One open cockpit two place biplane was built in 1928 (NC44N), appearing in some registers as ‘Sportsman’.
Engine: Wright-Gypsy, 85hp
Inter-Wars
Acme Aircraft Corp
Acme Aircraft Corp
Loves Park
Rockford IL
USA
Established in 1928 to build light rigidly braced sporting biplanes.
ACE Monoplane
Albert C & Fred G Essig built one monoplane in 1928 described as “a typically German low-wing monoplane with a plywood wing, and a welded steel fuselage”.
A low wing two place monoplane with a full cantilever wing.
Engine: 125hp Siemens SH-14
Wingspan: 34’0″
Length: 26’0″
Useful load: 500 lb
Max speed: 125 mph
Cruise speed: 110 mph
Stall speed: 35 mph
ACE / Essig Aero Advertising Service
(Albert C & Fred G) Essig Aero Advertising Service / A C E
Los Angeles
California
USA Circa 1928
Ace K-1 / Ace 200 / Ace 300 / Keane K-1
The 1919 K-1 biplane was designed by Alexander Klemin (Professor of Aeronautical Engineering, NYU) and N W Dalton. The prototype had a Ford T motor. The K-1 featured four “self-aligning” I-struts and all-wood frame. The landing gear was fitted with a skid with the rear end turned down to act as a brake in landing.
Manufactured at the ACE Flying Field in New York City’s Central Park, it was one of the first planes to be built on an assembly line, primitive as it was. Final assembly and flight tested at Central Park (Bethpage) Flying Field. Its engine was built in Queens. The aircraft performed well for its day, it was fully aerobatic and sold for $2500, eight were built. One made the national press when it landed on Clay St in Oakland CA as a publicity stunt on 1 December 1920.
The 1920 version was modified with beefed-up struts, redesigned fuselage with enclosed motor, and folding wings. These sold for $3,000.
Circa 1920 the inventory and manufacturing rights to ACE K-1 were acquired by Horace Keane, (sales office) 280 Madison Ave, NYC, (plant) North Beach, Long Island NY. Photos of the plane appeared in some Keane ads.
In 1931 Ace produced two, with Salmson AD-9, N952Y c/n 1, and LeBlond 5D, N953Y c/n 2, registered as Ace 300 and 200 respectively. One located and restored in California 1955, N69097. A sole surviving example is in a museum.
Engine: Ford T / Keane “Acemotor”, 40hp / 30 kW
Wingspan: 28 ft 4 in / 8.64 m
Length: 19′ 2″
Weight: 600 lbs
Useful load: 225 lb
Max speed: 63 mph / 101 km/h / 55 kn
Cruise: 55 mph
Stall: 30 mph
Range: 160 mi / 139 nmi / 257 km
Seats: 1
1920 K-1
Engine: ACE Ford T, 40hp
Wingspan: 25’0″
Wingspan folded: 10’
Useful load: 235 lb
Max speed: 80 mph
Stall: 32 mph
Ace 200
Engine: LeBlond 5D
Registration N953Y
c/n 2
Ace 300
Engine: Salmson AD-9
Registration: N952Y
c/n 1
Ace / Aircraft Engineering Corp
The Aircraft Engineering Corp (Ace) was founded in New York in 1919.
Aircraft Engineering Corp, 535 E 79 St, New York NY.
The company was sold to Horace Keane of Long Island, New York in 1920. In 1930 it was operating in Oakland, California.
1931: Aircraft Engineering at 5400 Telegraph Ave, Oakland CA.
The corporation’s only product was a single-seat biplane known as the Ace K-1.
ACE Mk III / ACE Mk III Hi-Drive / Keane Ace
Designed by Horace Keane as a converted and modified Ford T engine. In 1919 the 4 cylinder water cooled inline engine produced 40 hp. The 1929 Mk III received ATC 30 and 44.
A 90 hp 310ci 4 cylinder; the ATC 44 was for the 110 hp supercharged model.
The 1930 Mk III Hi-Drive four cylinder inline was inverted. Producing 95 hp from 310ci, the Mk III Hi-Drive received ATC 60.
ACE LA-1 / Jacobs LA-1
A 140 hp 7 radial, it later evolved into the Jacobs LA-1. The ACE featured permanent mould cast aluminium cylinder heads, bolted to a forged dteel barrel with 12 nickel steel bolts and nuts. The rocker arm system was open for valve and valve spring cooling.
High tungsten-Vanadium inlet valves – C.N.S. special exhaust valves. All shafts had ball bearings. All aluminium castings are heat treated alloys.
Pistons are aluminium alloy heat treated, with special ribbing. Fuel floating pins are fitted with aluminium alloy plugs.
The carburettor has controllable air heater.
The ACE LA-1 received ATC 31 circa 1920s.
Type: 7 cylinder air cooled radial
Rating: 140 hp at 1800 rpm
Displacement: 528.5 cu.in
Compression ratio: 4.7-1
Bore: 4.5 in
Stroke: 4.75 in
Diameter: 33 in
Weight: 375 lb
Fuel consumption: not more than .55 lb/hp/hr
Oil consumption: not more than .017 lb/hp/hr
Lubrication: 1 pressure pump; 2 scavenger pumps
Ignition: 2 Scintilla
Carburation: NAR-5 Stromberg
Spark plugs: 2 pr cylinder
ACE / Air Craft Engine Corp
Philadelphia
PA
USA Circa 1920s
ACAZ C.2
Constructed entirely from Duralumin, the ACAZ C.2 was a two seat fighter reconnaissance aircraft.
All four wings were identical and interchangeable.
The C.2 was evaluated by the Aeronautique Militaire Belge in early 1926.
On 9 March 1928 an attempt was made to fly it to the Belgian Congo.
The aircraft was written off on 25 January 1933.
The design was not put into production.
Engine: 1 x Hispano-Suiza 12.Ga, 450 hp / 336 kW
Propeller: Levasseur-Reed metal
Wing span: 41 ft / 12.50m
Length: 27 ft / 8.25 m
Height: 11 ft 2 in / 3.40m
Wing area: 436.58 sq.ft / 40.56 sq.m
Empty weight: 2778 lb / 1260 kg
MTOW: 4563 lb / 2070 kg
Max level speed: 155 mph / 250 kph
Climb to 19,685 ft / 6000m: 35 min
Service ceiling; 24,606 ft / 7500m
Endurance: 3.5 hr
Armament: 1 x .303 Vickers mg & 2 x .303 Lewis mg
All Aero 