The
Citabria
is a light single-engine, two-seat, fixed
conventional gear
airplane
which entered production in the United States in 1964. Designed for
flight training
,
utility
and personal use, it is capable of sustaining
aerobatic
stresses from +5g to -2
g
. Its name, "airbatic" backwards, reflects this.
The Citabria was designed and initially produced by
Champion Aircraft
Corporation, and was a derivative of designs the company had been building since acquiring the 7-series
Champ
from
Aeronca
in 1954. The model 7ECA Citabria entered production at Champion in 1964. The 7GCAA and 7GCBC variants, added in 1965, were joined by the 7KCAB in 1968.
In 1970, Champion was acquired by
Bellanca Aircraft Corporation
, which continued production of all of the Champion-designed variants. Bellanca introduced two designs with close connections to the Citabria: The
8KCAB Decathlon
and the
8GCBC Scout
. Production at Bellanca ended in 1980 and the company's assets were liquidated in 1982.
The Citabria designs passed through the hands of a number of companies through the 1980s, including a
Champion Aircraft Company
which was no relation to the Champion Aircraft of the 1960s. In that period, only one Citabria model was built?a 7GCBC marketed as "Citabria 150S."
American Champion Aircraft Corporation
acquired the Citabria, Decathlon, and Scout designs in 1989 and returned the 7ECA, 7GCAA, and 7GCBC models to production over a period of years.
The Citabria traces its lineage back to the Champ. The most noticeable external changes to the design are the Citabria's squared-off
rudder
surface, wingtips, and rear windows. Like the Champ, the Citabria features tandem seating. The
fuselage
and tail surfaces are constructed of welded metal tubing. The outer shape of the fuselage is created by a combination of wooden
formers
and
longerons
, covered with fabric. The cross-section of the metal fuselage truss is triangular, a design feature which can be traced all the way back to the earliest
Aeronca C-2
design of the late 1920s.
The strut-braced
wings
of the Citabria are, like the fuselage and tail surfaces, fabric covered, utilizing aluminum
ribs
. Most Citabrias were built with wooden
spars
. American Champion has been using aluminum spars in the aircraft it has produced and has, as well, made the aluminum-spar wings available for retrofit installation on older aircraft.
The landing gear of the Citabria is in a
conventional arrangement
. The main gear legs of most Citabrias are made of spring steel, though American Champion began to use aluminum gear legs in 2004. Early Citabrias were fitted with a steel tube main gear which uses an oleo strut for shock absorption. All of the variants are discussed in more detail below.
When the Citabria was introduced, it was the only airplane being commercially produced in the United States which was certified for aerobatics. Citabrias were also popular as trainers?because of their conventional gear and their aerobatic capabilities?and as personal aircraft. They were also found in utility roles as
bush planes
?thanks to their
short take off and landing (STOL)
ability,
agriculture
, pipeline patrol, and as
glider towplanes
. Though variants of the design, and other better-suited designs have largely taken over the Citabria's utility roles, Citabrias remain popular as trainers, glider towplanes, and for personal use.
7ECA, Citabria Standard, Citabria Aurora
edit
Introduced in 1964, the 7ECA was the first version of the design and utilized the
Continental O-200-A
engine of 100 horsepower (75?kW). When introduced, it featured wood-spar wings and
oleo-shock
main gear. Within the first year of production, Champion began offering the
Lycoming O-235-C1
engine of 115 horsepower (86?kW) as an alternative to the Continental. In 1967, Champion switched to
spring steel
main gear legs; by then, the Lycoming engine had become the standard. On acquiring the design, Bellanca gave this model the name Citabria "Standard" and began using the 115 horsepower (86?kW) Lycoming O-235-K2C engine. When American Champion reintroduced the 7ECA in 1995 as the Citabria "Aurora, " the biggest change was the use of metal-spar wings; the most recent significant design change has been the switch to aluminum main gear legs in 2004.
7GCAA, Citabria 150, Citabria "A" Package, Citabria Adventure
edit
Introduced in 1965, the Champion 7GCAA, like the 7ECA, featured wood-spar wings and oleo-shock main gear. The major difference was in the engine, which in the 7GCAA was a
Lycoming O-320-A2B
of 150 horsepower (110?kW). Champion switched to spring steel main gear legs in 1967. Bellanca continued production of the 7GCAA as the Citabria "A" Package (a designation apparently begun by Champion), but with no significant design changes. American Champion's 7GCAA, reintroduced in 1997 as the Citabria "Adventure," is similar to earlier versions, with the exception of the metal-spar wings and the use of the Lycoming O-320-B2B engine of 160 horsepower (120?kW); the most recent significant design change has been the switch to aluminum main gear legs in 2004. An "Ultimate Adventure" version, with a
Superior
Vantage O-360-A3A2
engine of 180 horsepower (130?kW) and a
composite
propeller
, is also produced by American Champion.
7GCBC, Citabria 150s, Citabria "C" Package, Citabria Explorer
edit
Champion introduced the 7GCBC in 1965. It was substantially similar to the 7GCAA of the same year, with a Lycoming O-320-A2B engine of 150 horsepower (110?kW), wood-spar wings, and spring steel main gear legs. The major differences between these two models are that the 7GCBC has a wingspan of 34.5 feet (10.5?m), 1-foot (0.30?m) longer than the 7ECA and 7GCAA, and carries wing
flaps
. Bellanca continued production of the 7GCBC, calling it the Citabria "C" Package (a designation apparently begun by Champion). American Champion's 7GCBC, reintroduced in 1994 as the Citabria "Explorer," is similar to earlier versions, with the exception of the metal-spar wings and the use of the Lycoming O-320-B2B of 160 horsepower (120?kW); the most recent significant design change has been the switch to aluminum main gear legs in 2004. A "High Country Explorer" version, with a Superior Vantage O-360-A3A2 engine of 180 horsepower (130?kW) and larger wheels, is also produced by American Champion.
7KCAB, Citabria "B" Package
edit
Champion introduced the 7KCAB in 1968. It was substantially similar to the 7GCAA of the same year, with wood-spar wings and spring steel main gear legs. The major differences between the 7GCAA and 7KCAB were in the fuel system and the engine oil system. The engine was replaced with a Lycoming IO-320-E2A of 150 horsepower (110?kW), while a header tank of 1.5 gallons?located beneath the instrument panel?was added to the fuel system. In addition, the
carburetor
was replaced with a
fuel injection
system, and a
Christen Industries
inverted oil system was fitted to the engine. All of these changes were made in order to allow for extended inverted flight, a mode not possible in the earlier models. Bellanca continued production of the 7KCAB as the Citabria "B" Package (a designation apparently begun by Champion).
The 8KCAB Citabria Pro was first flown by Champion on 2 August 1968, and was a dedicated aerobatic aircraft based on the standard Citabria.
[2]
It was a
parasol winged
monoplane, with a revised wing section and a longer fuselage. The prototype had an open cockpit for a single pilot, but the design allowed for conversion to a two seat layout. The aircraft was powered by a 200?hp (150?kW)
Lycoming IO-360
Special engine driving a two-bladed propeller.
[2]
It was never put into production at Champion nor by Bellanca which acquired the company and designs only a short time later.
Specifications (7GCAA Citabria)
edit
Data from
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1969?70
[2]
General characteristics
- Crew:
one
- Capacity:
one passenger
- Length:
22?ft 8?in (6.91?m)
- Wingspan:
33?ft 5?in (10.19?m)
- Height:
6?ft
7
+
3
?
4
?in (2.03?m)
- Wing area:
165?sq?ft (15.3?m
2
)
- Aspect ratio
:
6.72:1
- Airfoil
:
NACA 4412
- Empty weight:
1,037?lb (470?kg)
- Gross weight:
1,650?lb (748?kg)
- Fuel capacity:
39?US?gal (32?imp?gal; 150?L)
- Powerplant:
1 ×
Lycoming O-320-A2B
four cylinder,
horizontally opposed
aircraft engine, 150?hp (110?kW)
- Propellers:
2-bladed McCauley 1C172AGM fixed-pitch metal propeller
Performance
- Maximum speed:
130?mph (210?km/h, 110?kn) at sea level
- Cruise speed:
125?mph (201?km/h, 109?kn) at 8,000?ft (2,400?m)
- Stall speed:
50?mph (80?km/h, 43?kn) (without flaps)
- Never exceed speed
:
162?mph (261?km/h, 141?kn)
- Range:
537?mi (864?km, 467?nmi) (at max cruise speed)
- Service ceiling:
17,000?ft (5,200?m)
- Rate of climb:
1,120?ft/min (5.7?m/s)
- Take-off run to 50 ft (15 m):
630?ft (192?m)
- Landing run from 50 ft (15 m):
755?ft (230?m)
Related development
Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era
- Aircraft specification no. A-759. Revision 67. (Jun. 3, 2005.) Department of Transportation. Federal Aviation Administration.
- "American airplanes: Aeronca"
.
Aerofiles: A Century of American Aviation
. Retrieved
2006-08-12
.
- "American airplanes: Al - av"
.
Aerofiles: A Century of American Aviation
.
Archived
from the original on 15 August 2006
. Retrieved
2006-08-12
.
- "American airplanes: Ca - ci"
.
Aerofiles: A Century of American Aviation
.
Archived
from the original on 23 August 2006
. Retrieved
2006-08-12
.
- "Bellanca"
.
Aerofiles: A Century of American Aviation
.
Archived
from the original on 20 July 2006
. Retrieved
2006-08-12
.
- Bellanca Aircraft Corporation (1978).
Pilot's operating manual: Bellanca Citabria, 1975-1977 Series
. Bellanca Aircraft Corporation.
- Dirnberger, Joel.
"Citabria Pro History"
.
A Brief History of the Citabria Pro
. Retrieved
2006-09-10
.
- Gilbert, James (February 1965).
"Champion Citabria: Pilot Report"
.
Flying
. Vol.?76, no.?2. pp.?58?60.
- Gilbert, James (April 1966).
"And In This Corner, The Champ: A Pilot Report on the Champion Citabria"
.
Flying
. Vol.?78, no.?4. pp.?36?41.
- Taylor, John W. R.
, ed. (1969).
Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1969?70
. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co., Ltd.
ISBN
0-354-000-519
.