Aero Commander was an aircraft manufacturer that operated between 1944 and 1986. It was initially formed in Culver City, California, by Rufus Travis Amis and Ted Smith to design and manufacture a light twin-engined transport aircraft known as the Aero Commander. Over time, the company became a subsidiary of Rockwell International and Gulfstream Aerospace. In 1986, the company ceased aircraft production.
The company’s first prototype, the Aero Commander, took flight in 1948, and was certified by the Civil Aeronautics Administration in 1950. The U.S. Air Force selected the Aero Commander as the personal transport for President Dwight D. Eisenhower in 1955, ordering 15 aircraft. The company was acquired by Rockwell-Standard in 1958, where it changed its name to Aero Commander Inc. and produced pressurized business aircraft. The company also developed a business twinjet called the 1121 Jet Commander. The production of this aircraft was delayed, ultimately leading to the company’s decision to cease aircraft production in 1986.