Bellanca Airfield Museum

Bellanca Airfield Museum Giuseppe Mario Bellanca (or GM) immigrated from Italy in 1911 and continued his passion for aircraft design here in the United States. Please: become a member!

Friends of Bellanca Airfield, Inc., a not-for-profit organization dedicated to preserving the history of Bellanca aircraft manufacturing in New Castle, Delaware. His aircraft achieved numerous endurance and efficiency records, and his plane Columbia (shown at left) was Charles Lindbergh's first choice for a Trans-Atlantic crossing. Lindbergh was unable to secure the plane, but 2 weeks after that f

irst Trans-Atlantic flight Columbia was flown non-stop from New York to Berlin (3,911 miles). In 1931, Bellanca's Miss Veedol was the first plane to fly non-stop across the Pacific from Japan to Washington State (4,500 miles, shown at right). In 1928, Bellanca and Henry B. duPont built an airfield, aircraft plant, and service hangar in New Castle, Delaware. Located off Route 273 near the Delaware River, the plant produced approximately 3000 aircraft before closing in 1954. FoBA volunteers are restoring the 1935 Bellanca Airfield service hangar, owned by the Trustees of The New Castle Common. Interested individuals may contact FOBA by email at [email protected] for more information or membership data.

Meanwhile in 1927 - Chamberlin was figuring out his next move!
06/01/2026

Meanwhile in 1927 - Chamberlin was figuring out his next move!

On this day - May 31 1931!
06/01/2026

On this day - May 31 1931!

05/29/2026
On this day in 1927!
05/29/2026

On this day in 1927!

In May of 1931!
05/29/2026

In May of 1931!

Auguste Piccard made history on May 27, 1931, when he and assistant Paul Kipfer became the first humans to reach the str...
05/29/2026

Auguste Piccard made history on May 27, 1931, when he and assistant Paul Kipfer became the first humans to reach the stratosphere in a giant hydrogen balloon launched from Augsburg, Germany. Piccard designed a sealed, pressurized aluminum gondola that protected the crew from the thin, freezing air at high altitude, allowing them to climb to about 15,781 meters (51,775 feet). During the flight they studied cosmic rays and the upper atmosphere, while also becoming among the first people to observe the curvature of the Earth from extreme altitude. Piccard’s pioneering balloon work later influenced high-altitude aviation, space capsules, and even deep-sea exploration technology.

On this day May 28 1931, pilots Walter Edwin Lees and Frederic Brossy set a remarkable aviation endurance record by flyi...
05/29/2026

On this day May 28 1931, pilots Walter Edwin Lees and Frederic Brossy set a remarkable aviation endurance record by flying a modified Bellanca J-2 Pacemaker over Jacksonville Beach, Florida, for 84 hours and 32 minutes without refueling. The aircraft used a revolutionary Packard diesel engine that could burn a mix of fuel oil and lubricating oil, allowing the crew to stay aloft for more than three and a half days. Inside the cramped cabin were fuel cans, oil containers, and even a hammock for brief rest periods. Their achievement stood as the world’s non-refueled endurance record for 55 years, until it was surpassed by the Voyager aircraft in 1986.

On this date - May 26 1927Carrier Pigeons??
05/26/2026

On this date - May 26 1927
Carrier Pigeons??

On this day - May 26 2026Chamberlin says Hawaii Aloha!
05/26/2026

On this day - May 26 2026
Chamberlin says Hawaii Aloha!

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2 Centerpoint Boulevard
New Castle, DE
19720

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