The Bellanca Aircraft Corporation was founded by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca. Bellanca was born March 19, 1886 in Italy. A trained engineer, he came to the U.S. for the first time from Boulogne-sur-Mer, France on October 10, 1911 on board the Rotterdam. Ancestry.com exhibits the ship's record with Bellanca aboard. As WWI evolved, even as an alien he was registered for the draft. His registration, dated September 12, 1918, is below.

G.M. Bellanca, WWI Draft Registration Card, September 12,1918 (Source: ancestry.com)

During his early years in the U.S., he went through a series of jobs, but didn't start producing aircraft of his own design until about 1920. The 1920 U.S. Census placed Bellanca living as a boarder with the Mayerly family in Hagerstown, MD. His occupation was cited as "Engineer in Aeronautics" working for an "Aeroplane Manufacturer." Two of his fellow boarders were Maximillian Bona and Peter Mariello. Both these gentlemen came to America about the same time as Bellanca. They were a "Mechanic" and a "Draftsman," respectively, for the same "Aeroplane Manufacturer." That manufacturer would have been the Pressed Steel Company (see PA article, below). They would have been involved in the design and manufacture of Bellanca's CH model (cf. right sidebar). Below is one of his early products, the Bellanca NC7085, his model J, S/N 109, manufactured September 4, 1928. Photo courtesy of Lars Opland via the Hagley Museum and Library.

Bellanca Model J, NC7085, Date Unknown (Source: Lars Opland)

Below, is an article from Popular Aviation (PA) magazine, July, 1935, which provides biographical information about him and business details about his manufacturing facility in New Castle, DE, as well as a summary of record flights by his aircraft up to 1935.

Popular Aviation, July, 1935 (Source: PA)

Bellanca's New Castle airfield and manufacturing facility, established in 1928, are nicely summarized, with photogaphs, at the link. According to ancestry.com, he petitioned and was made a United States citizen on June 28, 1929.

A lot happened in Bellanca's life over the decade of the 1920s. The 1930 U.S. Census placed him living at age 42 in New Castle, DE with his wife, Dorothy Brown (32), whom he married on November 18, 1922, in Omaha, NE. With them was their son, Augusto (3). They rented their home for $100 per month. His occupation was coded as "Aeronautical Engineer" for an "Aircraft Corporation." This would be his own company.

The 1940 Census placed them in the same city, in the same rented home. Augusto was now 13 years old, and living with the family was Elizabeth Gibson (21), whose occupation was coded as "Housemaid." The Bellancas paid her $750 per year for her services.

On April 27, 1942, Bellanca registered for the draft during WWII. His draft registration card is below. He was 56 years old.

G.M. Bellanca, WWII Draft Registration Card (Source: ancestry.com)

Marker Sign for the (now defunct) Bellanca Airfield, 1928-Ca. 1970 (Source: Link)

Bellanca died of leukemia in New York on December 26, 1960. He was enshrined in the National Aviation Hall of Fame. Another biographical statement is at the link. A memorial sign was erected, right, in 2004 commemorating the presence of the Bellanca facility that existed nearby. Note mention of fellow Register pilots Charles Lindbergh and Henri duPont. Another Register pilot frequently associated with Bellanca was Clarence Chamberlin. The only artifact remaining from the airfield is a hangar building that is being restored and has been placed on the U.S. Register of Historic Landmarks. You can view that building in the Bellanca New Castle facility link, above.

Many Bellanca aircraft are still registered. According to the FAA database online, as of the upload date of this page, there are 3,135 Bellanca aircraft of various models comprising the FAA record. The Bellanca Viking is still popular and is described in a PDF file downloadable at the link.

As well, these registrations include some vintage models, two of which are Register airplanes. Namely, the Bellanca CH-400 NC779W landed once at Clover Field and five times at the Grand Central Air Terminal during 1931. It lives and flies in Delaware today. And NC251M was logged in the Peterson Field Register once in 1929. It lives in Hawaii today. If you have photographs or information about either of these airplanes, please let me KNOW.

Dossier 3.1.3

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