CHAMPION “TRAVELLER”€/”CHALLENGER”€

STANDARD DATA: (Traveller) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,450. Empty wt. 820. Fuel capacity 24. Engine 90-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 135. Cruise mph 112. Stall mph 40. Initial climb rate 700. Range 500. Ceiling 15,500. Takeoff run 890. Landing roll 755. STANDARD DATA: (Challenger) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,650. Empty wt. 1,050. Fuel capacity 39. Engine 150-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 162. Cruise mph 125. Stall mph 36. Initial climb rate 1,145. Range 510. Ceiling 17,500. Takeoff distance (50′) 493. Landing distance (50′) 580.

Champion Aircraft, formed in June 1954, acquired the manufacturing rights to Aeronca’s Model 7 Champ and put the monoplane back into production as the 7EC Traveller. The Traveller was powered by a 90-hp Continental four-cylinder engine. The first Championbuilt models were marketed in 1955, and several revised versions soon followed. The Tri-Traveller was introduced in 1957 with tricycle landing gear added to the Traveller airframe. In 1958, the 7GC entered production as the Sky-Trac with a 140-hp Lycoming. From this evolved the 7GCB Challenger powered by a 150-hp Lycoming. The 7ECA Citabria was a refinement of the Traveller Deluxe, which was in turn a further development of the 7EC Traveller. The Challenger was out of production by 1965, but the Citabria was continued until 1970, when it was bought by Bellanca.