Aeronca L-3E
Aircraft & Rides
SINGLE PASSENGER, WEIGHT LIMIT 170 LBS.
Built By:
Aeronca Aircraft Corporation as Company Model 65TAC
First Flight:
1941
Number Built:
1,740 (including all variations)
Engine:
Continental A-65 Four Cylinder Horizontally-Opposed
Displacement--171 cu in.
Max RPM--2,300
Horsepower--65
WWII Cost--???
Wingspan:
35 feet
Length:
21 feet, 10 inches
Height:
9 feet, 1 inch
Weight:
1,200 pounds Loaded
Crew:
One, room for one passenger (observer)
Max Speed:
87 MPH
Cruise Speed:
79 MPH
Range:
218 Miles
Ceiling:
10,000 feet
WWII Cost:
Our Aircraft's History:
$2,246
Manufacturer's S/N C2801TA
Air Corp. S/N 43-2820
This aircraft was manufactured at the Aeronca factory in Middletown, Ohio, right across the street from our museum on December 24th, 1941. It originally was sold to a private civilian, until it was purchased by the Defense Plant Corporation on July 23rd, 1942. Under this ownership, it was used as a tandem trainer aircraft with the Army Air Corps in Lubbock, Texas, until November of 1942 when it was removed from service.
After passing through several owners over the years, it ended up in a barn in Peoria, Illinois where it sat for about 30 years. It was purchased in September of 1994 and restored to flying condition. The aircraft won Best in Class at the 1997 Tulsa Fly-In at Bartlesville, Oklahoma, and again at the 1998 Aeronca Convention in Middletown, Ohio. Butler County Warbirds received and restored the aircraft to a paint scheme representative of L-3s in military service.