Hello everyone,

The Champ is getting close to flying and it is time to start putting some parts on it.
I have been tire shopping and there are quite a few legal size choices for the 8' wheels it was upgraed to years ago. I think large bush wheels might be too much for a 75 HP airplane, and as a group (me and 2 partners) we decided that no one will be allowed to land it on gravel bars or anywhere really rough. We would like to have a big enough tire to smooth out places like S27, or a few of the farm strips around here.
What is a good size for this use that won't make a slow airplane even slower?

D.

A friend of mine has 850's on his Champ. Those should be plenty good you think?

I had 8:50's on mine, and a buddy has 26 GY's on his. Another buddy recently got 29 Airstreaks. Don't think small.

I'd be thinking bigger tailwheel before bigger mains...

Gump

I'd go no bigger than 8.50's with only a C75.
Some of these pics show 26" and 8.50's, but using a C90 or 0235 engines/
Champs on bigger rubber look pretty cool and function well IMHO

The title of this thread is "Biggest practical tires on a 75 hp Champ?"....and you instantly say you don't want to consider ALaskan Bushwheels???

Put a set of AK Bushwheels 26 inch Airstreaks on that thing, and you'll never regret it.

MTV

I like the fourth one down. The white one with the red stripe. On the ice. Looks terrific!

8in wheels?

The only 8 inch wheels I know of came on a set of cross wind landing gear mounted on a Helio Currier..... Those tires were damned expensive at over $200.00 each, and that was just for little ones....

I would personally throw those suckers out and find a good set of 6 inch wheels and put on some 8:50 X 6 tires... Would work perfect on that Champ...

Brian.

I have a set of 8.50 Good Years mounted on 6in. wheels.Used very little.Also cleavland single puck with dics and spacer to clear brake shoes.A complete scott tail wheel needs rebuilt. 1,000.00 plus shipping.
I took all this off my 170 to upgrade to all AKB stuff.
John

I was wrong about the wheels. They are 6" and we have 7.00 tires on them. I think all we are going to do is go 8.5.

I don't see taking a 75 HP airplane into anywhere too gnarley, and before I start landing at some of the really out of the way and rough strips, or gravel bars, I want some more time under my belt, and an airplane I own 100% of so I will not have anything I need to explain to partners if, or when it get scratched.

I am sure the 8.5's will be more than we need for places like Lake Wenatchee state, or Stehikan, or even some of the dirt setion roads through the wheat fields.

DavidB. wrote:....landing at some of the really out of the way and rough strips, or gravel bars, I want some more time under my belt, and an airplane I own 100% of so I will not have anything I need to explain to partners if, or when it get scratched........

Scratched? Getting out of shape at an airport often results in scratches, although often quite extensive. But off airport... two guys I know, both good sticks, put their airplanes upside down on river bars in the last year. Another did the same landing in snow on a grass strip. All three airplanes were extensively damaged, as you can imagine. A bit more serious than "scratched"....

hotrod150 wrote:

DavidB. wrote:....landing at some of the really out of the way and rough strips, or gravel bars, I want some more time under my belt, and an airplane I own 100% of so I will not have anything I need to explain to partners if, or when it get scratched........

Scratched? Getting out of shape at an airport often results in scratches, although often quite extensive. But off airport... two guys I know, both good sticks, put their airplanes upside down on river bars in the last year. Another did the same landing in snow on a grass strip. All three airplanes were extensively damaged, as you can imagine. A bit more serious than "scratched"....

Like I said before, I won't do anything in an airplane I am not 99.9% sure I am qualified and competent to do. I understand that there are a lot of risks in landing at out of the way places and airplanes get wrecked and people get hurt. But by scratched I was thinking more of rock chips on the tail feathers, extra prop wear, and little stuff like that. I was also thinking of the extra dirt and wet dog hair that would get tracked into the airplane during backcountry hiking trips, not to mention stuff like leaking some fish slime or other dead animal fluids on the floor after a fishing or hunting trip. Judging by the interior of my Jeep, s&%t get dirty, and not matter how well you clean it up, it just aint gonna be the same after it's had a wet dog along for a ride.
I went in on this Champ with two really good guys for the prupose of me and the young partner (he just turned 21 2 days ago, 120 hours or so flying) to first learn from the 3rd partner (IA, 30 years of experience) how to rubuild/restore a fabric airplane, and second, to build time in a taildragger that has a reputation as a good time builder. This is my first airplane of many to come, and it needs to stay presentable after we are done with the restoration so we can sell it, and I can use my 1/3 of the money for the next one.

D.

Emory Bored wrote:I like the fourth one down. The white one with the red stripe. On the ice. Looks terrific!

Yes, those tires look perfect. Does anyone know what size those are?

D.

I have it on good authority that the orange and white Champ on AKBushwheels is for sale It went from 850's to 26" GY's, then to the 26" AkBushwheels and will say that the Bushwheels are the best tire bar none to have on a Champ if you are going to do any off field work.
Keith

DavidB. wrote:

Emory Bored wrote:I like the fourth one down. The white one with the red stripe. On the ice. Looks terrific!

Yes, those tires look perfect. Does anyone know what size those are?
D.

They look like 850 airtracs to me.
Keep in mind that bigger tires add weight. They not only need more horsepower to lift them, but they reduce the legal useful load plus affect the weight & balance. For McCreary Airtracs,which I like, I think a set of 600's (incl tubes) weigh about 16 pounds, 800's around 22 pounds, and 850's around 36 pounds. I think a set of GY 26's are close to 50 pound. Prices for these tires go up pretty much proportionally with size.
ABW's are nice but weigh alot, plus the price tag is pretty hefty too. Admittedly the best thing for off-arport, and for cool, but maybe not required for the flying most of us do.

WWhunter wrote:I have it on good authority that the orange and white Champ on AKBushwheels is for sale It went from 850's to 26" GY's, then to the 26" AkBushwheels and will say that the Bushwheels are the best tire bar none to have on a Champ if you are going to do any off field work.
Keith

What powerplant you running, and how much you asking? Is it still LSA?

Eric,
It has an O-235 C2C rated at 108hp@2600/115hp@2800. And YES, it is LSA!!! I have had several guys try and tell me it is not possible that it meets the criteria but it does. I will try and email you more specifics if you want to PM me with your email. I am currently in the DC area but should be home in MN later tomorrow evening. I can see if I have some more pictures and info to send or you can call. I posted a little more info on the plane on the LSA thread a few minutes ago.
Keith