version of Tandem Trainer powered by Franklin 4AC-150. Unbuilt. ;Aeronca 60TF : Proposed Tandem Trainer with Franklin 4AC-171. Unbuilt. ;Aeronca 60TL Tandem : Powered by a

Lycoming O-145 The Lycoming O-145 is a family of small, low-horsepower, four-cylinder, air-cooled engines. It was Lycoming Engines' first horizontally opposed aircraft engine and was produced from 1938 until the late 1940s. The family includes the reduction-ge ...

. 118 built for the USAAF as the O-58B, powered by a

Continental A-65 The Continental O-170 engine is the collective military designation for a family of small aircraft engines, known under the company designation of A50, A65, A75 and A80. The line was designed and built by Continental Motors commencing in the 19 ...

;Aeronca 65C Super Chief : Improved, 1939, derivative of 50C Chief, powered by a

.Juptner 1978, pp. 260–263 279 were built. Aeronca-65CA

;Aeronca 65CA Super Chief : 1941 derivative of 65C with more fuel and entry door on each side of fuselage (other models had a standard fit of one door on the starboard side, although the second door could be fitted as an optional extra. 655 built. ;Aeronca 65LA Super Chief : 1939 model powered by Lycoming O-145-B1. 87 built. ;Aeronca 65LB Super Chief : 1940 model with Lycoming O-145-B2. 199 built. ;Aeronca 65TC Tandem :(1940) Powered by a

. 112 built. ;Aeronca 65TAC Defender :Tandem seating for military training, 154 built. ;Aeronca 65TF Tandem :1940) Powered by a

Franklin 4AC The Franklin Engine Company was an American manufacturer of aircraft engines. Its designs were used primarily in the civilian market, both in fixed wing and helicopter designs. It was briefly directed towards automobile engines as part of the Tuc ...

, 59 built. ;Aeronca 65TAF Defender :115 built. ;Aeronca 65TL Tandem :(1940) Powered by a

. 299 built plus 4 YO-58, 20 O-58, 701 L-3B, and 499 L-3C, plus 253 TG-5 gliders to the USAAF. ;Aeronca 65TAL Defender :100 built.

Specifications (Model 50-C Chief)

References

Notes

Bibliography

* * * {{Aeronca model numbers 1930s United States civil utility aircraft Aeronca aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft High-wing aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1938 Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear Single-engined piston aircraft

Variants

Specifications (Model 50-C Chief)

See also

References

Notes

Bibliography