Aero (1) Commander 680E
The Commander 680E, introduced in 1957 and nicknamed the Super, stretched the Aero Commander's wingspan and fitted supercharged 340-horsepower engines, giving it the power to seat five to seven occupants. The US Air Force selected the type as a presidential transport for Dwight Eisenhower, acquiring fifteen examples under the military designation L-26C, with two based at the White House for the president's personal use. That government service, alongside the type's role as a business aircraft for corporate flight departments, made the 680E one of the best-known Aero Commander variants of the 1950s twin-piston line.
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Did you know?
Nicknamed the Super, the 680E was the Aero Commander variant the USAF designated L-26C to carry President Eisenhower.
Specifications
| Length | 10.6 m (35 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 13.4 m (44 ft) |
| Height | 4.4 m (14 ft) |
| Persons on board | 6 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 4 t |
| Service ceiling | 24,000 ft (7,315 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 21,000 ft (6,401 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,370 ft/min (7 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 457 m (1,499 ft) |
| Landing distance | 490 m (1,608 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 820 l |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
In CatchFlights the Aero (1) Commander 680E starts as a Rare catch. The tier is an editorial judgement of how special a sighting of this type is. The more often you catch it, the closer it moves to Common for you.
A catch counts for the manufacturer Aero (1), the Commander 680E family and the model in your collection, and the daily Type Rating quiz asks about the types of each family.
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