Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an airplane that catches our attention because it is unique, represents a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily.
Today’s Top Pick is a 1947 Aeronca 7BCM.
I have always preferred the Aeronca Champ over its more-famous rival, the Piper J-3 Cub, because as a solo pilot you sit in the front seat instead of the rear, and as a result can actually see where you are going.
This is particularly important on the ground, where taildraggers tend to be the most challenging. I can see over the Champ’s nicely tapered nose but no such luck with the Piper.
Of course, I would never wave off either of the classic machines, especially in their military liaison versions—like this Aeronca, also known as an L-16A—which have extended greenhouses intended for observers in the back seat. Nowadays those airy glass enclosures give passengers a near-panoramic view and make the vintage-aircraft experience far more palatable for first-timers.
Early taildraggers like this Aeronca are a joy to fly on short hops for breakfast, lunch, or fly-ins at local airports. Packing one up for an overnight trip is also a fun way to spend a weekend, whether you plan to camp under the stars or retire to a cozy bed-and-breakfast.
This Aeronca 7BCM has 5,894 hours on the airframe and 329 hours since overhaul on its Continental C85 engine.
While the Aeronca is a basic, fairly bare-bones aircraft, it does have certain features that enhance its effectiveness in the backcountry, including a 7-gallon fuel tank in its wing in addition to the 15-gallon main tank, a Brackett air filter, tinted visor, front and rear side windows that open, quick-release door hinge, hand brake, no-bounce landing gear, Aero-Classic 850×6 main tires, new exhaust, and air vents.
The VFR panel includes a digital comm radio, turn coordinator, tachometer, airspeed indicator, altimeter, oil temperature and pressure gauges, fuel gauge, and compass—everything you need.
Pilots looking for a back-to-basics tailwheel airplane with vintage appeal and extra visibility that will impress passengers should consider this 1947 Aeronca 7BCM, which is available for $39,000 on AircraftForSale.
If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.
- FLYING Magazine: Restoration Nation: Aeronca Champ
- FLYING Magazine: Five Taildraggers That Are Easy to Buy, Fly, and Insure
- FLYING Magazine: Getting Reacquainted With Taildraggers Is Time Well Spent
- FLYING Magazine: A Taste of Taildraggers
- AVweb: What’s the Buzz?
- The Aviation Consumer: Used Aircraft Guide: Aeronca Champ
- Plane & Pilot: Aeronca Champ
- Plane & Pilot: Aeronca 7AC Champion
