JE-1

The JE‑1 was the first high‑performance monoplane produced by AviaBellanca Aircraft after the company’s merger in 1932. Designed by the visionary engineer Giuseppe “Joe” Bellanca, the prototype rolled out of the New York factory in early 1933 and quickly earned a reputation for speed and reliability. Its slender, cantilever wing employed a wooden spar and fabric covering, while the fuselage combined a spruce frame with lightweight aluminum skin, achieving an empty weight of only 1,200 pounds. Powered by a 125‑horsepower Warner Scarab radial engine, the JE‑1 could cruise at 150 mph and reach a top speed of 175 mph—figures that out‑performed many contemporary biplanes. The aircraft featured a fully enclosed cockpit with dual controls, split‑flap air brakes, and a retractable landing gear system that was unprecedented for a light aircraft of its era. Throughout the 1930s the JE‑1 served as a trainer for the United States Army Air Corps and as a record‑setting platform for long‑distance flights, including a nonstop crossing of the Atlantic in 1935. Its innovative construction methods and performance paved the way for later Bellanca models such as the 7‑series and helped establish AviaBellanca as a leader in low‑cost, high‑efficiency aviation.