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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.

Download a membership application here: MEMBER APPLICATION

Below are a number of photographs of the 1935 Hangar, its 1928 predecessor, and the Bellaca Airfield:

Original 1928 Air Services, Inc. Hangar Destroyed by fire in 1934	Regional Air Race 1928 with Numeruos Army Air Service planes	New Air Services, Inc. Hangar Construction 1935	New Air Services, Inc. Hangar	Air Service, Inc. Hangar, B.A.C. Factory and Airfield
Current Hangar View	Survey Drawing of Current Hangar	Bellanca Airfield Delaware Historical Marker	Map to Bellanca Airfield and Air Services, Inc. Site

 

Friends of Bellanca Airfield, Inc.

PO Box 267

New Castle, DE 19720-0267

Send comments about this web site to: webmaster@friendsofbellanca.org

©2004-2005 Friends of Bellanca Airfield, Inc.