BELLANCA CH NX/NC4050

Participant in the 1928 Ford Reliability Tour

This airplane is a Bellanca Model CH-200 (S/N 102; ATC #47) manufactured in November 1927 by the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation of America, Staten Island, NY.  It left the factory with a Wright Whirlwind J-5AB engine (S/N 8158) of 200 HP. It weighed 4,050 pounds.

On June 15, 1928, the airplane sold to Wayco Air Service of Detroit, MI with engine S/N 8170 installed. The airplane was approved for the NX designation in June 1928.  We find NX4050 at Tucson on the busy morning of July 10, 1928.  Dozens of pilots competing in the 1928 Ford Reliability Tour were landing all around.  Our pilot was George Haldeman, who was carrying two passengers as participants in the Tour.  At the finish line, they placed 14th.

A photograph of 4050 is at the Cosgrove Collection at the link. You may see this airplane in motion on the ground at Tucson at this link, which shows a one-minute motion picture clip of the fourth National Air Tour for the Edsel B. Ford Trophy when it visited Tucson on the morning of July 10, 1928.

The airplane was switched to NC designation on February 13, 1929 and sold to Leon D. Sherrick of Canton, OH on October 18, 1929.  He flew it into 1935 when, on March 13 it was sold to Erie Isle Airways, Co. of Put-In-Bay, OH.  Between 1935 and 1939 it changed hands five more times, mostly going to air transport and business operators.

Its registration was cancelled on August 1, 1939 after its last license expired.  No reason was given for the cancellation.

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UPLOADED: 03/27/06 REVISED: 09/28/07, 11/07/07, 02/06/14