Welcome to the Aeronca Chief website... One of the oldest Aeronca sites on the internet, in operation since 1999

The Aeronca 11AC Chief  

First Flight January 24th, 1947  NC3286E

The Chief in Snohomish, Spinner under repair

Our Aeronca Chief was purchased in December of 1989 as a collection of parts and covered pieces. It was assembled in 1947 at Western Skyways, Troutdale, Oregon after being shipped out west in a freight car. First owned by an auto dealer in coastal town of Astoria, Oregon it spent it's early years on the Oregon coast, owned by a naval engineer for a time in Astoria. During the 1950's it was owned around Seattle, Arlington and Snohomish. At one point it was sold for only $100!   It's final flights before restoration were out of Green Valley airport, where it was found in poor shape.

Flown out to Martha Lake airport it was stripped down and recovered with Ceconite.   Unfortunately, interest lagged in the project for the three people attempting to restore her and it sat at Martha Lake for 20 some years before we found it in the back of the hanger, with its original instrument panel intact.   For nearly the next 6 years we worked on it, commuting the last three years up to Arlington, Washington from Gresham, Oregon on weekends.  The project started with peeling the silver coat of dope off of the wings, rebuilding the interior and stripping the metal parts down to bare metal.

It was finally ready for doping at Jim Scott, Senior's Eastside Ultralight airpark in Arlington, Washington in the summer of 1992. Final assembly had to wait until 1995, with the help of my father, Rev. Robert L. Peterson and Carl Helland.   Aviation Inspection and Repair of Arlington, Washington did the annual inspection and 337 work for its first flight on November 3rd, 1995. After more than a decade of use in Eastern Washington, the Chief has returned to it's roots at Snohomish, Washington in 2007.

The Aeronca company is still in production at Middletown, Ohio and makes aerospace parts, including the heat shield and walls for the Apollo spacecraft!

Here is an example of the Aeronca Chief instrument panel, factory photo from 1947.  The panel is from a 11CC model, this later model had toe brakes and a placard flight manual on the panel.  The woodgrain instrument panel, ala the old National Cash Registers you might remember from younger days, is stock on all 11 series airplanes, except the 11AC Scout.

While on the website, this little Aeronca drawing will bring you to the master link for the site with many other internet connections to the Aeronca Chief.   Just click on it to fly to the master link page and enter the entire site, some 14 MB of Aeronca information!

The Aeronca Chief has over 70% of it's parts in common with the Aeronca Champion.  It was developed as a deluxe companion for the Champ, with side by side seating and a luxury interior and an interesting self-starter.   The Champion was the best seller, as flight school bought the plane in large numbers.  But the Chief continued through 1948 with the last model being the 11CC.  

Click on this Aeronca Chief ... it will take you to the Aeronca fAA internet web site... a great Aeronca Site with an even better mailing list... sign up and enjoy the discussion on Aeronca airplanes....If you have any questions about Aeronca airplanes, this is the place to have it answered.

Index page updated 9-21-2001, 1-30-2004, 2-16-2004, 3-2008

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