NOTE: RADIO CONTROL AIRPLANES ARE ON THE BOTTOM HALF OF THE PAGE.
The American Champion Aircraft Co. (formerly Belanca) Citabria first flew in 1964. The two tandem seat aircraft is still being produced today.
It is used for training, general utility, and especially by pilots who want the fun of flying a relatively inexpensive FAA certified aircraft capable of performing light aerobatics at forces of up to +5 or - 2 G's. If you turn the name around, Citabria is airbatic.
A quick look at another company aircraft, the Champ, will confirm the origins of the Citabria design. A closer look will show differences in the wings and tail of the aircraft with the Citabria's being more squared-off. Out of sight are the biggest differences in the aircraft.
The Citabria has an engine producing 60 additional horsepower, plus wings and an airframe capable of somewhat higher aerobatic performance.
Citabria aircraft have been upgraded and improved throughout the years. Today's engines are larger, fuel injected, and more powerful. Wooden wing spars have been replaced with ones made from metal, wings now have flaps, and the under carriage is now made from aluminum.
Pilots tell us that the aircraft is forgiving, easy to fly, and goes exactly where you point it. Taking off in a Citabria only requires the slightest of rudder corrections to keep the aircraft straight on course. It will get off the ground with about a 360 foot roll and is a favorite with bush pilots operating from short airstrips.
Aircraft control feel gives away its vintage. If you are used to flying a World War II bomber, you will feel right at home in a Citabria. That is to say that the stick takes a lot of pull, especially when attempting aerobatics. The elevator has sufficient throw that the aircraft can be stalled in any flight plane or at any speed. Stall is straight forward and very predictable, and recovery is very quick, even when inverted.
While not a true aerobatic performer by today's standards, the Citabria makes an excellent aircraft for those wishing to learn aerobatics. The latest model is capable of limited inside maneuvers, but you have to work hard at them. The only way to build up sufficient speed to stress the aircraft is in a long dive.
Flying inverted is a challenge, even with the latest system fitted to the engine, because the wing is a flat bottom design. Even with the 160 h.p. engine, pilots must use lots of forward stick to keep from losing altitude.
Landing the aircraft is as easy as landing any other tail dragger provided that you do not over control. The rudder of the Citabria has strong authority, even at landing speeds.
A total of over 5,200 Citabria aircraft of all types have been produced to date.
recreation
two
Lycoming 0-320-B2B
160 h.p.
22' 1"
34' 5"
1,250 lbs.
1,800 lbs.
36 U.S. gals.
550 lbs.
128 mph
162 mph
1,130 fpm
15,500 feet
400 miles
4/28/64
Radio Control Airplane
The rc Citabria RTF from ParkZone. Wingspan is 16 1/2", length is 13 1/4" and weight is just 7 oz. Includes radio, flight battery and charger. Comes in yellow, blue, or red.
Radio Control Airplanes
In the picture above is the rc Citabria from ParkZone. The micro airplane comes ready to fly.
Nitro Planes has a Citabria rc ARF for sale with a wingspan of 42".
The ad right below is for a rubber powered Citabria kit from Dumas. Considering that with a wingspan of 17 1/2" it is slightly larger than the ParkZone Citabria, you may want to try your hand at converting it to rc.
Pictured below that is the rc Citabria from a SIG Products kit. It has a wingspan of 69" and a length of 47". Engines can be from .35 to .52 two cycle or .45 to .61 four cycle. Weight is about 7 lbs.
The next picture is of a rc Citabria made from a Kit Cutters kit taken from Nexus Plans. It has a 80" wingspan and is powered by a .60 two stroke engine.
The last picture on this page is of the rc Citabria ARF from Lanier. Wingspan is 64" and length is 44 1/2". Construction is balsa and ply. Power is from a .40 two cycle or larger engine.
Balsa USA has a rc Citabria kit for sale. It has a 80" wingspan, a length of 54.5" and is made from balsa and ply. It uses .90 to 1.20 four cycle or .60 to .90 two cycle engines and weighs around 11.25 lbs.
Midwest has a rc Citabria ARF. Its wingspan is .81". You will need .60 to .89 engines to power it.
MS Composites has a rc Citabria ARF made from EPP foam. Wingspan is 38 1/2" and length is 32".
CMP has a giant scale rc Citabria ARF. It has a wingspan of 106", a length of 65" and needs 50 cc size gas engines for power.
Citabria
