American Champion Super Decathlon

Homemade RC airplane foam board model for beginners

Materials: XPS foam 3, 4, 5mm / Depron 3mm, 6mm + balsa 2 mm(main wing spar), aircraft plywood 2mm, Bamboo Skewers 3mm, UHU Por glue
Wingspan: 1,19m (47")
Flying Weight: 285g (10 oz)
Motor: MF1904 2500KV (16g), if your plane is more than 350g, use MF2405-1300KV, 20A, 1047
Propeller: GWS 7035/8040
Receiver: FlySky FS-iA6 (7g)
Transmitter: FlySky FS-i6X ($45)
ESC: 12A (14g)
Servos: EMAX ES9051 (5g)x2 and EMAX ES08D II (9g)x2
LiHV battery: 1100mah 2S 7.6V
Wheels 1,75"
Carbon Strips: 0.5mm x 3mm
Carbon Fiber Rods: 1mm
Nylon Control Horn with Clevis (0,52+0,34g):
Control Horn (0,5g)
for Beginner RC Pilots: 3 Axis Gyro Flight Stabilizer and windy days

Free plans

Print in actual size (100%) A3 or A4 Download PDF

 

 

With its modern tail surfaces, wheel pants, and strengthening, the American Champion Decathlon / Citabria was one of the first light private planes to be certified as aerobatic. With its special carburation, its also capable of continued inverted flight!

Bellanca Champion Citabria

A partial counterweight to Cessna and Piper in the American sports and multi-purpose aircraft market is Bellanca Aircraft Corp, from the state of Minnesota. It is a manufacturer that, although its production cannot compete with the mentioned companies, it still has a constant circle of people interested in solid, simple constructions. Currently, the company offers several different types, each of which has several derivative models.

The Champion type (the name remained after Champion Aircraft Corp., which was bought out by Bellanca) is offered in a total of six models, based on the original Citabria Standard type (7 EGA). The name Citabria originated from the inversion of the word Airbatic - acrobatic. The Standard model made its first flight on 1.5. 1964 with an 85 kW engine, and already in August of the same year, serial production was started, which is still running today. Other Citabria received a more powerful 110kW engine, while the 7 GC AA model is intended for normal flying, the 7 КС AB model has an aerobatic modification (fuel injection, oil system modified for flying on the back) and the 7 GC BC model has, compared to the 7 GC AA model plus flaps. The Scout model (8 GC BC) with a 133 kW engine has an increased span and landing flaps and is intended for agricultural work, towing gliders, etc. The last model of this series is the Decathlon (8 КС AB) with a 110 kW engine, modified for aerobatic flying, a wing with a different profile and smaller span and a Constant Speed type propeller. This type series is also very popular among modelers, which is evidenced by the number of kits offered, both of the Citabria and Decathlon types.

TECHNICAL DESCRIPTION
The Bellanca Champion Citabria is a two-seater single-engine strut high-wing of mixed construction with fixed two-wheel landing gear and spur.

The wing is a two-beam construction with ribs pressed from duralumin sheet. The wooden beams are reinforced with steel pipes and diagonal steel cables. The leading part to the first beam is covered with duralumin sheet. The whole wing is coated with dacron. The wing is all metal, also coated with dacron. Edge arches are laminate. The wing is supported by a pair of struts from a steel profile tube.

The hull has a frame welded from steel tubes so that it has only a triangular cross-section behind the cabin. Plywood partitions are placed on it. The body of the fuselage is made up of an auxiliary structure. The whole is again coated with dacron. The cabin with the seats behind has a door on the right side of the fuselage. The dashboard is only in front of the front seat. Steering is lever with cable transmissions for rudders and ailerons.

The flat plate profile tail surfaces are of simple tubular construction and are covered again with dacron. The skeleton of the keel surface is firmly welded to the hull. The stabilizer is reinforced both to the bottom edge of the hull and to the keel surface. The steering wheel has an aerodynamic balancing surface and is equipped with a fixed flettner. The elevator has a balancer on the left side, controlled from the cabin.

Landing gear. The 6.00 X 6 wheels, equipped with disc brakes, are mounted on swinging half-axles, which are suspended from fittings in the longitudinal axis of the fuselage. Damping is provided by an oil-pneumatic shock absorber; the whole is under a sheet metal cover. The 8" diameter spur wheel is housed in a swivel fork, which is attached to a flexible holder. The steering of the spur wheel is ensured by spiral springs, suspended from the rudder lever. The main wheels are equipped with drop-shaped covers.

Engine group. An 85 kW (115 hp) Lycoming Type 0-235-C1 four-cylinder air-cooled flat engine drives an all-metal fixed propeller. (The original Champion Citabria was powered by a 73.5 kW Continental 0-200A engine). The fuel tanks are located in the wing between the fuselage spars; have a total volume of 132 I. The oil tank has a volume of 30 I.

Coloring. The basic coloring is a combination of white and red (see flight picture), however, the coloring differs for aircraft of different models and series; the Citabri range is also colored according to the taste of its owner.

Technical data and performances. Wingspan 10.15 m, total length 6.88 m, height 2.31 m. Bearing area 15.52 m². Empty weight 484 kg, highest take-off weight 748.5 kg, surface load 49 kg/m². Speeds: cruise at 75% engine power 198 km/h, landing 82 km/h. Ascent 3.7 m.s~1, reach 3660 m.