I just Recently bought a 7GCBC as a project, and currently in the process of doing an overhaul and Milman Spar conversion. I was going over the POH a while back and remembered that its payload with Full of Fuel was very low. I was wondering how much weight it will Really haul with full fuel VS what the book says. I've never flown it or any Champion aircraft before, But I have flown Super Cubs and know that they will haul WAY more than what the book says.

1650 is the gross. We have one with a 180hp (7gcbc) weighs 1250 or something. My boss said hypothetically with full fuel and two 250+ guys it doesn't even flinch. Although that is with a 180. it will also cruse at 140 mph at 2400rpm.


Tom

N300RE...
I fly a 180 hp 7GCBC with a gross weight of 1950lbs (High Country Explorer)
I weight 250lbs at 6'4".
Weight is really easy to calculate: My ass, full of gas, and 200lbs.
I think it would fly just fine with more weight but officially I don't know.
HC

We have a 1960 GCB with the Millman spars, gross is # 1650, 38 gallons fuel and 2 adults, no problem, no room for much baggage anyway. Flys great, 150 hp, fixed pitch

Agree with the above comments. Full fuel & 2 adults is not a problem performance wise. If your planning to bring much baggage a good look at the CG is smart.

Good luck on your project!

I doubt anyone is going to volunteer a number, but you can piece it together from the legal variants. Your empty weight will probably be between 1150 and 1200. Full fuel is about another 210 lbs, so call it 1400. Scout can do 2150, High Country 180 hp can go 1950, Explorer 160hp is good to 1800. You could make an educated guess on what the difference is between those aircraft and yours. Beefier lift struts? Wing area, rest of the structure should be pretty much the same. You don't need the 1000 fpm rate of climb, and stay away from the +5g pulls. Unless you're coming out of a hole, I doubt anybody loses any sleep over it. I wouldn't go as far as two corn-fed Bubba's, but two reasonable adults should be ok at the lower of the above numbers.

Maybe some engineering type can suggest why the ECA and GCBC with different engines have the same gross weight, but the 160 and 180hp GCBC have different gross weights. W&B wise it seems you push the front of the envelope flying alone more than you push the back with a passenger and baggage.

I have a 76 gcbc, and with 31" abws, I sit on the scales at 1272. Full fuel and 150lb me and I'm legal to carry another 60lbs. Rumor has it it will easily fly with another guy and the baggage area full, but I couldn't say for sure.
The 160hp and 180 hp variants are only available with the factory metal wing conversion, which comes with a beefier strut, allowing 1800 lbs. Not really sure why the 180hp can go to 1950, but it seems like a great option.
David