Bellanca C.F.

The Bellanca C.F. high-wing monoplane was the prototype for the first line of successful cabin aircraft, including Pacemakers and Cruisairs, built in the United States. Its creator, Italian immigrant Giuseppe Bellanca, embraced a completely new vision and design in the early 1920s, offering four passengers comfort and cover in a cabin while keeping the traditional open cockpit for the pilot.Bellanca visualized the C.F. as a commercial transport aircraft before a market really existed; therefore, only one C.F. was ever built. However, the beautifully crafted monoplane, with its high-lift struts and mahogany plywood panels, exhibited high performance. It won races in 1922 and 1923 and also hosted two aerial marriages.