Discovering a Dream: Restoring an Aeronca C-3
Hundreds of Aeronca C-3s were built in the 1930s, opening up the skies to those who dreamed of owning a small airplane. I have wanted to build a small airplane for years. To actually reach the end of my first project, rather than starting from scratch I concluded it would be best to do a restoration. I eventually decided on the Aeronca C-3. The C-3 goes by several names, with the most common being “Flying Bathtub” due to its shape. For me, it was love at first sight. Although hundreds of C-3s were built in the 1930s, over time many of the airplanes have made their way into museums and history. I finally located the perfect airplane. The C-3’s owner, Ken Hyde, had purchased the airplane when he was 17 and is now in his 80s. After flying over 2,000 hours in the airplane (in addition to having a fantastic aviation career ), he was reluctantly ready to place the C-3 into the hands of a new owner. The C-3 back in the day Once we agreed on a price, I returned home and began planning how ...