1973 Bellanca Citabria 7GCBC
Living the dream. Gonna do the big tire bush thing. Beaches, gravel bars and backcountry strips. I wanted that tandem seating and a proper stick with the throttle in the left hand like my Pitts.
The 7GCBC has the larger 160hp motor and flaps. Still in current
production by American Champion, so good factory support.
First passenger. Driving my mom home.
Destinations
| Something old, something new. Every year some new places to go. | |||||
| 2012 | 2013 | 2014 | 2015 | 2016 | 2017 |
| Handy list of torques and annual maint items Tailwheel to spring bolt 40 ft lbs Propeller 3/8" bolts 23-25 ft lbs Spark Plugs 360 inch lbs Oil screen housing torque 96 inch lbs Axle bolt torque 20 ft/lbs. Caliper back plate torque 80 inch lb Wheel half bolt torque 8 ft-lbs (90 inch lbs) Carburetor: idle 600 rpm, mixture 25-50 rise on leanout Static WOT 2350-2650 rpm Alternator belt tension, torque to slip 11-13 ft lbs new, 9 used. Landing gear attach: U-bolts 450-500 in lbs, thrubolts 650-700. Brake fluid Royco 782 or 756 |
Future Parts Reference Decker Door Lock 1040B- 1-1/2" Wheels 6x6 Magnesium (Cleveland 40-28D) Brake Disk (Cleveland 164-00500) Brake Calipers (Cleveland 30-19A) Brake Lining (Cleveland 66-106) Brackett Air Filter BA-8103-1 Tailwheel tire 280/250 - 4 Start Solenoid Mastercraft SW1951C ELT battery MERL 1037 Gascolator, Steevesaircraft SA3-10-B |
Mods and improvements history
June 2012
As purchased had the following equipment:
- Spades
- Spar inspection covers - from Rainbow
- Collins TDR-950 Transponder
- ACK mode C encoder
- King KY92 Comm Radio
- Automatic fixed ELT (121.5)
July 2012
- Replaced old fire extinguisher with A344T from H3R. 1.2 lbs vs 5 lbs.
- Removed VOR antenna. Nobody uses VOR.
- Replaced 2-point lap belts with 5-point Pacific Scientific seatbelts
- Replaced ancient white plastic stick grips with factory plushy
foam ones and PTT switch in front. Rear PTT installed on left
window frame.
- Installed GT-50 G-meter, OAT and Clock
- Installed proper C-4A cockpit lighting
September 2012
- Replaced tall instrument panel with low-profile one, factory new glareshield and lower lip
- Replaced oil temp gauge
- Installed new Sigtronics SPA400 intercom. Headset jacks on switch panel, with extra helicopter jack for pilot.
December 2012
- Replaced 6:00x6 tires with used 8:50x6. New tubes.
July 2013
- Replaced both tailwheel steering springs after one broke on an exciting landing
November 2013
- Replaced Gill G-35 battery with an Odyssey 680 battery, just because I happened to have one around and the Gill didn't look or act healthy. Checked the tag and the Gill had been purchased new in January 2012.
- Purchased PMA parts and drawings from ACA to install Odyssey 680 battery on firewall. Old wiring and battery box removed. Corrosion cleaned and tubing re-primered.
January 2014
- Completed the ACA Technical Bulletin 418, Rev "A" electrical system update. Added a 5 amp breaker to protect the alternator field, and 3 amp breaker for the engine instruments, Hobbs and intercom. Then a 60 amp and 70 amp breaker under the dash to protect the main feeds to the ammeter gauge.
February 2014
- Replaced axle nuts with the flush non-wheelpant type. 1 - 5/8" .
- Decided to do a clean sheet W&B. Borrowed a real nice
set of electronic scales from the local RAA.
Leveling the aircraft by dropping a string with a plumb bob from the wingleading edge. Mark on the top of the gear leg is the 10.18" ahead of the face of the strut fitting that the plumb points to when level. Also coincides with the upper door jamb being level. Levelling the aircraft by dropping a string with a plumb bob from the wingleading edge. Mark on the top of the gear leg is the 10.18" ahead of the face of the strut fitting that the plumb points to when level. Also coincides with the upper door jamb being level.
Gas jug is doing the fuel draining honors..
Empty weight (with 7 liter oil and 4 liter unusable fuel) is 1187 lbs. 9.57" aft of the LE edge, so a little forward as expected from moving the battery. With the baggage extension and lightweight starter it will be perfect..
Went back through all the original documentation and this is the first time the aircraft has been weighed. All previous W&B, including the original factory delivery, were calculations.
My boys need a house. Moved to a new hangar.
June 2015
- Changed tires to Alaska Bushwheels AirStreaks 26". Didn't need to shim anything. Brake caliper clears just fine. Weight is 21 lbs per tire, previous 8:50x6 were 16 lbs plus 3 lbs for the tube. +2 lbs. Spec is 6-12 psi, I'm running 10 psi
- Comparison of the original 6:00x6, the "larger" 8:50x6 I had for a couple years and the 26" ABW I just installed.
- Replaced starter with Sky Tech 122-12XLT.
- Saggy out-of-spec motor mounts. Replaced with new Lord
J6320-1. In hindsight could have just bought the J-6113-1 ends
without the spacer. Had to jig-drill the engine mount for the
index pins.
- Overhauled altimeter at AQI
- Replaced brake pads. Lubed the pins with Sil-Glyde, special caliper pin grease used for cars.
- Pulled the tailwheel assembly off (Scott 3200) for a good cleaning and inspection. How to video series by Steve Johnson of ABW. Greased with Mobil 28 red grease. Mounting bolt torque is 40 ft. lbs. Tailwheel tire pressure 40-45 psi.
- Updated weight and balance. Empty is now 1170 lbs at 9.54.
October 2016
- Installed Garmin G5, interfaced with Garmin AERA 550.
-
PFD Mode
HSI mode - NMEA data from 550
Baggage compartment had failing vinyl interior that was no longer protecting outside fabric. Redid the right side in .025 aluminum, just 'cause I had some around. Overkill, left was done with .016. Now I can throw a chainsaw back there without it coming out the side.
February 2017
- Long winter and thinking about those long summer flights. Conservative fuel calculations mean extra stops, extra fuel tankered, lots of landings with 50 litres (over an hour and a half) still in the tank. Think I'll try one of those new-fangled fuel flows. Had one in my Beaver in 1987. Bought the PMA parts (EI FT-90) and drawings from ACA.
- Replaced that ratty looking airfilter/carb connector at the same time (and clamp goes on cowling, not carb).
- Replaced compass
Here's a video of the fuel flow in action. Menu on the left side of the FC-10 display:, units are litres and nautial miles:
- FLOW, fuel flow in litres/hour
- USED, litres since powerup
- RMNG, fuel remaining
- ENDR, endurance in time or distance
- REQD, fuel to reach active GPS waypoint
- RESV, fuel reserve on reaching active GPS waypoint
- EFCY, miles per litre
Updated the KY92 comm radio to a newer KY97A digital flipflop.
November 2017
- Switched to Exxon 20W50 oil for this winter, installed blanking plate for oil cooler.
- Replaced Hobbs Meter with FDS T-30, flight timer, engine timer and tach.
- Replaced the ancient Whelen coffee grinder rotating beacon with an LED strobe, actually
two of them, one in the previous beacon location and the second
opposite to it on the belly.
Click on image for video
- Replaced GE 4506 Landing Light with LED PAR36
-
Re-installed 6:00x6 tires for airport work. Cleaned and repacked bearings Mobil 28
-
Revised weight and balance: empty 1160 at 10.0".
- Finally addressed the tailwheel shimmy. Tailwheel pivot post inclination was -6 degrees instead of +6. Bought a new fabricka pad and aluminum shim from ACAto put under the U-collar. Re-arched the spring somewhat. Was replaced new in 1994, so gets pounded flatter, now on spec.
July 2018
- Replaced tailwheel tire with Desser 6 ply. New tube. New plastic grease seals from Alaska Airframes.
- Overhauled airbox with new bushings on carb heat flapper shaft
- Retorqued landing gear bolts (500hr item)
- Overhauled ASI at AQI
- Replaced start solenoid with Mastercraft SW1951C
- Picked up a couple of extra wheels to keep both the ABW26" and 6:00x6 tires mounted, switching now only takes 30 minutes.
- Rearranged the instrument panel so I can see the airspeed indicator and altimeter from the back, like a Christen Eagle.
January 2019
- Replaced old 13 lb Delco Remy alternator with 7 lb Plane Power.
- New empty weight is 1152, at 10.29". On 600x6 tires.
- 24 month transponder/static check done
- Oil changed to Aeroshell 15W-50 as Elite 20W50 is no longer available.
- Repaired cracked fuel prime line