Range Map

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1

Tank-dry, where fuel runs out at catalogue's stored cruise burn.

Excludes reserves: range beyond the dashed circle requires a leaner cruise than what we store. Great-circle, still air, book cruise. Estimates only: always verify against the POH.

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

nm

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.
full tanks
Available Range / nm
Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.
Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.
Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

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Mission Profile

MOSAIC Eligible
Used market Only available used
72
KTAS
Cruise Speed
180
nm
Max Range
11,000
ft
Service Ceiling
2
Occupants
440
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • Tailwheel
Aeronca 11AC Chief (N3635E). Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Aeronca 11AC Chief (N3635E). Photo: ZLEA, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Aeronca 11 Chief

Type certificated 1945 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Aeronca 11 Chief is a side-by-side two-seat, high-wing taildragger type-approved in 1945 under FAA TCDS A-761 and built through 1950 on the 65 hp Continental A-65. Where Aeronca’s tandem 7AC Champion is a stick-and-rudder trainer, the Chief seats its two occupants shoulder to shoulder, giving it the feel of a small cabin tourer.

For a buyer it is the companionable alternative to the tandem trainers of its era: you sit beside your passenger rather than behind them, at the cost of a slightly wider, slightly draggier fuselage. It competes directly with the all-metal Luscombe 8 and the Taylorcraft BC for the side-by-side vintage two-seater buyer, and like the Champ it meets the legacy Light-Sport limits for Sport Pilot operation on a driver’s license.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Side-by-side seating: two people sit together with dual controls in easy reach, a friendlier layout for instruction and for flying with a companion than the tandem Champ or Cub.
  • Gentle, honest handling: the Chief is known for a responsive rudder and predictable low-speed behavior, with a 33-knot clean stall that suits short grass strips.
  • Low operating cost: variable cost runs near $66/hour on about 4.5 gph of the A-65, among the least expensive certificated types to fly.

Trade-offs

  • Modest performance: 65 horsepower pushes the wider side-by-side cabin to about 72 knots in cruise, a touch slower than the narrower tandem two-seaters on the same engine.
  • Small standard tank: the base 11AC carries 15 gallons, so realistic still-air range with reserves is around 180 nautical miles; plan fuel stops accordingly.
  • Vintage fabric upkeep: like its Champ sibling the Chief is a fabric-over-tube design with wood spars, so recover reserves, airworthiness-directive vigilance, and A-65 parts availability drive the true cost of ownership.

See Also

  • Aeronca 7AC Champion – the tandem sibling on the same 65 hp engine: front-seat-solo trainer feel in place of the Chief’s side-by-side cabin. Compare
  • Luscombe 8 – the all-metal side-by-side rival: crisper and quicker, more durable skin, but pricier to maintain. Compare
  • Taylorcraft BC – another side-by-side contemporary: lighter on the controls, similar 65 hp economy. Compare
  • Piper J-3 Cub – the tandem benchmark of the era: stronger resale and cachet, but you sit fore-and-aft. Compare
  • Cessna 120 – Cessna’s all-metal side-by-side alternative: metal skin and a step toward the 140’s refinement. Compare

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 36 ft
Height
7 ft
Length
21 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
1,187 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 1,250 lbs
Max Landing Weight
1,250 lbs
Useful Load
530 lbs
Fuel Capacity
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 15 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
Source: third-party reference 72 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 111 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 83 KIAS
Approach Speed
49 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
Source: third-party reference 33 KIAS
Range
Source: third-party reference 180 NM
Service Ceiling
Source: third-party reference 11,000 ft
Rate of Climb
360 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
583 ft

Engine

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Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Aeronca 11 Chief specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

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