What kind of useful load range can one expect in a GCBC on floats?

Is there an upgross bump for Citabrias on floats?

The 1500 skis are probably a bit small for the Citabria. I had a set of Fed 2000s for mine and they were great.

Enjoy. The GCBC is a lot of fun to fly.

Andy

ZPilot wrote:What kind of useful load range can one expect in a GCBC on floats?

Is there an upgross bump for Citabrias on floats?

Gross on floats is 1800#

Useful load 450-500 depending on a/c

Karmutzen wrote:Extended baggage compartment is a new one to me. Does an STC or drawings exist anywhere? I guess it would need the baggage door at the same time. I've heard of a metalized belly skin as well, anybody got more info on that?

I see the aluminum gear legs are good for 13 lbs saving, 30 vs 43. Any advantage of aluminum over steel for rough strips?

Pretty sire American champion has an STC for it. Definitely do a cargo door at the same time, makes it much easier access. The metal belly is also a nice addition.
As far as the aluminum gear goes... I personally prefer the spring steel gear. I flew a ECA with aluminum gear and if you land a bit hard it hits hard and really bounces. The spring gear absorbs it a bit better. At least in my flying experience.

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Hi All, Been lurking for quite awhile now so thought it was finally time to say hello. I closed the deal on a 1980 7GCBC about a month ago, and so far I couldn't be happier. I sat in a bunch of different airplanes and being 6-3 I fit in it well. It has the forward mounted battery, and the green house really keeps it bright in the cockpit. The previous owner kept it super clean so I'm trying to keep up with that. Can't wait to see a bigger part of Alaska with it.

Welcome to BCP!!

This is what mine looks like. Finally got nice enough for a picture.


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So how much will a Milman spar job put an owner back?

I think they run something like $4100 for parts. How about labor?

I am not finding any metal spar Citabria\Scouts out there on floats at the moment (within my price range, that is).

I don't know what a recover would cost, but you could check with these guys:

http://www.desertrataviation.com/servic ... rogram.php

They do a complete wing refurbish with new wood spars for $12,000. Add the cost of the millman spars, and deduct the value of new wood?

22000 for factory aluminum wings, covered and painted. Comes with a gross weight increase and bigger struts...

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On the cowling of my 1980 7GCBC it is listed as a Citabria 150-S, what does the "S" mean? The best I could find was that it has some upgrades such as a layer of epoxy on the tubes but I looked and didn't see anything that looked different. Anyone have any ideas?
http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-15502

Happy to see another Ak. pilot on here. Welcome to all newcomers.


Ken

AKSledder wrote:On the cowling of my 1980 7GCBC it is listed as a Citabria 150-S, what does the "S" mean? The best I could find was that it has some upgrades such as a layer of epoxy on the tubes but I looked and didn't see anything that looked different. Anyone have any ideas?
http://www.backcountrypilot.org/gallery/displayimage.php?pos=-15502

The earlier Aeronca products had an 'S' for seaplane. Have no idea if that is what it means on your Citabria but its an idea.


As for Zpilots question and L19's response....I am surprised you have that good of UL. One gentleman I met that had a GCBC on floats had less usefull load on his plane then my Champ on floats has. Actually he wanted to trade, he said it was basically a one person airplane on floats. He and his wife each had a plane for that reason.

WWhunter wrote:

AKSledder wrote:As for Zpilots question and L19's response....I am surprised you have that good of UL. One gentleman I met that had a GCBC on floats had less usefull load on his plane then my Champ on floats has. Actually he wanted to trade, he said it was basically a one person airplane on floats. He and his wife each had a plane for that reason.

You pretty much summed it up. I was almost ready to move on that nice airplane in Barnstormers in Maine. Useful load on floats ended up being 380lbs. It was not going to work for me.
I have not given up on GCBCs/Scouts yet, but, because I need it to be a 2 person airplane + one hour of fuel + VFR reserves...I am now limited to metal wings/ later year models or Decathalons. Unfortunately there is no upgross allotment for the Milman spar conversion.

...still wanting to join the club, the search continues

Thanks for the welcome. I had heard "S" for seaplane also, but the airplane doesn't have float fittings which I would think would have already been installed. By the by there is a set of EDO 2000 floats for sale for the airplane by the previous owner all rigged for a 7GCBC. I just don't have a need for them yet but will probably be kicking my self in the rear for not buying them.

lancef53 wrote:I don't know what a recover would cost, but you could check with these guys:

http://www.desertrataviation.com/servic ... rogram.php

They do a complete wing refurbish with new wood spars for $12,000. Add the cost of the millman spars, and deduct the value of new wood?

I was told today that the wood spars are about $500 per spar.


Tom

Karmutzen wrote:.....
the obvious improvements that can be done to an old 7GCBC .....
-Replace battery with an Odyssey 680, or why not go whole hog with a Shorai LFX36L3 battery (chemistry LiFePO4) 36 AH, 540CCA, weighs 5lbs so can go on the firewall. The ECA I flew had the 680 on the firewall. Anybody do this with a GCBC yet?..............
-What about the instrument panel ........ I really like the lower, light grey ones of the newer ECA. Big job to change or little job?

Most of the mods you listed seem pretty obvious & doable.
FWIW I installed an Odyssey (Powersafe) battery in my C150TD, but I used the SBS-J16 instead of the PC680-- pretty much the same item. The PC is a bit cheaper, but the SBS is PMA'd & approved for the PA18 so I figured it'd be an easier approval. I've heard of people installing these as a minor alteration with just a logbook entry, but my IA figured a field approval & 337 was required so that's the route we took. No problem. I mounted mine in the stock battery box with a spacer but I've heard of mounting them on the firewall. A g-test (with pull gauge) might be required for that installation. I know an A&P who installed a firewall mounted Odyssey on a customer's Citabria a year or two ago-- if you wanna pick his brain about it, or maybe get a copy of his paperwork, he posts on the shortwingpipers.org discussion forums as "stephen".
IMHO changing the actual panel itself might turn out to be a bigger project than you might think, but maybe you could just pull/mask off the instruments etc & paint the existing one light grey.

Just checked mine to be sure. Useful load on wheels is 478# & on floats is 562#. The early 70's model I did my SES in was 498# useful on floats.

How are you guys working out the useful on floats? Gross is either 1650 or 1800 depending on what wings/struts you have. Remove the gear (-43 steel, -30 aluminium), add the weight of the float kit with the extra rudder area, about 294, so about 260 net. Your empty weight must be in the 1170 with the 1650 weight wings or 1200 with the 1800 gross wing. Add the float kit difference of 260 and the new empty weight is 1430 or 1470. 1650-1430 leaves 220 lbs, and 1800-1470 is a little better at 330 lbs. Does the float kit increase the gross? I didn't see that on the CAP STC.

Yet I recall flying a GCBC 20 years ago with a buddy and a couple hours of gas into alpine lakes, 4000' and 70+ temps. Never thought I was underpowered.

I've never heard of 1800 gross weight wings. Its 1750 with the factory aluminum, 1650 with wood. But with the wood spars and floats your gross weight is 1800 according to my stc. I don't run floats, but have the arc as my plane had floats on it at one time. With my ABWs and plane setup it is 1230 on the scales. I'm 150. 260lbs of fuel, and that leaves 50 or 60 lbs baggage or second passenger. Like someone else on here said my plane flies better heavy then out of fuel. So I fly heavy a fair amount. However, if I'm doing aerobatics I'm very struck on my w&b. But just flying cross country I'm not concerned.

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