The story
Bellanca's Cruisair line began with the 14-7 of 1937, and its prewar 14-9 was one of the first US light planes built in series with retractable gear. The 14-13 Cruisair Senior first flew in November 1945 with a bigger cabin, a 150 hp Franklin flat-six and an oval endplate fin at each end of the stabilizer. About 590 were built from 1946 to 1949, and the line carried on as the 14-19 Cruisemaster and later the Viking, so most Cruisairs flying today are postwar airplanes. The wing is spruce with a plywood skin, over a fabric-covered steel-tube fuselage.
Its center fin plus an oval endplate on each end of the tailplane looked enough like the triple-tailed Lockheed Constellation airliner to earn it the nickname "Cardboard Constellation".
Quick answers
How do you identify a Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair?
Low wing with tailwheel gear whose main wheels retract backward into the wings. Three fins: a center fin and rudder plus an oval endplate fin at each tip of the horizontal tail. The first 14-13s have large endplates, the 14-13-2 smaller ones on a longer-span tail, and the 14-19 Cruisemaster larger oval ones again. Later Vikings drop the endplates for a single swept fin and tricycle gear.
What does a Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair sound like?
The smooth hum of a six-cylinder Franklin flat engine.
How fast is the Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair?
Top speed is 147 kts (169 mph) (14-13).
How many passengers does the Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair carry?
Up to 3. A typical layout is Four seats in an enclosed cabin.
How far can the Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair fly?
Range is about 521 nmi (14-13).
How big is the Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair?
It is 21 ft 4 in (14-13) long and 34 ft 2 in (14-13) across the wings.
When did the Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair first fly?
Its first flight was in 1945.
How many Bellanca 14-13 Cruisairs have been built?
About 590 (14-13 series) built.
How rare is a Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair in Bogey?
COMMON. Everyday traffic. You will catch plenty of these, and every first catch still counts. Your first Bellanca 14-13 Cruisair catch is worth 25 points.
