I also instructed in a 7EC (1956) that had the O-200 retrofitted. The second redesign seems to be holding. However, while the J-3 model of the Cub is flown solo from the rear seat, the Champ can be soloed from the front, giving improved forward visibility, particularly on the ground and during takeoffs, landings, and climbs. That can be said of the new Champ, as well.\, See the original article: . [6], Agricultural variant of the 7GC with identical gross weight but with a 150hp (112kW) Lycoming O-320-A2B engine. Aeronca Chief family - Wikipedia Step 2: Find Weights of Everything Loaded. Gross weight (lbs. The Aeronca Chief is a single-engine, two-seat, light aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear, which entered production in the United States in 1945. Conventional-gear Champs feature a steerable tailwheel and most have steel tube main gear which use an oleo strut for shock absorption; one variant utilized spring steel main gear, and American Champion is using aluminum gear legs in its production model of the Champ. [6], Upgraded version introduced in 1947 with an 85 horsepower (63kW) Continental C85[32] and "no-bounce" version of the main landing gear. The need for expanding cargo capacity gave way to the preighter aircraft. The Champ does fine. ): 820. ACA owns the 7AC type certificate and offers a new Champ. ". United States Two-seat Cabin Monoplane, 1946 Champion 7AC (N2816E) at the 1999 Camarillo Air Show, Camarillo, CA (John Shupek photos), 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champion (N82805, s/n 7AC-1452) 1, Aeronca 7AC Champion (NC 81792, s/n 7AC-415, 1946) parked (11/20/2011) at the Buckeye Municipal Airport, Buckeye, Arizona (Photos by Lt. Col. Dr. Marc Matthews, M.D., USAF (retired)) 2. But, you say, the Champ was the 7AC and had a cartoon-like bulbous windscreen and a sliding window. Aeronca Champion - Aviation Consumer Aircraft Weight and Balance Make: AERONCA Model: 7DC-CONV Serial 7AC-6374 Tail N2791E Datum is Wing Leading Edge; Main Wheel Weighing point is located O" forward, 0" aft of datum . Stall speed (mph): 40. Aeronca Champ, Adding a Battery, Starter, and Radio To fit within the Light Sport requirements, the maximum weight is reduced to 1,320 pounds (599 kilograms). [16] One variant utilized sprung-steel main gear, and American Champion uses aluminum gear legs in its production model of the Champ. Hardly a nostalgic day. "[36] Standard fuel capacity is unchanged from the 7DC;[36] an optional 26USgal (98l; 22impgal) system was offered, increasing the manufacturer's empty weight by 30lb (14kg). Most Champs were built with wooden spars. 37. There are a few bits and pieces that may be hard to find, including windshields, retaining clips for the disc brakes, cranks for the Continental engine and parts for the oddball-but magnificent-Eisemann magnetos. Sign in to continue reading, By Plane and Pilot Updated November 20, 2017 Save Article. It's a sweetheart of an airplane," Leavitt said. Champion Aircraft was acquired in 1970 by Bellanca Aircraft which continued production of their Champ-derived Citabria and Decathlon designs. [45] 25 were built. Aeronca-Champ | Aircraft It entered production in the United States in 1945, spawning one of the most popular, and longest-produced, light airplane models in the world. Youll need to be careful to always tie the airplane down or the wind will send it flying, or at least rock it hard enough to crack a wooden spar. PERFORMANCE: Top speed (mph): 135. Useful Load Utility Category : N/A : 370 lbs. Since these airplanes are so simple there really isnt an awful lot to maintain (or break). Installation Bolt Kit: Tapered crankshaft requires bolt kit UB4622-42, flanged crankshaft requires bolt kit UB4622-9. 1. American Champion 7EC Champ Overview Performance Summary Specifications Ladies and gentlemen, now entering the ring, wearing any of 20 colors, weighing 1,320 pounds, from Rochester, Wisconsin.the Champ! Expect empty weights around 740 pounds-about as much as a big motorcycle. C85 with 0-200 crankshaft and pistons. Bellanca ceased all production in the early 1980s. A-759, Revision 73, https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Aeronca_Champion&oldid=1119996823, 1940s United States civil utility aircraft, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Articles with unsourced statements from November 2018, Articles with disputed statements from November 2018, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, more than 10,000, all manufacturers and variants, This page was last edited on 4 November 2022, at 14:52. Theres also an available vintage 1946 paint scheme, but its not a 1940s aircraft. The American Champion 7EC Champ certified under the old CAR 4 rules is re-entering the market as a light sport aircraft, and thus has a 1,320-pound gross weight limitation. Models 7AC, 7CCM, 7DC, and 7EC were approved as seaplanes, with the addition of floats and vertical stabilizer fins; the seaplane versions were designated the S7AC, S7CCM, S7DC, and S7EC, respectively. Some Champs have been fitted with a venturi to drive a turn-and-bank indicator, but dont even try weather flying in a Champ. Aeronca 7AC Champion Neither brake system is very effective but that is probably a good thing with any taildragger. Already a member? Partly up to your IA. 7EC | ChampCitabriaDecathlonForums ): 1450. [30][32], 1971 reintroduction by Bellanca, a modernized version of the design which made it a variant of the Citabria line. "Aeronca: The Aeronca 7AC Champion. The A-65 in my Jodel burns 3.5 GPH with it. PERFORMANCE: Top speed (mph): 135. [1][3][5][11][16] The Champ offers far better visibility than the Cub, allowing 300 degrees of visibility to a front-seated pilot, and has a wider cabin than the Cub. What causes these problems and all of the other fabric problems so many people encounter? Also, a wingtip was out of specification and had to be reworked. The disc brakes are better but they are held in place with clips that are made of expensivium and they occasionally pop out and get lost. Unlike the L-16A not all production went to the USAF. 1/5th scale Aeronca Champion 7AC - Page 4 - RC Groups All rights reserved. In 1956, many L-16s were transferred to the United States' Civil Air Patrol. Ladies and gentlemen, now entering the ring, wearing any of 20 colors, weighing 1,320 pounds, from Rochester, Wisconsinthe Champ! There are still more than 2,600 of the 7AC Champs on the FAA registry, and American Champion's Mehlhaff estimates the average cost for one in good shape to be $35,000. AERONCA 7AC SPECIFICATIONS AND PERFORMANCE AIRSPEEDS WEIGHT AND BALANCE Normal Takeoff 45 mph Datum Line: Leading Edge of Wing Normal Climb 55 mph Forward Limit 14.10 inches Best Angle of Climb 48 mph Aft Limit 15.00 inches Best Rate of Climb 60 mph Empty Weight 710 lbs Max Maneuvering 74 mph Max Takeoff Weight 1,220 lbs Aircraft Specification A-759 2011, p. 10. Number of transactions last month: . 87 built. [27] Fuel capacity was reduced to 18USgal (68l; 15impgal) to conserve weight; despite this measure and various others, such as the use of aluminum landing gear legs and bare birch floorboards rather than carpet, the aircraft's payload is inadequate to carry two adults and full fuel simultaneously. Unlike the Cubs classic piano-wire-on-a-cork fuel gauge, the Champ has a dial thats shared with that in a Model A Ford. Selling for $2,095, the Champ outsold the Chief by an 8 to 1 margin. The gauge is only accurate in level flight attitude. S Sully Well-known member Joined Jan 5, 2019 Messages 149 Location H75 Hernando, Ms Feb 11, 2020 #6 The aircraft meets Light Sport rules, so you can fly with a drivers license, but it has a standard airworthiness certificate. WEBINAR: Weight & Balance, A user friendly solution to solve complex tasks, WB brochure I average about 3.5gl per/hr. The outer shape of the fuselage is created by a combination of wooden formers and longerons, covered with fabric. Bellanca ceased all production in the early 1980s. You can even buy a new one-more on that later. Strap into a Champ and youre sitting in one of the most basic set of wings around. Email. Expect empty weights around 740 pounds-about as much as a big motorcycle. ?_);_(@_)6 + 1 _(* #,##0.00_);_(* \(#,##0.00\);_(* "-"? Production continued with minor refinements until 1964 when production tapered off in favor of the 7ECA, a further improved version of the original airframe. CHAMP Weight & Balance (W&B) | CHAMP Load Control | DCS.aero Aircraft Specification A-759 2011, p. 37. Initial climb rate (fpm): 315. 199 built. 10_IntroductionToFlight_4_C_1_AircraftWeightAndBalance_StudentActivity3 Metal prop, new spark plugs, mags gone through. The Champ is light. Heck, you can't throw a rock in a hobby shop without hitting a Cub kit. CHAMP has expanded its feature set in Weight & Balance for fast and simple to use planning on the modified main decks of these aircraft reducing the load planning fromover 90 Minutes to mere seconds. Mehlhaff could use lighter tires, a lighter tailwheel, and a lighter interior he hopes the result will be a Champ of less than 900 pounds empty weight a 50- to 70-pound improvement over the present one. Aircraft Specification A-759 2011, p. 9 and p. 35. or lessStraight line variation between points given.2 (1 at +11.5, 1 at +42). Vince Massimini Kentmorr Airpark, Maryland. If you are in a hurry, however, its the wrong aircraft. Gross weight is only 1220 pounds. In it, you will find: " III - Model 11BC, 2 PCLM, ApprovedAugust 26, 1947 (Model 11AC eligible forconversion to Model 11BC when accomplished in accordance with Aeronca ServiceLetter No. It is suggested that the owner making this 7EC to 7GC conversion have on hand the latest copy of Aircraft Specification A-759. [37] 100 7DC aircraft were produced. [1][4][16], The strut-braced wings of the Champ are, like the fuselage and tail surfaces, fabric-covered, and use aluminum ribs.