By Dick Haldeman, EAA 639669
I flew my newly purchased 1946 Aeronca Champ on December 29, 2009, to its new home at Poplar Grove Airport in Illinois. My goal was to restore the Champ as a retirement project so I could fly low and slow.
The Champ had two 5.5-gallon wing tanks plus the original 13-gallon fuel tank, Cleveland wheels, hydraulic brakes, and droop wingtips — those wingtips had to go! I had 38 years of flying Skylanes, but the idea of going back in time to the good ol’ days intrigued me. Before the purchase, I reviewed all the airworthiness and registration papers and confirmed that this 7AC Champ, N83729, originally manufactured in May 1946, never had an increase in gross weight so it could qualify as a light-sport aircraft.
Before I left for Florida for the winter, I bought a used C85-12F engine and had it delivered to my A&P/IA mechanic, Tom Wottreng, who began a total overhaul and upgrade of the engine to an O-200. I bought a factory-overhauled Marvel-Schebler MA3-SPA carburetor, a new Sky-Tec starter Model C12ST2/S, a Hanlon & Wilson stainless steel muffler, a new crankshaft, new rods and pistons, and a new Sensenich 74CK-2-46 propeller. The Bendix mags were rebuilt. While the engine was being overhauled, I attended an EAA class in Orlando, Florida, learning the Stits Poly Fiber process for fabric work.
In May 2010, work on the aircraft fuselage and wings began in earnest. I trailered the fuselage to American Champion Aircraft Corp. in Rochester, Wisconsin, where it was inspected and straightened. Welds were corrected, and a new step and support for single-point attachments for Hooker harnesses and belts were added. Frame lugs were also added for Citabria rectangular fresh air vents in the boot cowl. The frame was then bead-blasted and powder-coated with beige paint. Once I got the fuselage home, I worked every day on the renovation project during the summer, even if it was just a little bit. Tom was always present to inspect and assist.
Rather than try to remove the Madras wingtips, I found a set of used wings and had the two 5.5-gallon wing tanks transferred to the new wings. I spent the summer doing all the fabric work. I installed a new panel, had the airspeed indicator rebuilt, bought a new tachometer, and got a new altimeter. To avoid hand propping, an Odyssey battery was installed behind the back seat with a master switch and a push-button start. I prepared and installed new floorboards and a new headliner — with custom embroidery (at less than $30 cost) above the baggage area. To keep the weight down, I cleaned, alodined, and spray-painted the inside aluminum panels and the glare shield with Desert Bisque Rustoleum multicolor textured paint that does not reflect light. With an engine shop on the field and plenty of experienced help, working on the renovation at Poplar Grove Airport was a great advantage. Resident expert Ken Morris, EAA 58044, performed the fuel tank transplant. His wife, Lorraine Morris, EAA 1136221, another expert, rebuilt the seats with space-age foam for comfort.
By late fall, the plane was ready to paint. Mike Weeden, EAA 321746, at Brodhead, Wisconsin, painted the aircraft in Daytona White and Santa Fe Red from a design lifted from a Mooney paint scheme using Poly Tone paint for the fabric. By refrigerating the paint and using a retarder, a blush finish on the fabric was produced. The metal parts were painted with Aero-Thane and a flattener to match the luster of the fabric. The rudder was painted a red and white checkerboard pattern — thus, the nickname Checkerboard Champ.
Upon my return from Florida, the aircraft parts all came together. The Champ took its first test flight on July 7, 2011. The Champ holds 24 gallons of fuel, burns 5.1 gph at 2300 rpm, enough fuel for a four-hour flight with a groundspeed of 90 mph. On a cross-country flight, I usually plan to land after 3.5 hours for a range of more than 300 miles.
On September 8, 2011, with 50 hours on the aircraft and engine, I flew the Champ on a coast-to-coast adventure from Poplar Grove, Illinois, to San Diego, and then to Punta Gorda, Florida. It was 15 flying days, 37 landings, and 60 flight hours using 298 gallons of fuel. I got the Champ to go low and slow — I just didn’t realize how slow it would go. I had a clock but exchanged it for a calendar because I always seem to get where I am going the next day.
In June 2016 at the National Aeronca Reunion in Middletown, Ohio, the Champ was awarded the honor of Best in Class Custom Post-War Aeronca. And at EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2018, the Champ was awarded the honor of Outstanding Aeronca Champ.
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