Reprinted here with the author's permission. 
Link to download via IAC.org site
https://www.iac.org/files/magazines/SA-2017-08.pdf
Blurb about article from President's Page, August, 2017, Sport Aerobatics magazine;
Citabrias and Decathlons
by Doug McConnell, IAC 862
It is no real coincidence that the International Aerobatic Club and the Decathlon are both celebrating their 47th anniversaries this year! They both took wing at the same time (1970) when interest in basic grassroots aerobatic flight was sweeping the country. And why, you ask, was interest so high in aerobatics just at that time? You can thank the Citabria for that, introduced in 1964 as the first factory-built non-military certified aerobatic trainer and excellentperforming weekend cross-country “fun” machine. And, it was sort of cheap … $6,495!
It was the Champion Aircraft Corp. of Osceola, Wisconsin, that produced both the Citabria and Decathlon. Of course, modern updated versions of both the Citabria and Decathlon are still in production today by the American Champion Aircraft Corp. in Rochester, Wisconsin. The Osceola company owned the rights to the “7-series” Aeronca Champ and had been building a number of variants of the Champ going back to 1959. In the early ’60s it decided to create an aerobatic version and in 1964 introduced the Citabria (“airbatic” spelled backward).
All during the ’60s, Champion Aircraft was a stand-alone manufacturing operation in Osceola, Wisconsin. The company was owned by Bob and Jim Brown and their financial partners. Tiny Osceola — about an hour’s drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota — was selected as the company headquarters and manufacturing site because Bob and Jim Brown owned riverside summer homes there. As 1970 approached, Citabria sales were down and Champion was in a slump. A new owner/investment group led by Bob DePalma of Redwing, Minnesota, made a pitch for the declining company and assumed total ownership in 1970.
I was hired at that time as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the “new” Champion company based on my MBA marketing degree, past years as a Citabria distributor/dealer, and part owner of a large aerobatic flying school in Oakland, California (Flightways Sport Aviation). At that same time, the Champion factory air show and test pilot developed illness and could not continue his flying duties. As a result, I was also assigned both the air show schedule and all production and experimental flight tests. This required that I be tested and receive official FAA endorsement. So in 1970, I conducted all of the Decathlon test flights leading to final certification, flew and certified each new production Citabria, and performed air shows while preparing the marketing and sales introduction for the new model (8KCAB) Decathlon. It was great fun!
The way that Champion and Bellanca got hooked together was interesting. Bellanca Aircraft Co. of Alexandria, Minnesota — about a three-hour drive northwest of the Twin Cities — was owned by Jay Downer from Alexandria, Minnesota, and Marge Mitchell and Jim Miller from Texas. Bellanca produced only one model of aircraft, the Viking 300, and sales were also in a slump. The reason that Bellanca was located way out in Alexandria, Minnesota, was because Jay Downer had a lakeside summer home there and wanted to have his factory close. So the Bob DePalma investment group that had successfully purchased the Champion company also made a pitch in 1970 for Bellanca and assumed ownership that year. The investment group consolidated the two companies and installed a new combined headquarters in the Alexandria, Minnesota, home of Bellanca.
As VP of marketing and sales for the new combined company, I was assigned to “fix” the sales slump! I did this by eliminating the two-tier distribution system for Champion, going to factory-appointed dealers only, and introducing a broader product line for improved sales. The new line consisted of the new Decathlon, a redesigned Viking (the 300A … see Flying magazine, April 1973), with the addition of the Champion Scout “bush” plane, and the little 7ACA Champ. The full line of Citabria models was also retained. I also stepped up the advertising efforts, joined EAA and IAC, hired young acro phenom Bobby Bishop to demo the new Viking 300A at air shows (yes, acro), while also hiring Gene Soucy (another acro phenom!) to demo the new Decathlon while on U.S. tour with the Red Devils Aerobatic Team. Sales increased dramatically, and new aircraft deliveries surpassed Beech Aircraft Co. making Bellanca-Champion the third largest light aircraft manufacturer in the United States.
Before the Citabria, aerobatics were performed in a variety of aging World War II military trainers, a few sport aircraft from the ’30s, and an occasional homebuilt. Most aerobatic-knowledgeable pilots had learned their skills from military pilot training. So, lack of access to aerobatic-capable aircraft and the nonexistence of aerobatic flight schools left sport pilots out in the cold. But the introduction of the Citabria changed all that — both aerobatic trainers and flight schools were now becoming widely available for the first time. Also, because aerobatics was something new in civil aviation, all the magazines were highlighting it and drawing thousands of interested pilots to new aerobatic flight schools dotted all across the country. By 1970, these many thousands of Citabria-trained pilots were ripe for an advanced airplane that was still easy to fly, but primarily a better performer in aerobatics. So the factory focused on a new “step-up” higher-performance trainer and sport plane that would appeal to the masses, and thus the Decathlon was born.
As most readers know, the Citabria is basically a souped-up Champ with the addition of aerobatic equipment items and strategic enhancements. The original 7AC Champ was certified in 1940 under the Civil Air Regulations CAR 3 (certified for +5/-2.5g). It was designed for 65-85 hp and cruised around 80 mph. It is delightful and easy to fly. But as the Citabria, the Champ blossomed with 115-150 hp and cruise increased to 125 mph. At that speed, the ailerons stiffened a little from the additional air pressure that was no problem for cross-country cruise, but rather tiring for extensive aerobatic sessions. In addition, only one model of the Citabria (7KCAB) had an inverted fuel and oil supply system for sustained inverted flight, and that system was limited by a one-minute one-shot oil reserve. In addition, the high-lift wing of the Citabria made inverted flight “interesting,” requiring some arm muscle, good arm reach, and experience to hold the nose well above the horizon for sustained inverted flight. And finally, the fixed-pitch prop required the pilot to throttle back during downlines to avoid engine over-speed, which reduced the ability to maintain energy for the next aerobatic figure. Yes, the flying community was ready for something better.
Some may not be aware that the first combined use of the near symmetrical wing and 180-hp, constant-speed prop as featured on the (Super) Decathlon was first employed on an open-cockpit Citabria … yes, open cockpit!
One-of-a-kind 1968 Champion Pro (symmetrical
wing/180-hp/constant-speed prop).
It was a one-off experimental parasol version of the Citabria and was named the Pro. It was built in the late 1960s and test-evaluated for possible marketing. It handled a lot like a Decathlon, but with a huge wind in your face! It was decided that an enclosed cabin had a much better potential for the North American mass market, so the Pro was sentenced to be burned by the factory. Even to this day, I am so happy that I prevailed (on my knees) in saving this unique craft from the burn pile. I flew it all around the United States and loved it. I arranged to have it donated to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh. It was later auctioned off and has had two subsequent owners (see Air Progress, November 1968).
For the next new Champion model, the 8KCAB Decathlon, a completely new certification was needed to make all the design changes requested from early Citabria experience. A prototype was designed to conform to the new modern standards for aerobatic aircraft as specified in FAR 23. The new design included the near-symmetrical wings with longer chord and shortened span (shortened span increases roll rate), streamlined ailerons for balanced forces, tall control stick for added leverage, continuous inverted fuel and oil supply, adjustable seat, and constant-speed prop. Struts and structures were all beefed up to meet the higher (FAR 23) +6/-3g certification standard, all of which added about 200 pounds to the empty weight.
The new Decathlon prototype was finally certified in late 1970. I had the great pleasure of performing the certification flight tests — all but the final VNE max airspeed dive test. The dive test was performed by an FAA test pilot who flew up to the factory just for that event. Accompanied by our chief engineer, Larry Nelson, the dive test was performed on a clear day near the Osceola, Wisconsin, factory. When they returned to the airport, it was clear that something was amiss — there were no windows in the airplane! It turns out that at max dive speed, the curved plastic windshield failed under the added air pressure, flew into a thousand pieces, and caused the side windows to depart. The flying small plastic pieces caused numerous small cuts to the pilot and to Larry Nelson. So, all of you Decathlon owners can now appreciate why there is a metal brace in the center of your windshield! That dive test was the only incidence of windshield failure, so you see, testing matters!
1970 Champion 8KCAB Decathlon prototype (symmetrical
wing/150-hp/constant-speed prop).
I had a fun challenge when creating the marketing launch plans — the prototype still had no name! Since we were targeting the new crowd of enthusiastic pilots who loved aerobatics and were joining the IAC in impressive numbers, I felt that the name should imply “readiness for competition.” So my thoughts turned to the Olympic Games; they are certainly synonymous with competition. At first I considered the name “Olympian,” but learned that Champion Aircraft had already used that name on an earlier version of the Champ. Then I thought about the most demanding event at the Olympics, and “Decathlon” shot into view. And so I selected Decathlon for the name, designed the introductory red/white/blue air show paint scheme, and the rest is history. The Decathlon was recently rated as one of the top 10 most successful aircraft ever introduced — of all time! The American Champion factory in Rochester, Wisconsin, still produces the Citabria and Decathlon, but with lots of modern improvements. They now feature metal spars with options for more horsepower and three-blade prop, beefed-up fuel tanks, etc. The company also can retrofit older aircraft (many while you wait), and it does a wonderful quality job. American Champion, of course, also produces the Scout and Champ.
A word about aerobatics for everyone — yes, everyone! Aerobatic flight training is a good idea — for everyone. That’s because it prepares you to be a much safer pilot. Have you read that the most common aviation fatalities are from loss of control? The typical civilian pilot has had no instruction involving unusual attitudes, and most have never been beyond a 30-degree bank! Aerobatic training is not hard on your body and will prepare your mind to avoid unsafe maneuvers and to immediately respond correctly if your craft is upset by an airliner wake — or whatever. Aerobatic training makes you a better pilot, a safer pilot, and an older pilot! It can be taken in soft measured steps so as to not be upsetting to your tummy. Once trained, you will fly with better awareness, understanding, and confidence. You will avoid aircraft upset caused by your input and will respond correctly and automatically to aircraft upset caused by that airliner! Whatever you decide, do not try to experiment with any aerobatic self-teaching. You won’t get much advice about this from pilots who tried self-teaching — because many of them are gone! But with an instructor, the training is pleasant, safe, educational, and for many (like me) … fun! IAC
Link to download via IAC.org site
https://www.iac.org/files/magazines/SA-2017-08.pdf
Blurb about article from President's Page, August, 2017, Sport Aerobatics magazine;
Citabrias and Decathlons
by Doug McConnell, IAC 862
It is no real coincidence that the International Aerobatic Club and the Decathlon are both celebrating their 47th anniversaries this year! They both took wing at the same time (1970) when interest in basic grassroots aerobatic flight was sweeping the country. And why, you ask, was interest so high in aerobatics just at that time? You can thank the Citabria for that, introduced in 1964 as the first factory-built non-military certified aerobatic trainer and excellentperforming weekend cross-country “fun” machine. And, it was sort of cheap … $6,495!
It was the Champion Aircraft Corp. of Osceola, Wisconsin, that produced both the Citabria and Decathlon. Of course, modern updated versions of both the Citabria and Decathlon are still in production today by the American Champion Aircraft Corp. in Rochester, Wisconsin. The Osceola company owned the rights to the “7-series” Aeronca Champ and had been building a number of variants of the Champ going back to 1959. In the early ’60s it decided to create an aerobatic version and in 1964 introduced the Citabria (“airbatic” spelled backward).
All during the ’60s, Champion Aircraft was a stand-alone manufacturing operation in Osceola, Wisconsin. The company was owned by Bob and Jim Brown and their financial partners. Tiny Osceola — about an hour’s drive from Minneapolis-St. Paul, Minnesota — was selected as the company headquarters and manufacturing site because Bob and Jim Brown owned riverside summer homes there. As 1970 approached, Citabria sales were down and Champion was in a slump. A new owner/investment group led by Bob DePalma of Redwing, Minnesota, made a pitch for the declining company and assumed total ownership in 1970.
I was hired at that time as Vice President of Marketing and Sales for the “new” Champion company based on my MBA marketing degree, past years as a Citabria distributor/dealer, and part owner of a large aerobatic flying school in Oakland, California (Flightways Sport Aviation). At that same time, the Champion factory air show and test pilot developed illness and could not continue his flying duties. As a result, I was also assigned both the air show schedule and all production and experimental flight tests. This required that I be tested and receive official FAA endorsement. So in 1970, I conducted all of the Decathlon test flights leading to final certification, flew and certified each new production Citabria, and performed air shows while preparing the marketing and sales introduction for the new model (8KCAB) Decathlon. It was great fun!
The way that Champion and Bellanca got hooked together was interesting. Bellanca Aircraft Co. of Alexandria, Minnesota — about a three-hour drive northwest of the Twin Cities — was owned by Jay Downer from Alexandria, Minnesota, and Marge Mitchell and Jim Miller from Texas. Bellanca produced only one model of aircraft, the Viking 300, and sales were also in a slump. The reason that Bellanca was located way out in Alexandria, Minnesota, was because Jay Downer had a lakeside summer home there and wanted to have his factory close. So the Bob DePalma investment group that had successfully purchased the Champion company also made a pitch in 1970 for Bellanca and assumed ownership that year. The investment group consolidated the two companies and installed a new combined headquarters in the Alexandria, Minnesota, home of Bellanca.
As VP of marketing and sales for the new combined company, I was assigned to “fix” the sales slump! I did this by eliminating the two-tier distribution system for Champion, going to factory-appointed dealers only, and introducing a broader product line for improved sales. The new line consisted of the new Decathlon, a redesigned Viking (the 300A … see Flying magazine, April 1973), with the addition of the Champion Scout “bush” plane, and the little 7ACA Champ. The full line of Citabria models was also retained. I also stepped up the advertising efforts, joined EAA and IAC, hired young acro phenom Bobby Bishop to demo the new Viking 300A at air shows (yes, acro), while also hiring Gene Soucy (another acro phenom!) to demo the new Decathlon while on U.S. tour with the Red Devils Aerobatic Team. Sales increased dramatically, and new aircraft deliveries surpassed Beech Aircraft Co. making Bellanca-Champion the third largest light aircraft manufacturer in the United States.
Before the Citabria, aerobatics were performed in a variety of aging World War II military trainers, a few sport aircraft from the ’30s, and an occasional homebuilt. Most aerobatic-knowledgeable pilots had learned their skills from military pilot training. So, lack of access to aerobatic-capable aircraft and the nonexistence of aerobatic flight schools left sport pilots out in the cold. But the introduction of the Citabria changed all that — both aerobatic trainers and flight schools were now becoming widely available for the first time. Also, because aerobatics was something new in civil aviation, all the magazines were highlighting it and drawing thousands of interested pilots to new aerobatic flight schools dotted all across the country. By 1970, these many thousands of Citabria-trained pilots were ripe for an advanced airplane that was still easy to fly, but primarily a better performer in aerobatics. So the factory focused on a new “step-up” higher-performance trainer and sport plane that would appeal to the masses, and thus the Decathlon was born.
As most readers know, the Citabria is basically a souped-up Champ with the addition of aerobatic equipment items and strategic enhancements. The original 7AC Champ was certified in 1940 under the Civil Air Regulations CAR 3 (certified for +5/-2.5g). It was designed for 65-85 hp and cruised around 80 mph. It is delightful and easy to fly. But as the Citabria, the Champ blossomed with 115-150 hp and cruise increased to 125 mph. At that speed, the ailerons stiffened a little from the additional air pressure that was no problem for cross-country cruise, but rather tiring for extensive aerobatic sessions. In addition, only one model of the Citabria (7KCAB) had an inverted fuel and oil supply system for sustained inverted flight, and that system was limited by a one-minute one-shot oil reserve. In addition, the high-lift wing of the Citabria made inverted flight “interesting,” requiring some arm muscle, good arm reach, and experience to hold the nose well above the horizon for sustained inverted flight. And finally, the fixed-pitch prop required the pilot to throttle back during downlines to avoid engine over-speed, which reduced the ability to maintain energy for the next aerobatic figure. Yes, the flying community was ready for something better.
Some may not be aware that the first combined use of the near symmetrical wing and 180-hp, constant-speed prop as featured on the (Super) Decathlon was first employed on an open-cockpit Citabria … yes, open cockpit!
One-of-a-kind 1968 Champion Pro (symmetrical
wing/180-hp/constant-speed prop).
It was a one-off experimental parasol version of the Citabria and was named the Pro. It was built in the late 1960s and test-evaluated for possible marketing. It handled a lot like a Decathlon, but with a huge wind in your face! It was decided that an enclosed cabin had a much better potential for the North American mass market, so the Pro was sentenced to be burned by the factory. Even to this day, I am so happy that I prevailed (on my knees) in saving this unique craft from the burn pile. I flew it all around the United States and loved it. I arranged to have it donated to the EAA Aviation Museum in Oshkosh. It was later auctioned off and has had two subsequent owners (see Air Progress, November 1968).
For the next new Champion model, the 8KCAB Decathlon, a completely new certification was needed to make all the design changes requested from early Citabria experience. A prototype was designed to conform to the new modern standards for aerobatic aircraft as specified in FAR 23. The new design included the near-symmetrical wings with longer chord and shortened span (shortened span increases roll rate), streamlined ailerons for balanced forces, tall control stick for added leverage, continuous inverted fuel and oil supply, adjustable seat, and constant-speed prop. Struts and structures were all beefed up to meet the higher (FAR 23) +6/-3g certification standard, all of which added about 200 pounds to the empty weight.
The new Decathlon prototype was finally certified in late 1970. I had the great pleasure of performing the certification flight tests — all but the final VNE max airspeed dive test. The dive test was performed by an FAA test pilot who flew up to the factory just for that event. Accompanied by our chief engineer, Larry Nelson, the dive test was performed on a clear day near the Osceola, Wisconsin, factory. When they returned to the airport, it was clear that something was amiss — there were no windows in the airplane! It turns out that at max dive speed, the curved plastic windshield failed under the added air pressure, flew into a thousand pieces, and caused the side windows to depart. The flying small plastic pieces caused numerous small cuts to the pilot and to Larry Nelson. So, all of you Decathlon owners can now appreciate why there is a metal brace in the center of your windshield! That dive test was the only incidence of windshield failure, so you see, testing matters!
1970 Champion 8KCAB Decathlon prototype (symmetrical
wing/150-hp/constant-speed prop).
I had a fun challenge when creating the marketing launch plans — the prototype still had no name! Since we were targeting the new crowd of enthusiastic pilots who loved aerobatics and were joining the IAC in impressive numbers, I felt that the name should imply “readiness for competition.” So my thoughts turned to the Olympic Games; they are certainly synonymous with competition. At first I considered the name “Olympian,” but learned that Champion Aircraft had already used that name on an earlier version of the Champ. Then I thought about the most demanding event at the Olympics, and “Decathlon” shot into view. And so I selected Decathlon for the name, designed the introductory red/white/blue air show paint scheme, and the rest is history. The Decathlon was recently rated as one of the top 10 most successful aircraft ever introduced — of all time! The American Champion factory in Rochester, Wisconsin, still produces the Citabria and Decathlon, but with lots of modern improvements. They now feature metal spars with options for more horsepower and three-blade prop, beefed-up fuel tanks, etc. The company also can retrofit older aircraft (many while you wait), and it does a wonderful quality job. American Champion, of course, also produces the Scout and Champ.
A word about aerobatics for everyone — yes, everyone! Aerobatic flight training is a good idea — for everyone. That’s because it prepares you to be a much safer pilot. Have you read that the most common aviation fatalities are from loss of control? The typical civilian pilot has had no instruction involving unusual attitudes, and most have never been beyond a 30-degree bank! Aerobatic training is not hard on your body and will prepare your mind to avoid unsafe maneuvers and to immediately respond correctly if your craft is upset by an airliner wake — or whatever. Aerobatic training makes you a better pilot, a safer pilot, and an older pilot! It can be taken in soft measured steps so as to not be upsetting to your tummy. Once trained, you will fly with better awareness, understanding, and confidence. You will avoid aircraft upset caused by your input and will respond correctly and automatically to aircraft upset caused by that airliner! Whatever you decide, do not try to experiment with any aerobatic self-teaching. You won’t get much advice about this from pilots who tried self-teaching — because many of them are gone! But with an instructor, the training is pleasant, safe, educational, and for many (like me) … fun! IAC
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