Champion Aircraft (Wisconsin)

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Champion Aircraft Corporation
Type	Corporation
Founded	1954
Headquarters	Osceola, Wisconsin
Key people	Robert Brown
Industry	General Aviation

Champion Aircraft Corporation was formed in 1954 by Robert Brown. Headquartered in Osceola, Wisconsin, it began production in 1954 of the 7EC design which it had purchased from Aeronca Aircraft Corporation. Throughout the rest of the 1950s and the 1960s Champion introduced variations on the 7-series design. Champion also developed and began production the significantly upgraded follow-on to the 7-series, the 8KCAB Decathlon, as well as the twin-engined Lancer. Champion was acquired in 1970 by Bellanca Aircraft Corporation, which continued to produce most of the Champion designs in production at the time of acquisition.

[edit] Aircraft produced

Champion, as the name suggests, was formed to produce the design which Aeronca had introduced in 1946 as the 7AC Champion. By the time Aeronca ceased production in 1951, they had advanced the design through the 7BCM, 7CCM, and 7DC, reaching the 7EC. It was this model with which Champion commenced production in 1954, giving it the name "Traveler" to go along with the model designation. (Champion assigned both numeric and designations and names to most of its designs.) Though there was a great variety, all of the aircraft which Champion introduced were in one way or another related to the original Aeronca design. Champion's aircraft, by date of FAA approval or Champion introduction: