FlyWithX

American Champion Aircraft

Still in production: https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/

Champ

  • Champ => Citabria
  • Champion Lancer => Decathlon, Scout

(Citabria = "airbatic" spelled backwards.)

Companies

Aeronca Aircraft => Champion Aircraft Company (1950s and 1960s) => Bellanca (1960s and 1970s) => American Champion Aircraft (early 2000s)

  • Aeronca ceased all production of light aircraft in 1951, and the Champ design was sold in 1954 to Champion Aircraft.
  • Champion Aircraft was acquired in 1970 by Bellanca Aircraft.
  • American Champion Aircraft Corporation acquired the Champ and related designs in 1989.

Models

The "7" in the name was from the original name Aeronca 7 Champion.

Citabria

  • 7ECA (ICAO: CH7A), Citabria Aurora, 118HP, Lycoming O-235; steel gear legs.
  • 7GCAA (ICAO: CH7B), Citabria Adventure, 160HP, Lycoming O-320; aluminum gear legs.
  • 7GCBC (ICAO: CH7B)
    • Citabria EXPLORER, 160HP
    • Citabria HIGH COUNTRY EXPLORER, 180HP

Adventure and Explorer have the same engine and same fuel capacity; Explorer has larger wings and is slightly heavier (due to the larger wings), but has the same useful load as Adventure.

High Country Explorer has the same wings as Explorer, but with more power engine and larger propellers.

Common features: metal ribs, metal or wooden spars; header tank under the dash so you can stay upside down.

Decathlon and Scout

  • 8KCAB Decathlon:
    • Features an inverted fuel and oil system. Can fly upside down.
    • Models:
      • Super Decathlon: Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B, 180 HP, 74" 2-Blade; constant speed prop; bigger engine than Decathlon.
      • Xtreme Decathlon: Lycoming AEIO-390-A1B6, 210 HP, 76" 2-Blade; constant speed prop.
  • 8GCBC Scout:
    • Known for its short takeoff and landing (STOL) ability.
    • Categorized as normal, NOT aerobatic.
    • Models:
      • Scout: 180 HP.
      • Denali Scout: 210 HP.

Discontinued models

  • 7AC Champs (1940s), response to the popular Piper J-3 Cub. Continental A-65-8 engine of 65 horsepower (48 kW).
  • 7ACA: basic, the least expensive, and lowest-performance, commercially produced light plane on the market at the time.
  • 7DC: Continental C85 engine of 85 hp (63 kW).
  • 7EC Traveler: Continental C90-12F engine of 90 horsepower (67 kW), or Continental O-200-A engine of 100 horsepower (75 kW) for newer ones after 2007.
  • 7KCAB: similar to 7GCAA, but the engine changed to Lycoming IO-320-E2A, the carburetor was replaced with a fuel injection system (for extended inverted flight).