The Bellanca CH-400 Skyrocket is a six-seat utility aircraft built in the

United States The United States of America (USA), also known as the United States (U.S.) or America, is a country primarily located in North America. It is a federal republic of 50 U.S. state, states and a federal capital district, Washington, D.C. The 48 ...

in the 1930s, a continuation of the design lineage that had started with the

Bellanca WB-2 The Wright-Bellanca WB-2, was a high wing monoplane aircraft designed by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca, initially for Wright Aeronautical then later Columbia Aircraft Corp. Based on its all-wood forerunner, the Wright-Bellanca WB-1, only one was p ...

. Retaining the same basic airframe of the preceding CH-200 and CH-300, the CH-400 was fitted with a more powerful

Pratt & Whitney Wasp The Pratt & Whitney Wasp was the civilian name of a family of air-cooled, radial piston engines developed in the 1920s, 1930s, and 1940s. The Pratt & Whitney Aircraft Company (P&W) was founded in 1925 by Frederick B. Rentschler, who had previ ...

radial engine The radial engine is a reciprocating engine, reciprocating type internal combustion engine, internal combustion engine configuration in which the cylinder (engine), cylinders "radiate" outward from a central crankcase like the spokes of a wheel. ...

. Three examples were purchased by the

U.S. Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the maritime service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest displacement, at 4.5 million tons in 2021. It has the world's largest aircraft ...

under the designation RE. Two were used for radio research, and one as an

air ambulance Air medical services are the use of aircraft, including both fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters to provide various kinds of urgent medical care, especially prehospital, emergency and critical care to patients during aeromedical evacuation an ...

for the

U.S. Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionary ...

. This latter aircraft was reconfigured to carry two stretchers. The aircraft was also available in a deluxe version for private pilot owners, fitted with a more powerful Wasp variant providing 450 hp (336 kW) and detail enhancements. Two of these aircraft were purchased by the government of the

Dominion of Newfoundland Newfoundland was a British dominion in eastern North America, today the modern Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. It included the island of Newfoundland, and Labrador on the continental mainland. Newfoundland was one of the orig ...

in 1937, and one later ended in private hands. NC10294 was changed to VO-BCD and NC13155 to VO-BDF.

Variants

;CH-400: Six-seat utility aircraft., powered by a

radial piston engine. ;XRE-1: One aircraft used for radio research work at

Naval Air Station Anacostia Anacostia is a historic neighborhood in Southeast Washington, D.C. Its downtown is located at the intersection of Marion Barry Avenue (formerly Good Hope Road) SE and the neighborhood contains commercial and government buildings, mid-rise mix ...

. ;XRE-2: One light transport aircraft for the US Navy. ;XRE-3: One two-stretcher air ambulance aircraft for the US Marine Corps.

Military operators

; *

United States Marine Corps The United States Marine Corps (USMC), also referred to as the United States Marines or simply the Marines, is the maritime land force service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is responsible for conducting expeditionar ...

United States Navy The United States Navy (USN) is the naval warfare, maritime military branch, service branch of the United States Department of Defense. It is the world's most powerful navy with the largest Displacement (ship), displacement, at 4.5 millio ...

Specifications (CH-400 Skyrocket)

References

*
aerofiles.com
{{Bellanca aircraft CH-400 High-wing aircraft Single-engined tractor aircraft 1930s United States civil utility aircraft Aircraft first flown in 1930