Review: Aeronca Champ From CR1-Software

Screen shots by CR1-Software

Aeronca's Champion (commonly called "Champ") is a two-seat, single-engine, fixed-gear, high-wing general-aviation aircraft designed for training and personal flying. Introduced in 1945, it competed with the more commonly known Piper Cub. The Champ has a wider cabin and better visibility than the Cub. Several versions were sold, including some with floats. More than 10,000 were sold before production ended in 1951 when Aeronca ceased all production of light aircraft. They sold the Champ design to Champion Aircraft in 1954.

In May 2007, an Aeronca Champ strayed into restricted airspace at the Cape Canaveral Space Center in Florida, flying too close to the space shuttle Atlantis on its launch pad. Investigators ruled that the pilot was "lost and disoriented and had no criminal intent" according to Space.Com.

Official specifications are hard to find. The following data are taken from Wikipedia and from CR1-Software.

AIRCRAFT SPECIFICATIONS From Wikipedia
Empty weight	740 lb (325 kg)
Maximum take-off weight	1,220 lb (533 kg)
Cruise speed	85 mph (137 km/h)
Maximum speed	100 mph (160 km/h)
Stall speed	38 mph (62 km/h)
Range	460 miles (740 km)
Ceiling	12,400 ft (4,100 m)
Climb rate	370 ft/min (1.8 m/s)

CR1-Software describes itself as a company that researches flight simulation, building "world-class" flight-simulation software for FS2004, FSX, CFS2, CFS3 and X-Plane. "Our team's goal is to research and build the best flying, most accurately modeled virtual aircraft in the world for flight simulator enthusiasts around the world." It also produces the Beech 18 and is developing a Ford Tri Motor.

The Aeronca Champ was chosen for development because it's "a family favourite," developer Tom Wood says. "We own three of them in our family, from Dad and a uncle to my wife, and they are all Champs." He says it was built out of a love of the simulation and as a hobby.

"We took much pride in the construction for the Aeronca by using our many years of 3D game design knowledge and the very best in 3D rendering software to create the most detailed and finely crafted Aeronca in the flight simulation community," CR1 says. "The Aeronca is a perfect choice for flying in and out of tight air strips, going out the lake and for just flying around enjoying the scenery."

PURCHASE FEATURES
Instant download from the Pilot Shop	Yes
Installation program	Yes
License key required	Yes
Copyright acknowledgment required	Yes
Manual included	Four
Checklists & reference included	Yes
Uninstall program included	No

CR1-Software lists these product features of its Aeronca Champ (among others) in its product listing and in its manuals and other documents.

• Seventeen liveries
• Twelve model configurations
• Tricycle, tail-dragger, float, and ski versions
• Clickable virtual cockpit
• Paint kit
• Excellent Aeronca sound pack

AVAILABLE MODELS & PAINT SCHEMES With Four Examples

Tricycle	Tail Dragger	Floats	Skiis
Screen shots by Bill Stack

Visual Features

CR1-Software's Aeronca Champ is visually accurate compared with real-world photos I found on the Internet, of which there are many variations. Interiors and exteriors of all the models appear true.

• The 3-D virtual cockpit is generally accurate, showing how spartan the real cockpit is.
  
  
• The 3-D panel is unique with instruments I have never seen before. The developer says they are XML gauges drawn from his family's personal Aeronca and made by Simtech Flight Design Ltd., which his family owns.
  
  
• There are no panel lights or landing lights because the aircraft was not certified by authorities to fly at night. I found no switches for the rotating beacon, navigation lights, or strobes. Only a dome light inside the cockpit comes on when the CTRL/L keys are pressed. I saw no exterior lights such as rotating beacon or navigation lights when I pressed the CTRL/L keys.
  
  
• This aircraft has no 2D instrument panel. Some flight simmers like them, and some don't use them.

CR1'S AERONCA CHAMP IN FLIGHT
Screen shots by Bill Stack

Technical Features

This aircraft is only for FSX. It does not require FSX Acceleration, SP2, or FSX Deluxe (the latter includes Acceleration), the developer says, but any of those are recommended because that is the simulation platform on which the Champ was designed.

Purchase and installation from the Pilot Shop are very easy. Downloading takes a few minutes. Installing takes about six minutes. A license key and legal agreement are required. The installation program installs all the aircraft-related files into the SimObjects folder and the manuals and paint kit into the Program Files folder. The four manuals and the paint kit are installed in the C:\Program Files folder.

Sounds are generic small-engine sounds from the developer's library of "over 5 million sounds of all kinds." There are 43 distinct sound files in the folder.

Because no uninstall program is included, removing the product (if desired) requires manually deleting several FSX and C:\Program Files folders.

Technical support is available through the developer's website. The developer responded quickly to my inquiries, which bodes well for buyers needing technical support.

COCKPIT AND PANELS OF CR1'S CHAMP
Screen shots by Bill Stack

Flight Modeling

Flight modeling is based on information obtained from "real world pilots who each have long and vast real world flying careers," according to the developer. In response to my specific question, the developer said the modeling is based on his family's three Champs. "To be honest I only really wanted to model my fleet, not someone else's," Tom Wood explained. "To me that would be strange to do when you already have three of your own to work with."

For realistic test flights, I used Hook Field Municipal Airport (KMWO) in Middletown, Ohio, U.S.A., because that was the home of Aeronca Aircraft. It has one 6,100-foot (1,859-meter) asphalt runway and one 3,040-foot (927-meter) grass runway, both of which are suitable for the Aeronca Champ. Elevation is 650 feet (198 meters). I used clear weather and standard atmosphere.

• Taking Off: The User Manual says the Champ requires a low speed for takeoff. "It will take or land on very short runways and is suitable for out of the way little runways." All my take-offs were at full throttle with the tachometer at 3,000 RPM, which is within its green zone. My tail-dragger and tricycle Champs lifted off from Hook Field at 40 KTS. The ski model took off from snow-covered grass at 35 KTS. The float took off from a nearby lake at 45 KTS.
  
  
• Climbing: All climbouts were at full throttle with the tachometer at 3,000 RPM (within its green zone). The tail dragger climbed out at 750 feet per minute at 45 KTS. The tricycle climbed out at 750 FPM at 60 KTS. The float climbed out at 500 FPM at 43 KTS. The ski climbed out at 750 FPM at 42 KTS. Maintaining a steady climb to cruise altitude is easy in the tail dragger, float, and ski models. They hold a steady climb attitude and rate with normal elevator trim.
  
  
• Straight and Level: The aircraft reached and held 70 KTS after several minutes of straight-and-level flight at 5,000 feet altitude and 3,000 RPM (specified cruising speed is 85 KTS). The tail-dragger, float, ski models have slight torque that yaws them gradually to the right, which is normal. Outside views are somewhat reliable in this regard. Maintaining a constant altitude is easy in the tail dragger, float, and ski models. They hold attitude and altitude with normal elevator trim.
  
  
• Turning: The Champ banks and returns to level fight very easily with little aileron control. It doesn't lose much altitude during turns, and it regains that altitude with just a little correction. Without an artificial horizon, pilots must rely on their outside views and the turn-and-slip indicator for executing turns.
  
  
• Ceiling: The stated ceiling is 12,000 feet (3,660 meters), but the Champ struggled to get there. From about 9,000 feet up, it lost climb rate and airspeed until it barely reached 12,000 feet.
  
  
• Descending: Very slight power reductions will start descents. The aircraft glides easily at 60 KTS and 2,500 RPM and at 50 KTS and 2,000 RPM.
  
  
• Landing: The Champ approaches and lands around 40 KTS, depending on the model. None has flaps, but they aren't needed.
  
  
• Taxiing: The land-based Champs taxi like any other small aircraft. The tail-dragger requires more pilot control than the tricycle, which is normal. The float model taxis like any small float plane. Lacking wheels, it will not take off from hard surfaces. The ski model takes off from any hard surface, whether snow covered or not.
  
  
• Overall: The tricycle generally takes off, flies, and lands faster than the tail dragger. The float and ski models take longer to take off, as expected. Having no autopilot, this is a very hands-on aircraft. Without an artificial horizon, pilots must rely on the altimeter and vertical speed indicator to know whether they are maintaining level flight.
  
  

A pitch problem in the tricycle model makes climbing steadily and holding level flight frustrating to the point of annoyance. The pilot cannot let go of the tricycle's controls for long without the aircraft behaving unfavorably. After holding pitch for less than a minute, it pitches up and loses airspeed, eventually stalling. This happens repeatedly, even after the elevator trim is set, airspeed is constant, and the aircraft seems otherwise stable. I have never seen a properly trimmed aircraft pitch upward without some obvious inducement such as an increase in airspeed. This happens every time I test the tricycle, but it does not happen with the other three models.

CR1-Software offers improved configuration files on its web site to fix this problem. I downloaded the files and retested the aircraft with mixed results. While the pitching problem has been eliminated, the tricycle now yaws strongly to the right, even during take-off roll. This makes it a more difficult aircraft to fly than the other three models. The configuration files need more tweaking, and the final revisions should be added to the product for buyer convenience.

Checklists and Reference Data

The checklist covers only preflight activities. The reference sheet is a complete checklist in that it covers all flight phases, but it doesn't provide much detail. Some performance data are found in the manual and some in the Details section of the Aircraft Selection menu. With the checklist, manuals, and reference files providing minimal guidance for flying this Champ, it is mostly a learn-as-you-go aircraft.

CHECKLISTS, REFERENCE SHEET & POPUPS
Checklist Window	Reference Sheet Window	GPS Window
Screen shots by Bill Stack

The Manuals

Information about this aircraft is provided in four manuals in Adobe Acrobat format that are described below by file name.

• 7AC_Checklist. This manual contains checklists from startup, through all the flight phases, to shutdown. It provides useful flight information such as airspeeds for taking off, climbing out, and landing. This aircraft is not complicated to fly, however, so the checklist is not complicated.
  
  
• Aeronca 7AC Operations Manual. In addition to repeating the preflight checklist, this manual provides performance data such as (1) gross weight, empty weight, and useful load; (2) cruising speed, maximum speed, and landing speed; and (3) technical flight data in chart form such as "maximum angle of climb" and "maximum rate of climb."
  
  
• AERONCA_CHAMP_ref. This file contains a checklist that covers preflight, flight, and shutdown. Half of it is preflight. It contains no reference data.
  
  
• CR1-Aeronca user manual. This file presents features of the product and tips for operating the aircraft, including annotated screen shots of the cockpit and instrument panel.

While all the information in these manuals is useful, finding needed information is time consuming because they are poorly organized with information scattered among the files and repeated in other manuals.

Aircraft performance data vary widely among the the manuals, checklists, aircraft configuration files, and fuel/payload menus. The developer says this results from the different models, but the data are even inconsistent within given aircraft configuration files. As a result, these aircraft could be overloaded without the pilots knowing, and their performances would naturally be diminished.

PAGES FROM THE MANUALS
User Manual Page 3	User Manual Page 4	Checklist Manual	Operations Manual Page 3
Screen shots by Bill Stack

Extra Features

Several special product features are included:

• Windows slide open and closed with mouse clicks.
  
  
• The right door opens and closes with mouse clicks inside.
  
  
• The hood opens for examination of the engine.
  
  
• The engine is "mega detailed."
  
  
• The pilot is animated — his head turns left or right as the aircraft banks left or right, respectively.
  
  
• A paint kit is available for anyone who wants a livery that is not among in the 17 included liveries, especially since this real aircraft has been painted in so many ways over the decades.

There is no obvious way to open the hood. The manual says: "to do so you will have to activate the "Wing Fold" command in the flight simulator by navigating to the Key commands section of FSX and enter in a new command under the wing fold option." Not wanting to change my keyboard commands, I didn't pursue this further.

I don't know how important a "mega detailed" engine is. It might be impressive to flight simmers who like looking at things. It probably isn't meaningful to simmers who like simulating flight realistically because the aircraft would not normally be flown with the hood open.

EXTRA FEATURES
Door and Window Open	Left & Right Windows Open	Animated Pilot
Screen shot by Bill Stack

More Information

Information about the real Aeronca Champ can be found at these websites, among others:

• Aeronca Com
  
  
• Aeronca Aviator's Club
  
  
• Wikipedia

Summary

CR1-Software's Aeronca Champ is a lovely aircraft to see and fly. Seventeen liveries in four basic types provide a good selection of aircraft. Appearances are realistic, and flight modeling seems realistic for three of the four models. Those three are easy to fly even though they require constant pilot attention. Pitch problems in the tricycle have been replaced with yaw problems, and the corrected configuration file must be downloaded from the developer's website. The manuals would be more useful if they were better organized with information presented logically and in accordance with file names. Inconsistencies in performance data among the sources present a confusing picture of how this aircraft performs and how it should be flown.

Bill Stack
billstack@flightsim.com


Learn More About CR1-Software's Aeronca Champ.

Bill Stack is author of several books about flight simulation, a regular author in flight-sim magazines, and a contributor to Flight Sim Com. His website is www.topskills.com