Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1973 Bellanca 7KCAB Citabria

With 1,115 hours on the airframe and engine since major overhaul, the airframe time is relatively low, and the engine is halfway to its 2,000-hour TBO. [image: AircraftForSale listing]

Today’s bargain blends aerobatic capability with tens of thousands of dollars worth of upgrades in a package that will likely provide its new owner with decades of inverted fun. First produced in 1964, the Bellanca Citabria is one of the most popular aerobatic platforms. With over 5,000 examples produced to date, it remains in production by the American Champion Aircraft Corporation, making parts and support far easier to source than many other types. This example is available for $87,500 on AircraftForSale.

READ MORE: American Champion Citabria, Super Decathlon, Scout

With docile ground handling, the Citabria is often used as a tailwheel trainer and is a fantastic way to get into tailwheel flying. In the air, the fun doesn’t stop, as the 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320 sports an inverted oil system that enables extended aerobatic flight.

This particular Citabria has undergone extensive renovations, including new engine components, rebuilt landing gear and brakes, and an entirely refreshed interior with new carpet, upholstery, and headliner. Perhaps most significantly, all fabric was replaced in 2001 with Polyfiber—a job worth tens of thousands of dollars that will likely last for many decades.

With 1,115 hours on the airframe and engine since major overhaul, the airframe time is relatively low, and the engine is halfway to its 2,000-hour TBO, which should also provide many years of trouble-free ownership. With no damage history and complete logbooks, this Citabria looks to be an exceptionally clean and well-sorted entry into fun aerobatic and tailwheel ownership.

READ MORE: Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 2004 Maule MXT-7-180A

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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Jason McDowellAuthor

Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.