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16-582: Based on its all-wood forerunner, the Wright-Bellanca WB-1, only one was produced, variously named Columbia , Miss Columbia , and later Maple Leaf . The WB was the second in a series of designs by Bellanca, following his prior fabric-covered all-wood CE biplane . In 1925, Clarence Duncan Chamberlin was friends with, and worked as chief test pilot for, the aircraft designer Giuseppe Mario Bellanca . A flight instructor in World War I, Chamberlin

32-479: A saw was carried to drop the dead engine weight if needed. The WB-2 Columbia was introduced at the 1926 National Air Races flown by Lieut C.C. Champion, where it won both efficiency records. Wright Aeronautical chose to continue to develop the Whirlwind engine, but discontinue aircraft operations to avoid competition in profitable engine sales with rival aircraft manufacturers. Bellanca left Wright Aeronautical, with

48-772: A transcontinental air record in the Bellanca designed Wright-Bellanca WB-2 Columbia . One Maryland Pressed Steel employee, Lewis E. Reisner, went on to form Reisner Aero Service Company in Hagerstown, which eventually became the Kreider Reisner Aircraft Company . The prototype aircraft, was the Bellanca CD , was built with a 35 hp engine. Data from Air and Space Museum, Aerial Age April 1920 General characteristics Performance Maryland Pressed Steel Company Maryland Pressed Steel Company

64-466: The flight crew, to which Lindbergh objected. Reminding Lindbergh that the WB-2 was the only plane that could make the flight at the time, they made him leave to reconsider and call back the next day. The terms did not change, and Lindbergh returned to St. Louis without an airplane. Lindbergh then approached Travel Air Manufacturing Company , asking for a Travel Air 5000 modified with a Wright Whirlwind motor and

80-470: The foundation of their Aircraft Department. In 1917 during World War I, designer Giuseppe Mario Bellanca was hired to build six aircraft for the company in its factory at Hagerstown, Maryland . The two passenger 35 hp CD model biplanes were demonstrated at Towson, Maryland in August 1918 in an attempt to win a military contract. The 55 hp CE aircraft were advertised at a cost of $ 3500, but only one

96-567: The record flight, on April 24, 1927, the WB-2 was christened in Prohibition -era ginger ale the Columbia by Levine's 8-year-old daughter. Later that day, Chamberlin safely landed the plane with two children on board with a broken landing gear. The second meeting in New York was attended by Levine, Bellanca, and Chamberlin. With check in hand, Levine added a stipulation that Columbia Aircraft would select

112-552: The rights to the WB-2 series of aircraft. In 1929 Columbia placed second in a race from New York to California piloted by Commander John Iseman, Lieut. J Farnum. Maple Leaf was destroyed January 25, 1934, in a hangar fire at the Bellanca factory in Newcastle, Delaware . Data from Avistar, The Lindbergh of Canada: the Erroll Boyd story General characteristics Performance Bellanca CE The Bellanca CE

128-577: The rights to the WB-2, and the WB-2 prototype purchased for $ 15,500 and formed a new interest, Columbia Aircraft Company , with the investor Charles Levine . Levine became a millionaire at the young age of 28 by reselling surplus armaments to the United States government. When partnering with Bellanca, he had plans to put the WB-2 in production. The plans never came through, and the aircraft would not see production until Bellanca manufactured an updated version later in 1928 with his own company. Shortly after

144-409: The world non-refueled endurance record. The WB-2 follow-on aircraft, made of fabric-covered steel tubing, was already in development to test the updated Wright Whirlwind J-5 . The aircraft had some features intended for long-distance overseas flights built in. The landing gear could be dropped off, to prevent flipping in a water landing. Once on the water, the large gas tanks could provide flotation, and

160-679: Was an American aircraft manufacturer of the Bellanca CD, and CE aircraft. The New York & Hagerstown Metal Stamping Co manufactured arms for the British and was reorganized into the Maryland Pressed Steel Company in 1914. In 1916, the Poole Engineering and Machine Co acquired the company as a division. The company produced arms for the wartime effort. The company attempted to break into the lucrative aircraft production field with

176-624: Was an early customer of Bellanca designs, purchasing the only Bellanca CE , built when he was working for the Maryland Pressed Steel Company . Through Chamberlin, Bellanca secured a position as a consultant for the Wright Aeronautical company to produce a 5–6 passenger aircraft to demonstrate their new Wright Whirlwind J-4 engine . Bellanca built an all-wood aircraft, the WB-1 in 1926, which crashed at Curtiss Field in an attempt on

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192-630: Was built at the Pope Avenue factory in Hagerstown, Maryland . Bellanca had previously designed his own parasol aircraft in Sicily, bring the examples to New York to test fly. The Bellanca Aeroplane Company and Flying School was formed in 1911 at Mineola Long Island New York, where Bellanca taught the mayor, Fiorello LaGuardia . The Bellanca CE was a two-seat biplane using ailerons for roll control rather than wing warping of its predecessor. Although an example

208-500: Was built, the aircraft did not go into full production after the end of World War I brought a halt to new contracts. The aircraft was purchased in 1919 by a wartime flying instructor named Clarence Duncan Chamberlin . Chamberlin flew the C.E. to Glen Falls, New York commenting that Bellanca gave very conservative estimates of its performance and did not exaggerate its capabilities. Bellanca would remain friends with Chamberlin, hiring him later as his chief test pilot, and eventually setting

224-515: Was declined. Lindbergh also inquired what it would cost to buy a Fokker for the attempt; he was given a quote of $ 100,000 for a custom trimotor , and was told that Fokker would not build a single-engine craft for a transatlantic flight. Lindbergh instead purchased a single-place aircraft from Ryan aircraft, the Spirit of St. Louis , for $ 6000. On December 30, 1927, Bellanca left Columbia aircraft, to form Bellanca Aircraft Company , taking with him again

240-729: Was produced after the war's end. Bellanca announced in May 1920 that it could not produce aircraft due to a shortage of engines from France. In 1921 The airplane business was sold to Bellanca and partner Victor Roos from Omaha, Nebraska forming the Roos-Bellanca Company . Bellanca left for Wright Aeronautical updating the CF design into the famous Wright WB-2 , which was sold to the Columbia Aircraft Corp . Bellanca continued to produce aircraft with his own company AviaBellanca Aircraft . At

256-399: Was the first aircraft designed for the Maryland Pressed Steel Company, by the aircraft designer Giuseppe Mario Bellanca. The aircraft was also called the Bellanca C.E. or the "CE Tractor Biplane". In 1916, the Maryland Pressed Steel Company hired Giuseppe Mario Bellanca to develop a two-seat biplane with intention to sell examples to the government during the war effort. The two-seat plane

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