Commonwealth Aircraft

Commonwealth Aircraft was a manufacturer of light aircraft in the United States in the period immediately after World War II; for the Australian company of the same name, see Commonwealth Aircraft Corporation.

Commonwealth Aircraft was formed in late 1942 on the acquisition of the assets of Rearwin Aircraft & Engines. Commonwealth continued producing the acquired Rearwin designs in the acquired Rearwin facilities in Kansas City, Kansas. In early 1946, Commonwealth took over Columbia Aircraft Corporation, and consolidated operations in Valley Stream, on Long Island. Commonwealth ceased production of aircraft in March 1947.

Aircraft produced

During World War II, Commonwealth participated in contract production of the eight-place Waco CG-3A and thirteen-place CG-4A USAAF troop-carrying tactical gliders; Commonwealth produced 100 of the CG-3A model, as well as a total of 1,470 of the CG-4A, third most among the sixteen companies involved in the program.

Following the war, Commonwealth in 1946 began building the Skyranger 185, a model developed from Rearwin's Skyranger 175 (and the only model certificated under Commonwealth).