Aeronca 7AC Champion vs Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Aeronca 7AC Champion
35 ft × 22 ft ⭥ 7 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria
34 ft × 22 ft ⭥ 8 ft
1× Piston Conventional Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Aeronca 7AC ChampionBellanca 7GCAA Citabria
Stall speed 33 kt45 kt
Approach speed 43 kt61 kt
Cruise speed 74 kt110 kt
Range 175 nm483 nm
Service ceiling 12500 ft15000 ft
Rate of climb 370 fpm1167 fpm
Fuel burn 4.5 gph9.0 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Aeronca 7AC Champion Avgas
4.5 gph
Baseline
175 nm range 16.4 nm/gal 13 gal usable $29 fuel/hr 2h 53m endurance
Aeronca 7AC Champion: 4.5 gph at cruise, 175 nautical mile published range, 2 hour 53 minute endurance, 16.4 nautical miles per gallon.
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria Avgas
9.0 gph
Baseline
483 nm range 12.2 nm/gal 35 gal usable $58 fuel/hr 3h 53m endurance
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria: 9.0 gph at cruise, 483 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 53 minute endurance, 12.2 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Aeronca 7AC Champion Avgas
$66 /hr
Baseline
Aeronca 7AC Champion: $66 per flight hour — fuel $29, maintenance and reserve $37.
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria Avgas
$87 /hr
Baseline
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria: $87 per flight hour — fuel $58, maintenance and reserve $29.
Aeronca 7AC Champion Piston
$3,398 /yr Baseline
Aeronca 7AC Champion: $3,398 per year — insurance $701, hangar $840, annual inspection $1,857.
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria Piston
$0 /yr Baseline
No fixed-cost estimate available

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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Aeronca 7AC Champion Piston
2 / 2 seats cargo 13 gal / 13 gal fuel 402 lbs wet payload 480 lbs useful 1,220 lbs MTOW
Bellanca 7GCAA Citabria Piston
2 / 2 seats cargo 35 gal / 35 gal fuel 340 lbs wet payload 550 lbs useful 1,750 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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