fter World War II, the civil aviation
market experienced the largest
growth it had ever had. With
returning military pilots, increased airline
service, and people who were eager to learn
to fly, the business opportunities seemed
endless.
However, manufacturers quickly learned
that new designs weren’t as easy to sell as they
had hoped—largely because of ex-military
aircraft that were sold for less than $1,000.
First built in 1944 by the Aeronca Aircraft
Corporation, the Champion was used in a
variety of roles—much as Piper’s J-3 Cub.
Aeronca built more than 10,000
Champions during the six-year span that it
sold the little two-seater.
Most Champions were powered by 65-
horsepower Continental engines, and the
first models didn’t have electrical systems or
lights. Later models of the aircraft could be
purchased with additional upgrades.
The first military order for the Champion
was from the US Army Air Force. Later, that
same batch of aircraft was sold to the US Air
Why Not
Model...
The 55-year-old classic’s McCauley propeller and nose bowl of the cowling.
n Stan Alexander
Aeronca Champ
A left-side view. Note dihedral on wingtips; forward vision is great for a tail-dragger. Beautiful paint scheme for a model.
A
68 M ODEL AVIATION
Force, which had just been created as a
separate branch of the military.
Those aircraft were used to train new pilots,
then they were quickly turned over to Civil Air
Patrol units across the country, to give students
their first experience in an airplane.
The Champion is a natural for modelers—
especially those who want a high-wing Scale
model other than a J-3 Cub.
Color schemes are more varied with the
Champion, since the stock scheme has two
hues: orange and yellow.
Some Aeronca models have slightly more
horsepower than the Cub. The two models’
wingspans are almost the same, but the
Champion’s is roughly one inch shorter, and
the Cub’s overall length is more than a foot
longer than the Champion’s.
Some modelers say the Champion looks
“cubish”; if that’s so, it’s because the Cub and
the Champion have the same type of
construction: steel-tube frame and fabric
covering. Even the landing gear has
approximately the same track.
Although the Cub has a true flat-bottom
airfoil, the Champion came with an
undercambered 1⁄4-inch (NACA 4412) airfoil.
Another difference in the Champion is that the
pilot or student can sit in the front seat; it doesn’t
make any difference to the center of gravity. The
center-of-gravity location is more critical to the
aircraft’s balance in most two-place aircraft.
Several models of the Champ (as it became
widely known) were built, and they varied in
optional equipment and engines.
For those who want to try their hand at fullscale
aviation, the Champ may be a good place
to start. It’s inexpensive for civil aircraft, with a
price range of $12,000-$22,000.
Those who are interested may also want to
check out the newer versions of the Champ,
called Citabrias.
The Citabria is one of the few 1930-1950-
era aircraft being produced, with many
modifications. The aircraft has been known
for its aerobatic capabilities since the first
ones came off the assembly line.
The price tag can easily be $100,000 for a
new Citabria model.
You are almost guaranteed a look at several
excellent examples of the Aeronca Champ if
you go to a local EAA (Experimental Aircraft
Association) fly-in or a large national event,
such as AirVenture Oshkosh or Sun ’n Fun.
A few Champs will look much the same as
they did when they came from the factory, but
most will have different color schemes and the
owners will have customized them.
The aircraft that still look original—even by
judges’ standards—usually place for trophies at
these events.
Dave McIlvaine (Wadsworth OH), a good
friend of mine and Mike Welshans, owns a
7AC Champion.
Mike took the accompanying photos in June,
at the Waco Fly-In held in Mt. Vernon, Ohio.
Dave’s family has owned the Champ since
the 1960s. They built it from parts, which they
January 2001 69
The Champ’s rudder. Check out the space between the vertical fin and the rudder.
A close-up of the Champ’s main left gear. Notice the struts and brakes.
A simple cockpit interior. The throttle handle is just below the left window.
Photos by Mike Welshans Graphic Design by Jill Ann Cavanaugh
70 M ODEL AVIATION
Paul Matt three-view
courtesy Aviation Heritage
put together in 1970. Dave inherited the aircraft
from his father approximately eight years ago.
The Champ was originally built in
November 1945, and serial number 380 is
powered by the same 65 hp Continental
engine it had when it was built.
According to Dave:
“The paint scheme is basically the same
now as it was when we refinished the Champ
in 1970. While it isn’t a stock color scheme, it
sets off the lines of the aircraft nicely. There
was an accident a few years ago, and that’s
when I put the numbers on the wing and the
small numbers on the tail.
“There is very little maintenance on a
Champ. Of course, it depends on how you treat
it. We just did the annual inspection, fabric test,
and put a new gas gauge from a Model A Ford
in it; it’s the same part exactly. That’s all we did.
“I still start it by hand; there isn’t an
electrical starter. It has an impulse on the left
magneto, and it’s very easy to start.”
Dave had the following to say about the
Champ’s flight characteristics:
“It’s very easy to fly, and you can do
limited aerobatics with it. It will loop, do
stall maneuvers, and you can spin it. It’s
pretty hard to make it roll; it just doesn’t
have enough horsepower.
“The furthermost I’ve ever flown the
Champ is about 250 miles away. My dad flew
it to Tennessee and to Prescott, Arizona. It
uses about 41⁄2 gallons of gas per hour and
carries 13 gallons, plus an added option of two
41⁄2-gallon wing tanks from Wag Aero.
“Of all of the postwar airplanes, the
Champ is the best of all; you’re flying with a
stick, and the throttle is on the left side. You
have visibility on both sides and it’s a taildragger.
It’s covered in fabric so you don’t
have to worry about corrosion so much.”
Dave keeps his Champion in his hangar,
as you would any fabric aircraft. It “likes” to
fly better on cool days, and it doesn’t have
any nasty habits.
“You can solo the airplane from the front seat
and you have good visibility all around,” said
Dave. It’s a very forgiving airplane to fly, and
will carry its gross weight and then some easily.”
He added:
“I flew Control Line back in the mid-
1940s when ignition engines were all we
had. Then I flew Carrier in the mid-1980s,
and the last time I flew in competition was
the 1990 Nationals.
“I didn’t get my pilot license until I was
18. I got my pilot license in a Champ at
Cleveland Hopkins Airport.
“Last Friday a week ago, I took Ernie
Kuzma, my instructor from 51 years ago, for
a ride in my Champ. Ernie asked me if I’d
ever had an accident or incident in the
airplane, and I told him ‘no.’
“Ernie said it was great to get to fly, as it
was the first time he had flown in three years.”
Whether it’s 1⁄4 scale or full-scale, the Champ
should give you hours, or maybe even a
lifetime, of pleasure.
As Dave says, this is just a “12-inchesequals-
one-foot model.”
Have fun with a Champ!
Versions of the Champion:
1944 Champion 7AC, ACS: 65-horsepower
Continental engine; span: 35 feet, 2 inches;
length: 21 feet, 6 inches. Has the distinction of
being sold to the US Army Air Force as the L-
16 model. There was also a floatplane version.
1947 Champion 7BCM: 85-horsepower
Continental. This was the first to feature “no
bounce” landing gear, and it had a reinforced
fuselage.
1948 Champion 7CCM: 90-horsepower
Continental. It also had a redesigned and
larger dorsal fin and wing tanks.
1948 Champion 7DC, DCM, DCS: 85-
horsepower Continental. Also had larger tail
and dorsal fin. The DCM was called the “farm
wagon,” with classy wood-lined cargo bin.
The DCS was a float version with ventral fin.
1949 Champion 7EC, ECS: 90-horsepower
Continental. This was the first Aeronca to
offer a starter and generator.
1949 7FC Champion: Had the first tricycle
landing gear of any Aeronca.
Specifications:
Wingspan: 35 feet
Length: 21 feet, six inches
Empty Weight: 890 pounds
Gross Weight: 1,450 pounds
Maximum Speed: 110 mph
Range: 350 miles
Engine: Continental C 65-horsepower
Sources:
Paul Matt Scale three-view drawings, courtesy
of Aviation Heritage, Box 1445, Niceville FL
32588; Tel.: (800) 999-0141; Fax: (850) 729-
1111. Aviation Heritage has all Paul Matt
drawings for sale; contact www.aviationheritage.
com or E-mail: info@aviationheritage.
com.
The Bellanca-Champion Club has the most
complete library of publications about the
Champion Citabria and other Bellanca and
Champion aircraft. These are available to the
membership at special club prices.
The 1,500 members comprise a tremendous
technical and maintenance resource, and they
have practical flight experience.
For more information, contact Bellanca-
Champion Club, Box 100, Coxsacki NY
12051; Webmaster: szegor@bellancachampionclub.
com; Web site:
www.bellanca-championclub.com. A oneyear
membership is $33 US, $41 foreign.
Books:
Aeronca—A Photo History by Bob Hollenbaugh
and John Houser, published in 1993 by Aviation
Heritage, ISBN 0-943691-10-9.
Aeronca “The Best of Paul Matt Collection
Volume I,” published in 1988 by SunShine
House, Inc. (now Aviation Heritage), ISBN 0-
943691-02-8, available from Historic Aviation,
Aviation Heritage (information above).
Magazines:
Air Progress, September 1984, page 74:
article and color photos
Sport Aviation, June 1997, pages 28-32: “The
Aeronca Champ” by Budd Davidson has
article, color photos, comparison ratings.
Documentation Sources:
Scale Plans & Photo Service, 3209 Madison
Ave., Greensboro NC 27403; Tel./Fax: (336)
292-5239, has 14 different photo packs and
Champ three-views.
Scale Model Research, 3114 Yukon Ave.,
Costa Mesa CA 92626; Tel.: (714) 979-8058;
Fax: (714) 979-7279, has 27 different Foto
Paaks and three-view documentation.
Kits:
Hobby Lobby, 5614 Franklin Pike Cir.,
Brentwood TN 37027; Tel.: (615) 373-1444;
E-mail: [email protected]; Web
site: www.hobby-lobby.com. Precedent 1⁄4-
scale Aeronca Champ kit has 105-inch
wingspan, 65-inch length, three-section wing,
and 120 four-stroke recommended power.
Ikon N’Wst, 3806 Chase Rd., Post Falls ID
83854; Tel.: (800) 327-7198. The Champ kit
has a 106-inch wingspan, length of 65
inches, and weighs approximately 15
pounds. The company describes it as a
“really large stick model.” The catalog,
which includes several kits, is $5.
Plans:
Bob Holman Plans, Box 741, San
Bernardino CA 92402; Tel.: (909) 885-3959;
E-mail: [email protected]. Nexus
Publications plans for the Aeronca Champ—
RC 1132, 71-inch span.
Bill Northrop’s Plan Service, 2019 Doral Ct.,
Henderson NV 89014-1075; Tel.: (702) 896-
2162. Plans for the Champ—71-inch span by
Cal Smith two-inch scale.
R/C Modeler magazine, Box 487, Sierra
Madre CA 91025; Telephone orders only:
(800) 523-1736. Plans for a 1⁄3-scale Champ
with a 141-inch span, for a 40-50cc engine.
Flying Models magazine, Box 700, Newton NJ
07860-0700, Dept. 1437; Tel.: (800) 474-6995
for ordering plans. Has 51-inch-span Paul Del
Gatto, Plan #CF-9, and 521⁄2-inch-span Doc
Mathews Aeronca Champ, Plan #CF585.
Fair skies and tail winds. MA
Stan Alexander
3709 Valley Ridge Dr.
Nashville IN 37211
January 2001 71
