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. |
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.