We have a large supply of salvage and surplus parts for these aircraft. The outer shape of the fuselage is created by a combination of wooden formers and longerons, covered with fabric. The Scout also carries wing flaps, a design feature it shares with the 7GCBC variant of the Citabria. American Champion Scout flying over sunflowers Fat Tire Cowboys . With 4 wing mounted and one cowl-mounted landing lights, the Scout is assured of good illumination at night--and for spotting it during the day, the lights "wig-wag" on and off alternately. However, it is worth noting that half of the Scouts landing accidents occurred in the bush, or away from airports. Contact us! Always try Selected from a group of many impressive nominees, the 2023 class represents some of the rising . But the company went south and eventually the type certificates and tooling did so, literally, going through several owners while the physical remains moldered in Texas, far away from their most recent Wisconsin home. The model 7ECA Citabria entered production at Champion in 1964. For instance, the belly pan is a continuous piece that is easily removed to check lower fuselage members for corrosion and to inspect control cables, pulleys and fairleads. More than a few of these accidents involved aerobatics, maneuvers that the aircraft was neither designed nor approved for. The Scout was the first long-wing Champion variant. The landing gear of the Scout is in a conventional arrangement. This is prone to cracking on the bends, especially on Scouts with lots of landing cycles, or operated from rough fields. Welcome Aboard. SCOUT SERIES; REPAIR STATION. However, this wasnt the end for the Scout. FAA Approves Garmin Autopilot STC for American Champion Scout, READ MORE: Garmin Gets STC for GFC 500 Autopilot for Older Aircraft, READ MORE: Garmin Achieves STC for GFC 600 for Cessna 310R, Pilatus PC-12/47, Garmin Names More Aircraft Approved for GFC 500 Autopilot, Global Avionics Sales Posted Strong Growth in 2022, Aircraft Electronics Association Says, FAA Approves Integration of Aspen EDF1000 Pro MAX with Garmin GFC600, Garmin 600 Gets Certification for Use in King Air 200s, Airlines Have Until 2024 To Make 5G Upgrades Under FAA AD, Garmin Receives GI 275 STC for Airbus Helicopters, FAA To Invest Nearly $1 Billion in U.S. Airport Infrastructure, Tornado Flattens Hangars at Airport in Eastern Oklahoma, DNA of Four Presidents, Cast of Star Trek Headed Into Space. The Scout was designed and initially produced by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation, and is a derivative of the 7-series Citabrias and 8KCAB Decathlon; Bellanca had been building these designs since receiving them in the acquisition of Champion Aircraft Corporation in 1970. The GFC 500 has traditional autopilot capabilities, such as altitude hold, vertical speed, and heading modes. Decathlon Series. Come Fly With Us And COMPARE To ANY Tandem 2 Seater!! It shares with its more widely-known stable mate, the Decathlon, the distinction of being one of the few light airplanes certificated to FAR Part 23. Love my family & adore animals! Garmin GFC 500 Autopilot [Courtesy of Garmin]. As I have pointed out, a glider towplane really experiences severe service, and we tend to see things that the normal operator would not. AMERICAN CHAMPION. The 65-hp Aeronca 7AC Champion of 1945 was transmogrified along with changes in ownership into the 150 hp 7KCA Citabria (yes, true: it is airbatic a corruption of aerobatic, which in itself first was just acrobatic spelled backwards) first offered by the Champion Aircraft Co. in 1965. They come to you varnished. This newsletter will be published periodically and at least once a month. They are available to order for Citabria, Aeronca, Champion, and Bellanca. Thats when Aeronca was formed. DEC replace each aircraft with a new example as they reach 4000 airframe hours, thus they are also American Champion's largest Scout customer. Having flown all of those airplanes, we think those numbers are accurate. American Champion has metal spar wings available to retrofit the wooden spar wings on most Scouts, and all their new production Scouts are of the metal spar variety. Scout Series. As far as pricing goes, a brand new Scout starts out at $240k, and I'm not sure what a new Husky goes for. Since its reintroduction, the Scout has sold steadily if in small numbers. 12 Aircraft Already On Order for 2021! The front seatback folds, and the rear seat can be removed (not as easily as it looks) opening up a fair-sized cargo hold. Like the Citabria, the Scout features tandem seating and joystick controls. AOPA Flying Clubs Radio link. This week Garmin announced the American Champion. Lycoming came out with the IO-390 engine, with 210 horsepower-and American Champion made it optional on the Scout. There also are some basic considerations related to mass and inertia. All performance figures are based on standard day, standard atmosphere, sea level, gross weight conditions unless otherwise noted. Unless otherwise noted, these reviews carry product pricing from the time of the original review. Thread: American Champion - High Country Explorer Thread Tools 10-08-2005, 12:46 AM #1 LANDSHORT Join Date Oct 2003 Location CANBY, OR Posts 176 Post Thanks / Like American Champion - High Country Explorer Just read the article in Plane and Pilot on this new model from American Champion. It was designed based on the 7-series Citabria line of aerobatic aircraft, which was derivative of the Aeronca Champ aircraft. The Bellanca Scouts were built with wooden spar wings, but American Champion builds Scouts with all-aluminum frame wings, giving the aircraft a stronger, sturdier platform and better performance. Initially a dirt-simple airplane aimed at the bush and light aerial application (in less prissy times, crop dusting) segments of the market, it sprouted a fixed-pitch propeller and not much else. Like the Decathlon, the Scout's main difference from its predecessor is its metal spar, which supplants the spruce used in Bellanca's taildraggers. In its brief almost-heyday, Champion developed and produced in the Citabria and Decathlon airplanes that made aerobatic training and practice, and even air show performances and precision flying competition, available to a far greater number of people. or via https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/scout. Also With This ArticleClick here to view charts for Resale Values, Payload Compared and Prices Compared.Click here to view the American Champion 8GCBC Scout features guide. Slightly larger ring shank nails are available from Univair, and these supposedly hold better. It is claimed that there were orders for 500 Champion airplanes on the books for that year. Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 20032004[2], Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. We now offer an STC to Change Nails to Screws in the attachment of ribs to spars. Most accidents and incidents occur on or close to the ground, and involve directional control problems from the wind and because of poor judgment or flying ability. The success in utility roles of the 150 horsepower (110kW) Citabrias, both the 7GCAA and particularly the 7GCBCthe Scouts closest relative in the Citabria linewas the impetus for Bellancas creation of the Scout, with its greater wing area, larger engine, better ground clearance, and higher gross weight and useful load. Box 449Moose Lake, MN 55747-0449Ph: (218) 485-4406Email: editor@mnflyer.com, Powered by ROAR Online Publication Software from Lions Light Corporation The new FAA certified 900-HP Daher Kodiak 900 turboprop single combines TBM 960 and Kodiak 100 DNA into one airplane. Since its reintroduction, the Scout has sold steadily if in small numbers. 7ECA, Champ - 100hp vs 115hp, anyone here experienced both ? According to Garmin, the GFC 500 autopilot performs by integrating Garmins GI 275 or G5 electronic flight instruments, which can be a combination of either a standby GI 275 or G5 electronic flight instrument interfaced to a G500 TXi flight display. The wings were not attached at the time of the damage incident. Some have told dealers, "I never go to the back country." But don't discount that extra power (same as the Decathlon). I have seen similar spar cracks recently in an Aeronca 15AC and a Champion 7FC which use substantially the same wing construction as the Scout. Meg is a founding member of the Pilot Proficiency Center at EAA AirVenture and excels at the application of simulation technology to flatten the learning curve. The Scout tail is fairly heavy, and can really beat up these parts. Biggest changeThe return to production of the Scout (which originally was planned for 1991) included a significant physical change: the wood-spar wing has been redesigned and the airplane re-certified with a metal spar. Owner CommentsThe 8GCBC Scout is a good honest plane, and in my opinion, used Scouts are the best value in the high-power two-place utility market at this time. After consulting with his wife (who he admits controls the finances in the family) they decided to buy new-. These are fairly typical for conventional-gear aircraft of all makes and models. After comparing prices vs. a new Husky-there was a substantial difference in price between the two. Another large operator is Western Australia's Department of Biodiversity, Conservation and Attractions (DBCA), who operate a fleet of ten aircraft in the fire surveillance and Forward Air Control (FAC) roles. According to American Champion, the Scouts takeoff distance (ground roll) is between 210 to 417 ft, and its landing distance is 222 to 423 ft. With a fuel capacity of 72 gallons and an impressive maximum range of up to 1079 miles, pilots can expect to go the distance in the Scout. The American Champion Scout features generous, adjustable wing flaps and a powerful Lycoming O-360-C1G engine producing 180 horsepower. The tail, the aileron spades, the landing gear, the electrical system, the prop, and the landing gear are all different. I HAVE missed two rare models-the twin-engine Champion Lancer-which hung 100 hp. This week, the company received certification for Smart Rudder Bias and VNAV functionality for the Beechcraft Baron B55 and B55A aircraft that are equipped with the GFC 600 autopilot. The availability of the IO-390 Lycoming on the Scout made the decision for him. Transitions to takeoff and to landing require close attention and prompt application of controls to keep things straight. See More Details Scouts built by American Champion, as well as those retrofitted with the factory metal-spar wings, are exempt from the AD's inspection requirements. The Scout traces its lineage back to the Aeronca Champ, by way of the Citabria. Cabin designOne of the greatest attributes of all Champions is visibility to the outside. The fuselage and tail surfaces are constructed of welded metal tubing. Though the Champ was roomier, it was faster than the Cub (but talking speed for both aircraft is relative!). The Scout also carries wing flaps, a design feature it shares with the 7GCBC variant of the Citabria. Compared to the Citabria's wingspan of 33.5 feet (10.2m), the Scout's wingspan is significantly wider, at over 36 feet (11m). Scouts built by American Champion, as well as those retrofitted with the factory metal-spar wings, are exempt from the AD's inspection requirements. Aircraft: American Champion 8GCBC Scout Serial #: 619-2021 Photo date: 2023-01-12 Uploaded: 2023-01-29 Likes: 1 0 Views: 106 Location: Manjimup Airport - YMJM, Australia By: Jarrod Swanwick Photos | Profile | Contact Album Like Share Note: VH-SYB rolling on runway 12 as Fire Spotter 647 Airline: Private Reg: N22SX photos Bellanca made the Scout available with several Lycoming O-360 engine variants, all of 180 horsepower (134kW), with the choice of a fixed-pitch or constant speed propeller. Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 1496 to 1075 fpm, Cruise Speed/Endurance with45 MinReserve @ 75% Power: 130mph/ 6.8 hrs, Fuel Consumption(55% to 75% Power, per Lycoming Data): 6.9 to 10.3gph. Probably the two most important elements of safe Scout operation are good initial training and use of a good restraint system (some Scouts feature a five-point harness-a definite safety plus). Options were few. Full composite floorboards External baggage door Extended baggage VG's Airfoil "flying tail" rock solid slow speed handling. Reproduction in whole or in part without permission is prohibited. The fuel is on or off only; some operators prefer to run one tank quite low, then switch to the other as a reserve. The ultimate two-place tandem bushplane.Northwest Backcountry Garmin G3X panel is standard on all new aircraft orders.This . Northwest Back. Glider towing is severe service, with five to seven landing cycles per hour beating up the airframe, and the same maximum climb/maximum descent cycles working on the powerplant. Seats are not luxurious, but they are adequate for pilots of most sizes for all but the longest-duration missions. At the same time, it reflects a heritage that extends back to the Great Depression year of 1929. The fixed-pitch version can be operated in the restricted category-for instance, for crop dusting-at a 2,600-pound gross weight. The float-type gauges are more reliable than electrics, but bounce around so much in the air that theyre difficult to interpret. closed. There was strong interest in returning the line to production, especially the aerobatic airplanes, but many schemes failed until the latest rebirth of the company. It's a sweetheart of a plane to fly. More than 350 Scouts were produced until 1981 when the Bellanca Aircraft Company ceased all production due to the general aviation slump in the United States during the 1970s and early 1980s. The brakes/tires (8.50 x 6.00 on double-puck Clevelands, similar to a Cessna 185s) are extremely effective, and can put the prop in the dirt very easily. All rights reserved. Bellanca-Champion Club Dedicated to the Bellanca Cruisair, Cruisemaster, Viking, American Champion Citabria, Decathlon, Scout, Champion and AviaBellanca Skyrocket lines of aircraft, their furtherance, history, preservation and maintenance. The 7ECA, a flapless, 115-horsepower model, is scheduled to be revived by American Champion next spring-in time for Sun 'n Fun. 0 SNEW . We also carry stringers, and the cabin top (greenhouse) wood. Story Links. 2021 AMERICAN CHAMPION 8-GCBC SCOUT For Sale in Boise, Idaho at www.northwestbackcountryaircraft.com. Allows you to choose the data by which the thread list will be sorted. Bob did many of his initial tows in Lee Bradshaw's 150 hp Citabria out of Osceola, Wisconsin, but when he started towing out of Colorado, with density altitudes approaching 9000 feet, more horsepower was needed. American Champion has been using aluminum spars in the aircraft it has produced and has, as well, made the aluminum-spar wings available for retrofit installation on older aircraft. 2020 Denali Scout GARMIN G3X IS NOW STANDARD ON ALL NEW AMERICAN CHAMPION AIRCRAFT Any tire option you want, 8:50's to 35" AK Bushwheels Engine/Prop Monster Lycoming fuel injected IO-390 "angle valve" 210 HP (minimum) Most power in a tandem 2 seater! American Champion Aircraft Corporation acquired the Scout design, along with the Decathlon and the group of Citabria and Champ variants, in 1990 and brought the Scout back into production in 1993. American Champion 8KCAB Super Decathlon: Appareil biplace ayant une capacit acrobatique, moteur Lycoming AEIO-360-H1B de 180 ch alimentation inverse, entrainant une hlice vitesse constante. This light, rugged aircraft was first developed by the Bellanca Aircraft Corporation in 1974. Photos courtesy of Northwest Backcountry Aircraft. It also was offered with a 180-hp powerplant. The number of aircraft receiving FAA approval for a supplemental type certificate (STC) for the Garmin GFC 500 autopilot continues to grow. [1] . The main gear legs of most Scouts are made of spring steel, though American Champion began to use aluminum gear legs in 2004. All factory baffling and set hoses replaced New Lord mounts. American Champion Aircraft Corporation acquired the Scout design, along with the Decathlon and the group of Citabria and Champ variants, in 1990 and brought the Scout back into production in 1993. (The other model, in both categories, is the 7ACA.) The largest single operator of the type is Western Australia's Department of Environment and Conservation (DEC), who operate a fleet of ten aircraft in the fire surveillance and Forward Air Control (FAC) roles. The largest single operator of the type the Royal Canadian Air Cadet League, operating over 20 of them in Ontario and the Prairie provinces as tow aircraft for glider training. Ground handling is more demanding than in Cubs and Citabrias, despite the nearly identical cockpit (to the latter). Threads 9 Messages 36. Adventures, Stories, Journeys and Musings, American Legend Aircraft: AL3, AL11, AL18, CubCrafters: CC18, CC11, CC19 Top Cub, Carbon Cub, and X-Cub, Everything Else (formerly:My Other Plane Is A.), If this is your first visit, be sure to Images & Screenshots. Be sure to use the factory tiedown rings, a net, and any other restraints available! Piston Single Aircraft 9. dfinition - American Champion Scout. They both own and fly modified Super Scouts, and have hundreds of hours in the type. The designs and tooling date back to 1946 and they have travelled from the original company, to Bellanca until American Champion Aircraft purchased the type certificate in 1990 and began manufacturing Decathlons, Scouts and Citabrias, They've made a good design better by creating all-metal wings, although they remain fabric-covered. As for handling, in the air, the Scout is heavy in roll, light in pitch, and medium in rudder pressures. If any are found, further inspections must be done at 100-hour intervals until overhaul, when the crank must be replaced. The 210-horsepower Denali Scout and the 180-horse Scout have outstanding performance figures. 32032 Washington Ave. Burlington, WI United States 53105 2020 by American Champion Aircraft. While they have occurred in less than 2 percent of the fleet, concern about them resulted in airworthiness directives. Large tundra tires and a five-point harness are standard on this workhorse, as is the greenhouse window, and desirable options include aileron spades that greatly lighten the stick forces in roll. (MS hardware is sometimes in short supply: If ACA doesnt have them in stock, try Univair, and vice versa.). LYCOMING IO-390-A1B6 . -- The Terrapin Club is honored to recognize our 30 Under 30 Class of 2023. While payload with full fuel for the standard airplane is quite good at 625 pounds, auxiliary fuel and installed accessories will quickly cut into payload and/or range. Copyright 2023 Flying Media. I carry scars from a Husky. American Champion Aircraft Corporation acquired the Scout design, along with the Decathlon and the group of Citabria and Champ variants, in 1990 and brought the Scout back into production in 1993. Copyright 2022 Rainbow Flying Service - All Rights Reserved. American Champion Aircraft Corp. Threads 9 Messages 36. The cross-section of the metal fuselage truss is triangular, a design feature traceable to the earliest Aeronca C-2 design of the late 1920s. Engine TBO. Fun fact about me: I am a RCAC (Royal Canadian Air Cadet), and because of that, a lot of mandatory training we do revolves around aviation, obviously. It's pretty rare that anyone gets to fly a brand-new airplane today. PARTS. Crosswind component is somewhat limited by rudder and aileron effectiveness, but is still more than most people will want to try. The Scout was designed and initially produced by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation, and is a derivative of the 7-series Citabrias and 8KCAB Decathlon; Bellanca had been building these designs since receiving them in the acquisition of Champion Aircraft Corporation in 1970. The result is an Belvoir Media Group, LLC. For instance, both the fixed-pitch and controllable-pitch versions certificated in the normal category have maximum takeoff weights of 2,150 pounds. One may fly or handle a bit better. COLLEGE PARK, Md. Though I've never seen the third missing example except in a magazine advertisement, they did show a bigger Champ with 3 businessmen climbing aboard-one in front and two in back, like a Piper Super Cruiser. Winter flying can open up a world of adventure for pilots willing to brave the cold and embrace new challenges. He flew an American Champion High Country Explorer so I decided to recreate the flight in my American Champion Scout. All are built to order. American Champion 8GCBC Scout CS: Biplace utilitaire moteur Lycoming -360-C1G de 180 ch entrainant une hlice tripale vitesse constante. Compared to the Citabrias gear, the Scouts gear legs are considerably taller and the tires larger, again contributing to its capabilities as a utility aircraft. These can be inhospitable places full of traps for wind spurts or for momentary mental lapses. Mehlhaff would like to see all Citabria, Decathlons and Scouts converted to metal spars. I instructed in Champs and Super Cubs in an Army flying club, and found the Champ to be much roomier and easy to get in and out of than the Cub, which had the wing strut right in front of the door, felt that the Champ had smoother and more responsive controls. Copyright 2023. This will make subsequent annual spar inspection easy to do. Capacity Baggage Compartment with Firewall Mounted Battery, Propeller, Constant Speed:MT Composite MTV-15-B/203-58. The Scout is not approved for any aerobatic maneuvers, including spins. In addition, the Scout is subject to AD 98-2-8, which calls for inspection of the hollow crankshafts inner bore for corrosion pits. These are made with 5 ply Birch plywood and are water jet cut by computer. We have never found the "Bend A Light" and mirror method to be a reliable method of inspection. This includes the powerplant and attendant systems. The 8GCBC Scout is a two-seat, high-wing, single-engined fixed conventional gear general aviation airplane that entered production in the United States in 1974. The ultimate two-place . Bellanca produced more than 350 Scouts before production ended when the company's assets were liquidated in 1981. The added wing area and the flaps contribute to the Scout's STOL abilities and its capacity as a utility aircraft. Like the Cub, the 7AC didn't have an electrical system or starter, either. The determinant is the greater wingspan. SERVICE LETTERS; FAQs; . Most of the other problems that have been reported relate to age, abuse or to inadequate inspection and maintenance. The landing gear of the Scout is in a conventional arrangement. Typically, investigations found that these failures during normal operation had been preceded by undetected overstressing conditions from flight outside the aircrafts limitations (such as aerobatics) or accidents where the wings contacted the ground (including ground loops and nose-overs in which the airplane ended up on its back). AOPA Members DO more LEARN more SAVE more - Get MORE out of being a pilot -, 2023 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, Aircraft valuation for older models and your trade in, https://www.americanchampionaircraft.com/scout. It spawned the Champ of post-World War II fame. World class, ultra scale, RC Champ, Scout, and Decathlon kits. They build their aircraft to order. To view the most up-to-date aircraft STC list and certifications that are expected to begin in the next 12-months, or to express interest in a specific aircraft make/model, visit: www.garmin.com/GFC500 or www.garmin.com/GFC600. But there are a few tricks. Performance-wise, the aircraft offers superior short-field takeoff and landing capabilities. A 70-gallon usable fuel capacity was offered to augment the standard Scout usable fuel load of 35 gallons. A number of Scouts were involved in accidentsmany fatalthat involved wing spar failures. American Champion Aircraft Champion collapsed in the bankruptcy of its parent, Bellanca, in 1980. The lightweight, rugged Trailblazer prop was specially designed to boost the performance of bush and backcountry aircraft, allowing pilots to get even more enjoyment out of their flying adventures. Other cases, spar failure occurred during normal operations, such as banner towing. Many products featured on this site were editorially chosen. Engine 1 Make/Model. The system is designed to continuously monitor engine parameters using engine indication system (EIS) data displayed on a G500 TXi or G600 TXi flight display. ADs addressing both problems have been recently issued. When the GFC 600 or GFC 500 autopilot is fully-coupled on a VNAV descent, pilots can experience a smooth and controlled descent, giving them more time to focus on briefing the approach and preparing for landing. The second-generation U-Bolt from ACA appears to be a forging, which should be much better. The Scout and the Cub, joined later by the Christen (now Aviat) A-1 Husky, exist primarily to serve as aerial jeeps or compact pickup trucks. Note: when sorting by date, 'descending order' will show the newest results first. We keep a complete assembly on hand, and replace the tailspring U-bolt every 1,200 to 1,500 landing cycles. 32K views 4 years ago Bob Hannah and Kasey Lindsay discuss The American Champion Scout. lifejogger. The Scout's metal spar was ground tested through 50,000 3-G cycles with no signs of fatigue, so it should prove a tough feature of this tough airplane. In that period, only one Scout was built, in 1984. The factory figures are in conflict. ESP helps avoid inadvertent unusual attitudes and bank angles by nudging the pilot to return the aircraft back to a safe flight attitude. The Bellanca-Champion Club welcomes all owners, pilots and enthusiasts. 37K views 8 years ago Aviation Consumer's Rick Durden teamed with Kasey Lindsay and Bob Hannah of Northwest Backcountry Aircraft to do a flight review of the American Champion 210-hp Denali. More than a few of these accidents involved aerobatics, maneuvers that the aircraft was neither designed nor approved for. Both have the same, 2150-pound gross weight. A number of other competing designs have come and gone (and some have come back and gone again, such as the Interstate), and others, such as the ebbing and flowing Taylorcraft have tried to muscle into the narrow turf holding of two-place utility airplanes. Northwest . ** Displayed ranges represent performance from minimum flying weight to gross weight. For more than five decades, active and dedicated aircraft owners and pilots have turned to AVIATION CONSUMER to answer their most important buying questions. American Champion is located in Rochester, Wisconsin (near Milwaukee). ESP functions independently of the autopilot, working in the background while the pilot hand-flies the aircraft. The AD called for immediate and thorough inspections of the wing spars of any Scouts involved in accidents. For years, if you were in the market for a new, Part 23 backcountry taildragger, Aviat's Husky was one of a small handful of options a buyer had. Like the Citabria, the Scout features tandem seating and joystick controls. These values represent standard day conditions - no wind, stock 8.50x6 tires, and average piloting technique. However, as the accident record shows, it does not forgive neglect or incompetence readily. 210HP Xtreme Decathlon. Founded in 1988, the company acquired ownership of the type certificate for aircraft stemming from Champion Aircraft, which Robert Brown founded in 1954 to produce the 7AC design that Aeronca had previously introduced. In addition to the wing spar, ACA has developed other changes. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Maybe ones cockpit has a bit more room than the other. About as bullet proof as airplane pieces go, they are easy to support in relatively remote spots. For all of the airplanes with the original spars we strongly recommend an Inspection Hole Kit that we designed. Speed and attitude control are key. Pilots can also select, couple, and fly various instrument approaches, including GPS, ILS, VOR, LOC, and back-course approaches when paired with a compatible Garmin GPS navigator. However, the numbers are close enough together to be essentially unmeasurable in the hands of the average pilot, so the big differential becomes payload reduced by the weight of installed options. Unlike the Cub, the Champ could be soloed from the front seat-giving far better visibility. The single fatal accident recorded in the past five-and-a-half years was the result of loss of control during low flight. Imagine flying into a pristine snow-covered destination for a weekend of ice fishing, cross-country skiing, snowshoeing, and winter camping. New Millinium cylinders, new camshaft top notch install. The new XCub from CubCrafters gives the market another option.. Meg Godlewski has been an aviation journalist for more than 20 years and a CFI for more than 18 years. Mixed use operations might benefit from it. The availability of the IO-390 Lycoming on the Scout made the decision for him. The GFC 500 includes Garmin Electronic Stability and Protection (ESP), which works to assist the pilot in maintaining the aircraft in a stable flight condition. 5 Attachment(s) Page 4 of 4 American Champion 8GCBC Scout; VH-VPW photos; Western Australia Government - Parks and Wildlife; Airline: Western Australia Government - Parks and Wildlife; In addition, the GFC 500 includes altitude preselect, vertical navigation (VNAV), underspeed and overspeed protection, and more. These spars are STC'd and FAA approved.