Cessna CC-1 Replica

Replica aircraft commemorating the first aircraft to fly in South Australia

History of Cessna CC-1
The Cessna CC-1 on display in the main hangar is a replica of Clyde Cessna’s original aircraft which was built in 1911. It is similar to the Bleriot which was the first aircraft to fly in South Australia. The Cessna replica is fitted with a replica three cylinder Anzani engine, which also powered the Bleriot. The wooden propeller was made from scratch by one of our volunteers, Jim Piscioneri.

The replica was built by Rossair, the Cessna sales agent at Parafield, for display at Parafield and Edinburgh during the 1966 National Air Show. After later being displayed in Rossair’s sales department, it was stored in a shed at Gawler for forty years. It was donated to the museum in 2016 by the family of Gordon Lewis, who was Rossair’s chief engineer responsible for its construction.

History of Type
Clyde Cessna built his aeroplane in May 1911 and based the design on the Bleriot XI monoplane. It was powered by a 60hp Anzani engine and could fly at up to 90mph.

Rossair Aviation of Parafield constructed a full scale replica of Cessna’s aeroplane for display purposes. Construction technique was faithful to the original apart from using square aluminium tube rather than wood for the framework. They installed a 25 hp Anzani engine which had originally been installed in the Bleriot aircraft that was the first to fly in South Australia.

Anzani manufactured motor cycle engines and this engine was adapted from a single cylinder design by adding two additional cylinders engine at sixty degrees to the original in a ‘fan’ arrangement. Anzani subsequently developed a radial engine.
Flight control of the Cessna aircraft was by wing flexing, and the aircraft had a then unique fully flying tailplane.
Only one other replica of Cessna’s aircraft has been built, which is on display at the Cessna Aircraft Corporation’s Kansas offices.

Technical Specifications
Engine: Anzani 3 cylinder air cooled engine (replica) driving wooden 2 blade propeller
Length: 8.6m
Wingspan: 8m
Height: 2.3m
Crew: 1 pilot

For more information visit saam.org.au