A history of the Aeronca, Bellanca, American
Champion Family of Aircraft
By Tom Beamer
Page 1
- Aeronca Beginnings
Page 2
- Aeronca/Champion/Bellanca-Champion/American
Champion Models
Page 3
- Early Aircraft Designations
Page 4
- The Citabria Era Designations
Page 5
- The 8 Series
Page 6 - And…..
Page 7
- Structure (Fuselage and Wings)
And…………………….
- Champion 402 Lancer,
designed for the multi-engine training market, with a pair of 100 hp
Continentals, fixed pitch props, and fixed landing gear, minimum sink rate
was the best one could achieve during one engine out training. The fabric
covered Lancer was also the first of the tandem line with metal spars. The
Lancer had a control wheel in the front since the idea was to teach future
professional pilots and a stick in the rear, possibly a unique control
arrangement.
![Lancer-402 twin engine tied down on ramp](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image002.jpg)
Champion Lancer 402
![Lancer-402 Tied down on a ramp](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image004.jpg)
Champion Lancer 402
![Lancer-402 interior showing seats](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image005.jpg)
Champion Lancer 402 – Interior
![Lancer-402 interior showing the engine controls](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image006.jpg)
Champion Lancer 402 – Interior
![Lancer-402 interior showing the main controls with a yoke rather than a stick](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image007.jpg)
Champion Lancer 402 - Interior
Known Experimental Models
- 1958,
Commuter, a two place, fabric covered, welded steel tube, helicopter.
- 1966,
Champion was touring the Airshow circuit with a single seat aircraft that
had no rear seat or windows and had all of the fuel in a rear seat area
tank, this aircraft also had an oversize rudder and spring steel gear,
which was still two years away from introduction to production aircraft.
As a young 7AC instructor I remember inspecting this very high-performance
airplane very closely, remember that even the 7ECA was high performance
when you spent your day in the back seat of a 7AC struggling for altitude
at 300-500 fpm.
- 1968, Citabria Pro, essentially an open
cockpit 7KCAB with 180 hp, factory documents initially refer to it as the
9KCAB but it is then changed to 8KCAB until that is later reassigned to
the Decathlon. It initially flew with the front cockpit covered over but
was later reconfigured as a two-holer. Great
looking airplane that we drooled over at the time but it’s easy to
understand that there will always be a limited market for an open cockpit,
particularly if you’ve ever tried to operate one on an annual basis.
![Citabria-Pro running up on grass](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image009.jpg)
Bellanca Citabria Pro
- 1973, Bellanca Trainer, a tri-cycle gear
development of the 11 series Chief, 100 hp, swept vertical fin, squared
and slight swept horizontal stabilizer and elevator, modern looking
fiberglass cowl, rear window, spring steel gear.
![Experimental-Aerobatic at the 1966 Reding Air Show](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image011.jpg)
Bellanca Experimental Aerobatic
![5eca-aeronca-LB in Florida's Aviation History Museum](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image013.jpg)
Aeronca LB
![19c7-Aeronca-Chum air to air BW photo](8KCAB-Hist6_files/image015.jpg)
Aeronca Chum
Page 1
- Aeronca Beginnings
Page 2
- Aeronca/Champion/Bellanca-Champion/American
Champion Models
Page 3
- Early Aircraft Designations
Page 4
- The Citabria Era Designations
Page 5
- The 8 Series
Page 6 - And…..
Page 7
- Structure (Fuselage and Wings)
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