Born 60 years ago in Osceola Wisconsin as a 7FC with a build number south of 405. She was a trainer for two flight schools before a kind soul in possession of a copy of Service Letter 48 and drawing 3-839 decided to fix her most obvious defect. Making her a 1450 pound gross weight 7EC "CONV." Soon after that she was given metal spars from Rochester and new Poly Fiber in an off-white, becoming the Snow Owl -- although the term wasn't used for a decade, not 'till I met her.
She has her own idiosyncrasies. The radios sit inexplicably in prime real estate. Very nearly centered in the low panel right beneath the chrome "Champion" script leaving plenty of room to the right for a flat diamond containing the the airspeed and altimeter. With the key switch over the light switch in between them. The compass plays "which of these things are not like the other" in a crowded, lopsided, pyramid atop the oil temp and oil pressure gauges which themselves sit atop a dual volt-amp gauge, the main electrical switch, and the tachometer, while the correction card hides in the corner.
26 gallons split between the left and right wings provides 4:00 plus a 0:45 reserve after warming up, taking off, and climbing to 4000 or so. With a 72/37 prop she is fast for what she is. But at 1420 pounds, she doesn't break any records for initial rate of climb. Spinning at 2400 rpm-- by my (possibly incorrect) calculation-- the C-90-12F only puts out 83 or so ponies for take-off, and 55 to 60 hp while burning 4.5 to 5.0 gph at 2100 to 2200 rpm in cruise.
She's nice and light and I've never actually needed all of my theoretical 542 pounds of useful load. (In fact, I need to put a little weight in the back to get the numbers to come out right whenever I fly without a passenger.)
Lisa
She has her own idiosyncrasies. The radios sit inexplicably in prime real estate. Very nearly centered in the low panel right beneath the chrome "Champion" script leaving plenty of room to the right for a flat diamond containing the the airspeed and altimeter. With the key switch over the light switch in between them. The compass plays "which of these things are not like the other" in a crowded, lopsided, pyramid atop the oil temp and oil pressure gauges which themselves sit atop a dual volt-amp gauge, the main electrical switch, and the tachometer, while the correction card hides in the corner.
26 gallons split between the left and right wings provides 4:00 plus a 0:45 reserve after warming up, taking off, and climbing to 4000 or so. With a 72/37 prop she is fast for what she is. But at 1420 pounds, she doesn't break any records for initial rate of climb. Spinning at 2400 rpm-- by my (possibly incorrect) calculation-- the C-90-12F only puts out 83 or so ponies for take-off, and 55 to 60 hp while burning 4.5 to 5.0 gph at 2100 to 2200 rpm in cruise.
She's nice and light and I've never actually needed all of my theoretical 542 pounds of useful load. (In fact, I need to put a little weight in the back to get the numbers to come out right whenever I fly without a passenger.)
Lisa
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