Aircraft model
AERONCA 7AC
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Aeronca Champ, built in enormous numbers immediately after the Second World War as a direct competitor to the Piper Cub. Two seats in tandem, 65 hp, fabric over steel tube, and a stick and rudder. The important difference from a Cub is that it is soloed from the front seat, which gives far better forward visibility and makes it the easier of the two to learn tailwheel flying in — a point most instructors will make unprompted.
It is bought today for recreational flying, tailwheel training and the pleasure of going slowly with the door open. It is not transport: 70 knots, thirteen gallons, no electrical system on most examples, and a cabin that is snug for two. It qualifies as a light sport aircraft in the United States, so a sport pilot certificate is enough to fly one, which has pushed prices up over the past fifteen years. The overwhelming cost consideration is the fabric covering — a recover job costs more than many Champs are worth, so establish its age, its type and its condition before anything else, and look at the steel tube structure underneath for corrosion at the same time.
What it is
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental A-65-8 |
| Horsepower | 65 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1945 |
| Production end | 1948 |
| Endorsements required | tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 70 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 270 nm |
| Service ceiling | 12,400 ft |
| Climb rate | 500 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 38 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 2 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 480 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 402 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 1,220 lb |
| Empty weight | 740 lb |
| Usable fuel | 13 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 3.6 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $18,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $60,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,800 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $20,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $30,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 5,165 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 1,875 |
| Median year built | 1946.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 42 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 11 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 22.4 per 1,000 active · base 1,875 active |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 18.67 per 1,000 active · base 1,875 active |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 364 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 19.41 per 100 active · base 1,875 active |
| Airworthiness directives | 1 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
Peer scores
A score runs from 0 to 10 within the model's peer class: a position, not a grade, and the six are never added together.
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 6.2 of 10 · class median 25 · 181 models in class |
| Severity | 1.9 of 10 · class median 5 |
| Access | 6.2 of 10 · class median 987 |
| Support | 9.9 of 10 · class median 72 |
| Liquidity | 4.3 of 10 · class median 20.59 |