Aeronca Champ Interest?

Tom Clayton

Tom Clayton

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Staff member
There's a thread/poll over at the official board trying to gauge interest in getting a dev to do a Champ. If you'd like to see one, you can vote here:
forums.flightsimulator.com

Aeronca Champ Poll

Having solo’d an Aeronca Champ in 1962 in 6.5 hours, and having taken my wife of 52 years on dates in one, and having created a 48" RC model and a 1/4 scale RC model (currently in the WAAAM museum) – I am a Champ bigot. I could create a long list of why the Champ is a better primary tail-wheel...
forums.flightsimulator.com forums.flightsimulator.com
 
You have my vote, flew this bugger. It's a 1946 Aeronca 7AC named "Charlie Brown". Bought by Herb Cahill (in photo), now owned by his son Gil Cahill (pictured) and hangered at Currituck County Regional Airport. "Charlie" was last reskinned in 2015, so he's good to go for awhile. I beg for this, will PAY, please include a .psd Paint Kit.

Cazzie
 

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Even though I'm not a member of the "Champ Camp", I can relate to the enthousiasm this little bugger generates with other pilots, so I voted.

Priller
 
Hello,
In January I replied to Cazzie and I started to modify an original Aeronca FSX with the agreement (e-mail) of Long Island Classic.
At the moment I cannot continue my work on this project as I have other commitments but I hope to be able to complete this project and publish my work as freeware to meet the request made by LIC in March 2024.

You will find on other posts images that I have published concerning the progress of this freeware:

Classic Aircraft Simulations J3 Cub (Very Soon)

A new developer, Classic Aircraft Simulations, is expecting to release their detailed and feature-packed J3 Cub at some point this week. The plan is to have it sold through Contrail and Simmarket for around £15. I was a big fan of the A2A Accusim J3 back in FSX, and this looks to be the closest...
sim-outhouse.org

I understand that Cazzie is in a hurry to be able to fly with this plane but as I have already written to him, a project of this kind it is minimum 2 months of work if one desires a correct plane without elaborate functions so a little patience.
I made a commitment to him and so far I have never broken my word.

PS: I had committed in 2013 to the author of the PBY ... it was published for FSX, P3D and now MSFS and it is not finished yet ... so I do not give up easily.
 
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The latest info in the official forum is that a developer has committed to this project!
forums.flightsimulator.com

Aeronca Champ Poll

Sixty two (62) people have now indicated they would like to have an Aeronca Champ, and are willing to pay for it! Thanks to all who have responded to this poll. I am delighted to say that @Sal1800 will be starting to create one soon! He and I have been communicating daily. We have settled on...
forums.flightsimulator.com forums.flightsimulator.com
 
Good morning,

Indeed on the official forum Cazzie got that one (or even several) other developer(s) is interested in the Champ. Now I had answered more than 15 days ago that the project continued as I had promised Cazzie.
I understand Cazzie’s motivation and I really appreciate SAL1800 with whom I talk from time to time but for me it is not about any competition.

When we ask for the help of a developer and he answers "present", I do not understand very well the reason to ask for help on another forum on the same subject unless my word read.
Under these conditions, I stop the Champ project that I had started :cry:
 
Good morning,

Cazzie, I'm sorry maybe I reacted a little quickly and in my mind "Cazzie" could only be the person who had contacted me on FSDEveloper.
The fact of talking about this same model "Charlie Brown" had reassured me in the rapprochement of the 2 speudos.
This person Roy just contacted me saying that she is not part of SOH so I think I made too quickly the association between these two requests.

Mea blamed Cazzie for not understanding my posts. I will review my position on the future of the project
 
My first airplane ride was in an Aeronca. I was six years old and can remember it like yesterday. That flight gave me my love of aviation and the desire to become a pilot.
 
When I was in the Civil Air Patrol, back in the late 1950s, our squadron had an "Airknocker". I remember helping during the stripping and recovering of the plane. I often wonder what happened to it.
 
Lagaffe (with a possible assist from sal1800?) is working on the Champ and he reports his model is 80% ready but he's currently working on CG and contact point challenges. Excited to see this coming together!

Meanwhile, if you're looking for some aerobatic fun while Lagaffe is in the hangar, Hangar Studios 713 is getting close with its Super Decathalon!

 
"My first airplane ride was in an Aeronca. I was six years old and can remember it like yesterday. That flight gave me my love of aviation and the desire to become a pilot."

John


Ditto here John. But the Champ I flew still exists and is in A-One condition. "Charlie Brown" is the same age I am, 78. He's a 1946 Aeronca 7AC Champ and currently hangered at Currituck, NC. Charlie is owned by my friend Gil Cahill, who inherited Charlie from his father, Herb Cahill. He was completely reskinned in 2005 and a new engine and electrics installed. Photos of Charlie and Herb when he originally purchased him are in the second reply of this Post. It is most interesting that Lafette is working on one and is in an advanced state. I am tickled to pieces!
 
Hello Cazzie,

My work for GAS being my priority, I can’t devote much time to this Aeronca so from time to time when I have a free moment and want to change my mind, I work on this plane.
Yes, I contacted Sal1800 but since our last exchange in the end of July, I have no news from him.

The aircraft that serves as a base is the one developed by Long Island Classic for FS2004 so there will be many improvements to make a beautiful plane. Roy has received the written agreement from LIC to transform their aircraft into an MSFS version but on the condition that it remains freeware so ... it will be freeware
Lately I have made progress on the contact points and the positioning of the center of gravity, which are very important data because most important positioning is done from this cruxial point.

Contact-points.png


My last test despite a very early center allowed me to take off perfectly.

First-take-off.png
 
I am very familiar with Kevin's LIC's Champ, I did many repaints (liveries) for it. I don't have DXTBitmap on this PC, but it's on my other PC. One needs it to open the BMP formatted images for FS9 and FSX.

But that is looking fantastic lagaffe (y)! I am itching in my britches!

Cazzie
 
DennyA said:
Lagaffe (with a possible assist from sal1800?) is working on the Champ and he reports his model is 80% ready but he's currently working on CG and contact point challenges. Excited to see this coming together!

Meanwhile, if you're looking for some aerobatic fun while Lagaffe is in the hangar, Hangar Studios 713 is getting close with its Super Decathalon!

Click to expand...
A friend of mine is developing the flight model for the Super Decathalon, along with hands-on input in his sim from a neighbor....who owns one! Nothing like having someone that actually flies the aircraft for getting it "just right".
 
Between two tests with the Super Stearman, I spend my time finding new informations on Internet and yesterday I I discovered two nuggets:
- a paintkit for the LIC Champ on AVSim,
- a Maintenance and Overhaul document for the Continental A50, A65 & A-80 aircraft engines,
- a Champ-7AC POH from Convenant Aviation,
- a very good manual for the 7AC on UNIVAIR aicraft Corporation site so I begin to have a lot of information on this aircraft (~50 Mo).

As I have already in the past built quite similar aircraft, I am now drawing on my old files (C-150 TiBush & Menestrel HN-4xx) to recover better-made 3D elements like the propeller, wheels and can-be the engine, because the basic model is still a FS2004 model with quite few polygons.
Yesterday I finally found the reason for this strange behavior during flight tests: during the transformation, MSFSLegacyImporter had added parameters of type fly_by_wire that have nothing to do in a flight model for an aircraft of this type.
After a serious check of the 3 essential files: engines, flying_model and system, the plane behaves much better in flight.

For those who know this plane better than me (I’m not a pilot) was there a device to lock the rear wheel or was it still free?
Without this lock the take-off is possible but it requires a lot of attention: put the throttle gradually, raise the rear and once in line increase the power to take off straight.

Today I dedicate my day to the textures of the Super Stearman ;-)
 
lagaffe said:
For those who know this plane better than me (I’m not a pilot) was there a device to lock the rear wheel or was it still free?
Without this lock the take-off is possible but it requires a lot of attention: put the throttle gradually, raise the rear and once in line increase the power to take off straight.
Click to expand...
The one I remember from a lot of moons ago came with a free castering tailweel, an incedible effective/twichy rudder and a couple of wires (for steering and stuff) - loved it !!!
 
lagaffe said:
Between two tests with the Super Stearman, I spend my time finding new informations on Internet and yesterday I I discovered two nuggets:
- a paintkit for the LIC Champ on AVSim,
- a Maintenance and Overhaul document for the Continental A50, A65 & A-80 aircraft engines,
- a Champ-7AC POH from Convenant Aviation,
- a very good manual for the 7AC on UNIVAIR aicraft Corporation site so I begin to have a lot of information on this aircraft (~50 Mo).

As I have already in the past built quite similar aircraft, I am now drawing on my old files (C-150 TiBush & Menestrel HN-4xx) to recover better-made 3D elements like the propeller, wheels and can-be the engine, because the basic model is still a FS2004 model with quite few polygons.
Yesterday I finally found the reason for this strange behavior during flight tests: during the transformation, MSFSLegacyImporter had added parameters of type fly_by_wire that have nothing to do in a flight model for an aircraft of this type.
After a serious check of the 3 essential files: engines, flying_model and system, the plane behaves much better in flight.

For those who know this plane better than me (I’m not a pilot) was there a device to lock the rear wheel or was it still free?
Without this lock the take-off is possible but it requires a lot of attention: put the throttle gradually, raise the rear and once in line increase the power to take off straight.

Today I dedicate my day to the textures of the Super Stearman ;-)
Click to expand...
Most tailwheels are connected to the rudder via springs so they follow the rudder with a little lag. If you then reach the limit of the steering and continue putting side load on the wheel then it'll kick out and disengage from the steering and castor like a shopping trolley wheel, allowing you to use rudder and brake to pivot around a mainwheel if you want. The steering will automatically re-engage when you straighten the tailwheel and it comes back in line.
 
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