Clyde Cessna, assisted by his brother Roy, built and flew their first airplane 'Silverwing' on the Great Salt Plains near Jet, Oklahoma, USA. It had a spruce airframe covered with linen. Anzani manufactured motor cycle engines and the Cessna engine was adapted from a single cylinder design by adding two additional cylinders engine at sixty degrees to the original in a 'fan' arrangement. Flight control of the Cessna aircraft was by wing flexing, and the aircraft had a then unique fully flying tailplane. The original aircraft is presumed to have been lost to history. There are two replicas known to have been constructed, one is located at the Cessna Aircraft Company Head Office in Kansas, USA and the other located at the South Australian Aviation Museum in Port Adelaide, South Australia.




The design of the Cessna CC-1 was based on the Bleriot XI monoplane, which was the first aircraft flown in Australia by Carl (Bill) Witber at On 13 March 1910 in a paddock at Bolivar, South Australia. The Bleriot X1 monoplane had been imported by Adelaide businessman Fred Jones and had been on display prior to the flight at his Rundle Street store 'David Jones'.

SAAM's Cessna CC-1 replica was built by the staff of Ross Aviation Facilities at their Parafield workshop in Adelaide, South Australia. It was initially on display in their sales department. The replica was built in eight working days by foreman Gordon Lewis and eight staff, for just under $200 (excluding the engine). Hannan Bros., an Adelaide engineering firm, lent a 25 h.p. Anzani engine. This particular engine was originally installed in the first aircraft to fly in Australia, the Bleriot XI monoplane flown by Bill Witber. Cessna's original aircraft was powered by a 40 h.p. Anzani but it had not been possible to obtain one so the replica was never flown. The undercarriage wheels were manufactured by Super Elliott Cycles Ltd. also of Adelaide. Part of the main wheels are made from trotting gig parts.