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The original offices of the Aeronautical Corp. of America (Aeronca) were in the old Federal Reserve Bank Building on Fourth Street in Cincinnati. The Cincinnati group was quietly casting about for a suitable airplane to manufacture. This information came to the attention of Conrad Dietz, a fellow Cincinnati businessman and sometimes promoter of business ventures. He was an avid aviation enthusiast, ever since Major Watson taught him to fly in 1925.
Dietz had formed the Dietz Aeroplane Company in Dayton. The firm had designed and built a three-place, full cantilever, taperwing biplane in which the pilot sat amidships in an open cockpit while an enclosed cabin between the wings could seat two passengers. Various types of powerplants were envisioned for the plane but the old Curtiss 90-hp OX-5 was slated for use in the prototype. The preliminary drawings for the plane were completed in January 1928. It was built shortly thereafter and Dietz applied for a CAA government license. A special experimental permit (No. X-5055) was issued on May 15, 1928. However, the license was good for only six months.
The expiration date of November 15, 1928 came and went and Dietz had not found anyone sufficiently interested to even get the plane airborne. Conrad had a good head on his shoulders and possessed a driving force when it came to business matters. He recognized things for what they were and never missed an opportunity when it presented itself. The Aeronautical Corporation of America had incorporated shortly before the license expired on the biplane, and Dietz contacted the board members, offering his company's design for review. The group went over drawings and the business proposition. Here was an airplane fully designed and a prototype built, and production know-how dumped in their lap. At least it appeared so on the surface. They gave it serious consideration but wanted more engineering information before proceeding. Conrad turned the material over to the Aeronautical Research Council in the Davies Building in Dayton to complete the necessary stress analysis and computations on the biplane design. Dietz had not designed the plane; he was not an engineer. Who the actual designer was is unknown.
The Research Council made several changes, most noticeable being the elimination of cantilever wings in favor of the time honored wire braced wings. The general public wasn't ready to accept unbraced wings. With permission, but without full approval, Dietz had the study completed under the Aeronautical Corporation of America's title and labeled it the C-4 (which is believed to have been Conrad's fourth promotion design). The revised drawings and a 15-page report with performance calculations were completed in January 1929. This was only two months after the Aeronautical Corporation of America had incorporated. Several months later, when Senator Robert Taft was home for a few days from his duties in Washington, the Aeronautical Corp. of America board of directors sojourned to Dayton to review the Research Council's findings firsthand and inspect the biplane. The group was essentially interested in discussing costs, pricing and production possibilities and, while in town, visiting with officials at McCook Field for a little politicking. During the discussion it was mentioned casually, but quite intentionally, that the biplane's future was doubtful and would soon be outdated. Even Dietz realized his plane would probably have only a few good years of production before the public would look upon it as antiquated. Senator Taft listened intently. His decision carried a lot of weight.
Dietz, sensing the uncertain atmosphere, suggested they go out on the field and look at a small home-built monoplane. It might be more suitable for their company's nameplate. The little flivver was a backyard venture, Dietz cautioned, but it had all officials at McCook talking with high praise. It was designed by a good friend of Dietz's, Jean Roche, whose regular job was Senior Aeronautical Engineer for the Army Air Corps in Dayton. This was to become the C-2 and then the C-3, the famous "Flying Bathtub". The C-4 was never heard of again.
Adapted from Aeronca's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Wind Canyon Books, 2001.
Dietz had formed the Dietz Aeroplane Company in Dayton. The firm had designed and built a three-place, full cantilever, taperwing biplane in which the pilot sat amidships in an open cockpit while an enclosed cabin between the wings could seat two passengers. Various types of powerplants were envisioned for the plane but the old Curtiss 90-hp OX-5 was slated for use in the prototype. The preliminary drawings for the plane were completed in January 1928. It was built shortly thereafter and Dietz applied for a CAA government license. A special experimental permit (No. X-5055) was issued on May 15, 1928. However, the license was good for only six months.
The expiration date of November 15, 1928 came and went and Dietz had not found anyone sufficiently interested to even get the plane airborne. Conrad had a good head on his shoulders and possessed a driving force when it came to business matters. He recognized things for what they were and never missed an opportunity when it presented itself. The Aeronautical Corporation of America had incorporated shortly before the license expired on the biplane, and Dietz contacted the board members, offering his company's design for review. The group went over drawings and the business proposition. Here was an airplane fully designed and a prototype built, and production know-how dumped in their lap. At least it appeared so on the surface. They gave it serious consideration but wanted more engineering information before proceeding. Conrad turned the material over to the Aeronautical Research Council in the Davies Building in Dayton to complete the necessary stress analysis and computations on the biplane design. Dietz had not designed the plane; he was not an engineer. Who the actual designer was is unknown.
The Research Council made several changes, most noticeable being the elimination of cantilever wings in favor of the time honored wire braced wings. The general public wasn't ready to accept unbraced wings. With permission, but without full approval, Dietz had the study completed under the Aeronautical Corporation of America's title and labeled it the C-4 (which is believed to have been Conrad's fourth promotion design). The revised drawings and a 15-page report with performance calculations were completed in January 1929. This was only two months after the Aeronautical Corporation of America had incorporated. Several months later, when Senator Robert Taft was home for a few days from his duties in Washington, the Aeronautical Corp. of America board of directors sojourned to Dayton to review the Research Council's findings firsthand and inspect the biplane. The group was essentially interested in discussing costs, pricing and production possibilities and, while in town, visiting with officials at McCook Field for a little politicking. During the discussion it was mentioned casually, but quite intentionally, that the biplane's future was doubtful and would soon be outdated. Even Dietz realized his plane would probably have only a few good years of production before the public would look upon it as antiquated. Senator Taft listened intently. His decision carried a lot of weight.
Dietz, sensing the uncertain atmosphere, suggested they go out on the field and look at a small home-built monoplane. It might be more suitable for their company's nameplate. The little flivver was a backyard venture, Dietz cautioned, but it had all officials at McCook talking with high praise. It was designed by a good friend of Dietz's, Jean Roche, whose regular job was Senior Aeronautical Engineer for the Army Air Corps in Dayton. This was to become the C-2 and then the C-3, the famous "Flying Bathtub". The C-4 was never heard of again.
Adapted from Aeronca's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Wind Canyon Books, 2001.
