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- Item #5799
- PN: 82
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- Item #5799
Bellanca's Golden Age
This paperback history traces Giuseppe Mario Bellanca's 42 years of continuous airplane manufacturing, from his arrival in America from Sicily in 1911 through the postwar era. Written by Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel, with research contributions from the late Paul Matt, it is part of the Golden Age of Aviation Series, which covers a range of aircraft manufacturers from the early 1900s through 1950.
The book covers Bellanca's role in the development of early air transportation over long distances, including accounts of the first ten Atlantic crossings and the first transpacific flight. It tells the full story of the Bellanca Columbia, the aircraft Charles Lindbergh sought but did not acquire, and includes first-hand accounts of Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, and other figures from aviation's golden years. The series draws on original research, previously unpublished photographs, period magazine advertisements, and Paul Matt's internationally recognized 3-view scale drawings.
Bellanca's Golden Age Features
- Covers G.M. Bellanca's complete story across 42 years of aircraft manufacturing
- Details the first ten transatlantic flights and the first transpacific flight
- Tells the story of the Bellanca Columbia, widely considered the most significant aircraft of the 1920s
- Includes government testing results from the 1930s in which a Bellanca aircraft ranked first among 209 aircraft tested for efficiency
- Never-before-told stories of Charles Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, and other Golden Age personalities
- Covers more than two dozen Bellanca aircraft types including the WB-2, Columbia, Pacemaker, Aircruiser, Senior Skyrocket, AT-21-BL Trainer, Cruisair, and Cruisemaster
- 175+ photographs, many previously unpublished
- Includes original period magazine advertisements
- Paul Matt 3-view scale drawings
By Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel
Published 2004
ISBN 9781891118463
148 pages, paperback, 8.5" x 11"
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- In Stock
- List Price:
- Item #5799
- PN: 82
Bellanca's Golden Age Overview:
Bellanca's Golden Age
This paperback history traces Giuseppe Mario Bellanca's 42 years of continuous airplane manufacturing, from his arrival in America from Sicily in 1911 through the postwar era. Written by Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel, with research contributions from the late Paul Matt, it is part of the Golden Age of Aviation Series, which covers a range of aircraft manufacturers from the early 1900s through 1950.
The book covers Bellanca's role in the development of early air transportation over long distances, including accounts of the first ten Atlantic crossings and the first transpacific flight. It tells the full story of the Bellanca Columbia, the aircraft Charles Lindbergh sought but did not acquire, and includes first-hand accounts of Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, and other figures from aviation's golden years. The series draws on original research, previously unpublished photographs, period magazine advertisements, and Paul Matt's internationally recognized 3-view scale drawings.
Bellanca's Golden Age Features
- Covers G.M. Bellanca's complete story across 42 years of aircraft manufacturing
- Details the first ten transatlantic flights and the first transpacific flight
- Tells the story of the Bellanca Columbia, widely considered the most significant aircraft of the 1920s
- Includes government testing results from the 1930s in which a Bellanca aircraft ranked first among 209 aircraft tested for efficiency
- Never-before-told stories of Charles Lindbergh, Clarence Chamberlin, and other Golden Age personalities
- Covers more than two dozen Bellanca aircraft types including the WB-2, Columbia, Pacemaker, Aircruiser, Senior Skyrocket, AT-21-BL Trainer, Cruisair, and Cruisemaster
- 175+ photographs, many previously unpublished
- Includes original period magazine advertisements
- Paul Matt 3-view scale drawings
By Alan Abel and Drina Welch Abel
Published 2004
ISBN 9781891118463
148 pages, paperback, 8.5" x 11"
1 CUSTOMER REVIEWS
Bellanca's Golden Age
1 Reviews
- Average Customer Review:
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Verified Purchase
Bellanca Book Bombs
- By Lars from Wasilla AK USA on Monday, May 17, 2010
- Pros: I gave this book 3 stars only because many photos were new to me
-
Review:
The text is written for about a 7th grade reading level. That would be fine if the information provided were reliable. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
The photo at the beginning of chapter 25 caught my eye while first paging through, & the caption stated the photo was taken in India, so I began reading to learn more about it. The text only credited this one with crossing the Atlantic & says nothing about how it ended up in India. Worse, the same paragraph describes how "In 1933 and 1934, the seventh, eighth and ninth Atlantic crossings for Bellanca cabin planes were accomplished by Steve Darius and Stan Adamowicz in the White Falcon, and by Dr. Richard Light in a commercial seaplane, a Bellanca CH-300 Skyrocket, the Asulinak." There are so many mistakes in this sentence it's hard to count them all. Left entirely unclear is which flights crossed in which year, & that's the least of it.
There was a trans- Atlantic attempt in 1933 by brothers Benjamin & Joseph Adamowicz, ending with damage to their J-300 "White Eagle" in Newfoundland on the take-off attempt, but I know of no "Stan Adamowicz" & no "White Falcon". Ben & Joe made a successful crossing in 1934, the same plane now renamed "Warsaw". There was a Stephen Darius, but he flew another Bellanca across the Atlantic in 1933 with partner Stanley Girenus. That Bellanca was named "Lituanica" & it crashed fatally for both men in Northeastern Germany, not far short of their goal in Lithuania.
There is no index, but I see no photos & no mention of "Lituanica"... There is no such thing as a "CH-300 Skyrocket". You'd think somebody publishing a book about Bellancas could at least get THAT right! The photo shows a CH-400 Skyrocket. Given the problems with the stories I DO know there, I'm uncertain whether I've learned anything at all factual about Dr. Light's Skyrocket.
I love the photos, in spite of the middling reproduction quality, but the captions are as problematic as this bit of text. To whoever wrote these captions, all Bellancas must seem perfectly interchangeable. On pages 72 & 73 an earlier Bellanca CH or J & the later J-300 Special "Miss Veedol" are claimed to be the same aircraft. The other 2 photos on page 72 are also badly mis-captioned.
So if you already know what you're looking at regarding Bellancas, it's a fairly good picture book in spite of the indifferent image quality.
- Verified Purchase
Bellanca Book Bombs
- By Lars from Wasilla AK USA on Monday, May 17, 2010
- Pros: I gave this book 3 stars only because many photos were new to me
- Cons: The authors evidently knew little about the subject matter; see review.
- Review:
The text is written for about a 7th grade reading level. That would be fine if the information provided were reliable. Unfortunately, that is not the case.
The photo at the beginning of chapter 25 caught my eye while first paging through, & the caption stated the photo was taken in India, so I began reading to learn more about it. The text only credited this one with crossing the Atlantic & says nothing about how it ended up in India. Worse, the same paragraph describes how "In 1933 and 1934, the seventh, eighth and ninth Atlantic crossings for Bellanca cabin planes were accomplished by Steve Darius and Stan Adamowicz in the White Falcon, and by Dr. Richard Light in a commercial seaplane, a Bellanca CH-300 Skyrocket, the Asulinak." There are so many mistakes in this sentence it's hard to count them all. Left entirely unclear is which flights crossed in which year, & that's the least of it.
There was a trans- Atlantic attempt in 1933 by brothers Benjamin & Joseph Adamowicz, ending with damage to their J-300 "White Eagle" in Newfoundland on the take-off attempt, but I know of no "Stan Adamowicz" & no "White Falcon". Ben & Joe made a successful crossing in 1934, the same plane now renamed "Warsaw". There was a Stephen Darius, but he flew another Bellanca across the Atlantic in 1933 with partner Stanley Girenus. That Bellanca was named "Lituanica" & it crashed fatally for both men in Northeastern Germany, not far short of their goal in Lithuania.
There is no index, but I see no photos & no mention of "Lituanica"... There is no such thing as a "CH-300 Skyrocket". You'd think somebody publishing a book about Bellancas could at least get THAT right! The photo shows a CH-400 Skyrocket. Given the problems with the stories I DO know there, I'm uncertain whether I've learned anything at all factual about Dr. Light's Skyrocket.
I love the photos, in spite of the middling reproduction quality, but the captions are as problematic as this bit of text. To whoever wrote these captions, all Bellancas must seem perfectly interchangeable. On pages 72 & 73 an earlier Bellanca CH or J & the later J-300 Special "Miss Veedol" are claimed to be the same aircraft. The other 2 photos on page 72 are also badly mis-captioned.
So if you already know what you're looking at regarding Bellancas, it's a fairly good picture book in spite of the indifferent image quality.
- Was this review helpful to you? Yes No 3 Other people found this review helpful.
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Lowest Price Guaranteed!
If you find a better price elsewhere on this product we will match that price and beat it by 10% of the difference.
Buy with Confidence!
Purchase today and you can return it in the original condition through Monday, July 27, 2026 ! See our return policy.