American Champion Citabria

The Citabria (spell it backwards — it's "airbatic") is one of GA's most enduring designs. Derived from the 1940s Aeronca Champion, it was introduced in 1964 by Champion Aircraft and has been in continuous production under a chain of owners — Champion (1964-1970), Bellanca (1970-1982), Champion Aircraft Co./Tetelestai/FRA Enterprises (1982-1989), American Champion (1989-present) — all under the same TCDS A-759. Over 5,200 Citabrias have been produced.

The Citabria is the classic tailwheel trainer and light-aerobatic airplane (+5G/-2G, flat-bottom airfoil). It shares its production line, and much of its airframe, with the Decathlon — but the Decathlon's semi-symmetrical wing, inverted fuel and oil systems, and +6G/-5G envelope put it on a separate type certificate and a separate page.

American Champion Aircraft in Rochester, Wisconsin continues to build the Citabria Adventure (7GCAA), Explorer (7GCBC) and High Country Explorer (7GCBC, 180hp), plus the entry-level Aurora (7ECA).

The Citabria/Decathlon "family" name on the manufacturer's own marketing spans two type certificates; this catalogue treats them as two families for the same reason a King Air 90 and 200 are two families — see docs/CATALOG-SPLITTING-RULE.md.

The current-production 7GCBC Explorer cruises at approximately 109 KTAS at 75% power on roughly 10 GPH — American Champion's own spec sheet states this as "126 mph / 2.8 hrs" endurance with a 45-minute reserve already deducted, rather than as a separate range figure; the 307 nm range stored here is arithmetic on those two published numbers (speed x endurance), not a line the factory prints directly.

The current-production Explorer is heavier and more powerful than the airplane this page described before re-sourcing. The 1965-vintage base certificate section (TCDS A-759 Section XX) gives a 150 hp O-320-A2B at 1,650 lb gross. Every 7GCBC actually built since 1994 (serial 1200-94 and up, TCDS NOTE 13) carries the 1,800 lb gross weight and, per Item 125, the factory now standard-fits the 160 hp O-320-B2B — not the O-320-A2B. American Champion's current factory spec sheet confirms this directly, and its Vne/Vno match the certificate's own bracketed knots exactly (162 mph/141 kt, 120 mph/104 kt), which is the cross-check that settled which era of the certificate this page should describe.

The older wood-spar Citabrias (pre-1995 7ECA/7GCAA) and the current metal-spar models are meaningfully different airframes to maintain — see ADs & Common Problems.

7GCBC Explorer (O-320-B2B, 160 HP, 35 gal usable, 1,800 lb gross):

The Explorer's 550 lb useful load is tighter than the pre-2026-research page implied (which stored an unsourced 570 lb on the old, lower-gross-weight configuration) — two 160-lb pilots work well with full fuel; two 200-lb pilots need reduced fuel.

• Flight Training (8): THE tailwheel trainer. Docile handling, predictable stall behavior, good visibility from the tandem front seat, and affordable operating costs. Also widely used as a glider towplane.
• Backcountry (5): The 7GCBC Explorer's flaps give genuine STOL capability; the High Country Explorer (180 hp) is a credible light backcountry airplane. Limited by two seats and a 550 lb useful load compared to a Super Cub or Husky.
• Business Travel (1): Two tandem seats, ~109 KTAS. Not a business airplane.
• Aerobatics (6): +5G/-2G handles loops, rolls, spins and hammerheads — basic-category aerobatics, not the Decathlon's competition envelope. Raised from the pre-split page's 7, which was scoring the whole conflated family including the Decathlon's +6G/-5G capability; that capability now belongs to the Decathlon page.
• Cross-Country (3): ~307 nm range at ~109 KTAS is usable but slow, and tandem seating is cramped for long trips.
• Cargo Hauling (2): Two seats, small baggage area (100 lb), limited useful load.
• Local Fun Flying (9): Outstanding — responsive controls, good visibility, tailwheel character, and light aerobatic capability make every flight enjoyable.
• Surveying (5): High wing gives good downward visibility and slow-flight manners; used for pipeline patrol and glider towing, which share a survey-like operating profile.

• Typical vintage Citabria: Minimal VFR panel — airspeed, altimeter, compass, slip/skid ball, tachometer, single comm radio.
• Modern American Champion factory: Garmin G5 or GI-275 available; ADS-B standard on new production.
• Common upgrades ($5,000-$15,000): Garmin G5, handheld or panel-mount GPS, ADS-B transponder.
• IFR: Technically possible but rarely done — the mission doesn't justify the investment.

• Metal spar wings ($14,000-$17,500): Replacement wings for wood-spar 7ECA/7GCAA/7GCBC, eliminating AD 2000-25-02 and providing indefinite structural life. THE most important modification for pre-1995 aircraft.
• 180 hp option (Items 126/127, factory or field-installed): Superior O-360-A3A2 or Lycoming O-360-C4P, 1,950 lb gross (normal) — sold new as the High Country Explorer.
• Larger wheels/tundra tires: Available for backcountry operations on Explorer models.
• Constant-speed propeller, inverted fuel system: Available via STC for limited aerobatic use, though the fuel-injected 7KCAB and the Decathlon are the factory answer to sustained inverted flight.
• Glider tow equipment: The 7GCBC is one of the most popular glider towplanes in North America.

• Annual inspection: $1,000-$2,500. Fabric and spar inspection add time.
• Engine overhaul: $42,000 for the O-320 at 2,000-hour TBO (reference/engine-overhaul-pricing.md).
• Fabric re-cover: $12,000-$20,000 every 15-25 years.
• Metal spar wing replacement: $14,000-$17,500 per set.
• Parts availability: Good — American Champion maintains parts support; Univair is a major supplier.
• Mechanic familiarity: Common — most fabric-experienced A&P shops know the type.

• 7ECA (vintage, wood spar): $30,000-$55,000. Wood spar AD is the key concern.
• 7GCAA/7GCBC (wood spar): $40,000-$80,000.
• 7GCAA/7GCBC (metal spar, 1995+): $55,000-$120,000, current production running well above that — a 2010 7GCBC Explorer was seen asking $269,500 in a 2026 market check.
• 7GCBC High Country Explorer (180 hp): $110,000-$180,000.

Pricing here was not independently re-sourced this session — the primary-document effort went into the certificate and handbook layers. The band above is carried over from the earlier generated pass, adjusted only where a market check turned up a current asking price. A Vref/Bluebook pass is still owed for this page.

Key ADs:

• AD 2000-25-02 (Wood spar inspection): THE critical AD for pre-1995 Citabrias — invasive inspection for cracks, compression damage and deterioration. Metal spar wing replacement is the terminating action.
• AD 96-18-02 (Metal spar strut brackets): Corrosion inspection of lift strut attach fittings on metal spar wings.
• 1,000-hour strut bracket inspection: A type-certificate requirement, not an AD, on metal spar wings.

Common Problems:

• Wood spar deterioration (pre-1995): The single biggest concern for older Citabrias. Metal spar wings are strongly recommended for any pre-1995 airframe.
• Fabric condition: Ceconite/Poly-Fiber covering lasts 15-25 years; re-cover costs $12,000-$20,000.
• Landing gear legs: Spring steel gear can develop fatigue cracks; aluminum main gear legs (2004+) address this on newer production.
• Brake wear: Tailwheel differential braking accelerates pad wear.

• Hull insurance: $1,000-$2,000/year for Citabrias. Tailwheel premium applies.
• Liability: $400-$800/year.
• Pilot minimums: Tailwheel endorsement required; some insurers want 10-25 hours tailwheel time.
• Aerobatic coverage: Standard Citabria policies cover aerobatics within the +5G/-2G limit.
• Glider tow operations: Separate rider or policy required.