Bellanca Airfield (NC-134) - New Castle, DE
Posted by: 
dinobalz
N 39° 39.868 W 075° 35.208
18S E 449666 N 4390681
SITE OF BELLANCA AIRFIELD (NC-134)
Waymark Code: WM1AV5
Location: Delaware, United States
Date Posted: 03/18/2007
Views: 82
An airfield, aircraft plant, and service hangar were built here in 1928 by Giuseppe Mario Bellanca and Henry B. duPont. An aviation pioneer, Bellanca immigrated from Italy in 1912. His plane Columbia was Charles Lindbergh’s choice for a Trans-Atlantic crossing, but he was unable to secure its use. Two weeks after Lindbergh’s flight Columbia was flown non-stop to Berlin, a world record 3,911 miles. Bellanca’s Miss Veedol flew the first Trans-Pacific flight in 1931. Over the years his planes established numerous records for altitude, endurance, and speed. Between 1928 and 1954, approximately 3,000 aircraft were produced here.
LOCATION: New Castle, on Route 273, near the intersection with Route 141, just inside the Centerpoint Industrial Park.
Bellanca AIRFIELD HANGAR RESTORATION
New Life for an Old Hangar
A classic circa 1935 hangar, the last remaining structure of the once bustling Bellanca Airfield and manufacturing complex, is available for adaptive re-use. For years the Bellanca Aviation Corporation was not only a cutting edge operation in innovative aircraft design but a significant producer of quality American aircraft that set many aviation records.
The c1935 hangar housed the Air Services, Inc. a public-use sales and service operation established to serve the much needed Delaware public air facility. The classic hangar is owned by the Trustees of the New Castle Common and is located at what is now Centerpoint Boulevard and Route 273, which follows the path of the New Castle and Frenchtown Turnpike and then the route of one of America’s first railways, the New Castle and Frenchtown Railroad.
The Bellanca Airfield Hangar is an impressive structure, with a graceful arched roof that extends the length of the building and drops off to form a gable on the north side. The original laminated wooden beam truss work survives and is in good condition. This intricate and impressive system provided a span large enough to accommodate the wide wingspans of aircraft. Standing empty and receiving minimal maintenance, the impressive structure is in need of preservation and restoration.
A concerned group, Friends of Bellanca Airfield, Inc. (FoBA) has been formed to preserve the Bellanca Field hangar. The volunteer group, composed of individuals with considerable background and knowledge of local history, aviation or architecture, is working in close cooperation with the Trustees and is pursuing several concurrent adaptive use studies.
Interested individuals may contact FOBA by email at contact@friendsofbellanca.org for more information or membership data.
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