Silvered Wings: Bellanca ‘Junior’ 14-9 (1940)

Bellanca “Junior” 14-9 (1940) NC25197

Giuseppe Bellanca’s “Junior,” later known as the “Cruisair Jr.,” became one of his finest airplanes and a design that lasted many years. The aircraft featured tapered cantilever wings, retractable landing gear, and a distinctive tail group that included a pair of fins at the stabilizer ends. The 1939-1940 models were powered with the 90-horsepower Ken-Royce engine and 1941’s 14-9L model with the five-cylinder Lenape “Brave” engine.

Civil Air Patrol’s NC25197 flew antisubmarine missions out of Coastal Patrol Base No.13 at Lowe Field in Sarasota, Florida. The base’s 17 patrol aircraft also consisted of eight Stinsons, four Wacos, three Fairchilds and an Aeronca.

Maj. Ron Finger is a freelance illustrator and member of the Minnesota Wing’s Crow Wing Composite Squadron. Recently honored by the Minnesota Aviation Hall of Fame as Artist of the Year, he is an Air Force Art Program artist, where a select pool of artists are assigned “art missions” to document specific U.S. Air Force operations. 

Among his duties as Civil Air Patrol’s national artist, Finger researches and creates art that portrays our historical emergency service. A personal goal is to complete paintings documenting every aircraft type CAP has flown. 

This is the 21st painting in Finger’s second series of depictions of vintage CAP aircraft. More of Finger’s CAP artwork can be seen at redpine.net.

Silvered Wings No. 1 — Fleetwings Sea Bird F-401Silvered Wings No. 2 — Curtiss-Wright 15-D SedanSilvered Wings No. 3 — Rearwin Sportster 7000Silvered Wings No. 4 — Cessna U-3B “Blue Canoe”Silvered Wings No. 5 — Aeronca C-3 (1932)Silvered Wings No. 6 — Rearwin Sportster 900-LSilvered Wings No. 7 —Travel Air C-4000Silvered Wings No. 8 — Kinner “Sportster B”Silvered Wings No. 9 — Boeing Model 40-A/BSilvered Wings No. 10 — Brunner-Winkle “Bird,” BK (1929)Silvered Wings No. 11 —Meyers OTW-125 “Out-To-Win”Silvered Wings No. 12 — Cessna 0-1/L-19 Bird DogSilvered Wings No. 13 —Monocoupe 90A Silvered Wings No. 14 — Silvered Wings: North American/Ryan L-17A NavionSilvered Wings No. 15 — Aeronca LBSilvered Wings No. 16 — Helio U-10D/HT-295 Super CourierSilvered Wings No. 17 — Aero Commander L-26/U-4B 55-4647Silvered Wings No. 18 — Bellanca “Cruisair” 14-12-F3 (1941)Silvered Wings No. 19 — Cessna 150D (1964)Silvered Wings No. 20 — Boeing Model 100/P-12 (1929)