American Champion Aircraft - Factory Tour - Decathlon | Citabria | Scout

Added: 2026-05-10

[00:00:00]We all can appreciate a good old factory tour, including myself. And we landed one at American Champion Aircraft.

[00:00:08]>> We have three buildings. Uh building number one is our welding and machine shop. Building number two is fabric and paint and and three is production area where we assemble the airplane.

[00:00:21]>> Jerry's going to walk us through the factory where these historical aircraft are built.

[00:00:38]Okay. So, out here at American Champion Aircraft, we're going to tour today. And uh Jerry, introduce yourself, who you are and what you do here. I'm Jerry Malav, Senior. Uh I I bought the company out of bankruptcy in in end of 88 and I was president. I guess my son still considers me to the president, but I retired 12 years ago.

[00:00:59]>> Okay. And this facility that we're standing, this building we're standing here, what section of your business is this?

[00:01:04]>> Uh, this was actually uh our first hanger. And most of these airplanes here are ready for delivery.

[00:01:10]>> All right, Jerry. So, which building are we doing in right now?

[00:01:12]>> Okay. Right now, we're in a welding and machine shop. So, everything kind of starts in here.

[00:01:18]You And this here, there's all our fixtures for elevators.

[00:01:24]subcomponents to the airplane.

[00:01:26]>> Okay.

[00:01:28]>> So, this is the the tail department.

[00:01:30]>> Uh well, yeah. And actually the fuselage, too. Everything it's all all of our tubing is assembled in here. So, you can see like here he he's right now he's set up to do all to weld seats together.

[00:01:48]>> So, talk to us. How do you get to this point here where it's they're pre-cut, but >> Okay. Well, uh when we get to one of the other buildings, we have laser machine.

[00:01:57]We we cut all our tubing.

[00:01:58]>> You do? Okay.

[00:01:59]>> With a laser.

[00:02:01]>> Years ago, we used to use nibblers and stuff like that.

[00:02:03]>> So, it comes here kind of coped and fish mouth ready to go to the the welding jig.

[00:02:08]>> That's correct. Yes. And here's uh here's the kind of the meat and bones of the company. the empanage vertical fin and the complete fusil is there. Now all of our models from a 7 AC champ through our scout the fuselage are dimensionally the same size but structurally they're not. Okay.

[00:02:28]>> Uh the thickness of the tubing and uh the and the diameter of the tubing is a difference between models. Like for instance, if you go to the 7 AC champ or the or the we use the 7 EC that we used to build has is be lighter. So we would but this is to accommodate a small a smaller tube.

[00:02:51]>> Okay.

[00:02:52]>> Than what they normally use >> which is kind of like a shim if you will. So now if you look here, there's the the lower hinge would be the top of the rudder for the 7 series and then Kathlon the upper one is actually a scout.

[00:03:07]>> Okay. See this is a combination jig here.

[00:03:11]>> Mhm.

[00:03:13]Now these two fixtures I know date back to 1945.

[00:03:18]>> Really? So, I figure these two between us and everybody, I think these two fixtures have produced between 22 to maybe 23,000 airplanes.

[00:03:27]>> That's amazing. That's impressive. And I imagine this thing weighs a good chunk, too.

[00:03:32]>> Yeah, it uh you know to when we first got them here, the FA every 6 months required a uh to tram it in. That is correct, right?

[00:03:42]>> But the size of the thing is so massive.

[00:03:47]You got even slots set up here for tubing that's already pre-cut and ready to go.

[00:03:50]>> Right. Yeah. That's all laser cut.

[00:03:52]>> So they're they're they're already at their own stations, if you will.

[00:03:55]Correct.

[00:03:55]>> Yes. With their numbers.

[00:03:58]>> Oh, I was going to show you this first like prior to a laser machine.

[00:04:03]Blanka used to use this and everybody else and Champ, this was a nibbler for cut for cutting that tube.

[00:04:10]>> So like a guide and then you >> right. So then so they would put a nibbler then they would go around there.

[00:04:15]So it took a guy about 10 minutes to cut a tube.

[00:04:18]>> Okay.

[00:04:18]>> Well, with our laser machine, it does it in about 20 seconds, >> right?

[00:04:22]>> Perfectly.

[00:04:23]>> So it starts here and then it moves over to this one, >> right? And if if the back half would be installed there and then this is the front end here. So the fuselage after it's welded together or tacked together, we can pull it out of here. The only change that we made here is uh the scout being taller, two men can draw the take the fuselage out of here. But with the scout, we needed three because we had to raise the the the front end up to get the rudder through there. So, we cut that tubing across and put that V in there so we could pull a scout out with just two people.

[00:05:01]>> Now, do you have to stand on a ladder to weld up there or do you just tack it and then you finish weld outside of the >> uh It's just uh tacked.

[00:05:07]>> Okay. Yeah, there's, you know, in position. Then they take it out here, you know, and it's on a a jig like that.

[00:05:15]And then you can, you don't have to weld upside down, >> right?

[00:05:18]>> So, you're always, you know, there's no inverted welding required.

[00:05:23]>> And then what are some of these other fixtures you got over here along the wall? Uh that that would be like door frames, you know, subco components for typically if you see all the tubing we see in here, especially the pieces that are welded together. Uh when we make a run, we typically make 10.

[00:05:39]>> A batch of 10. Okay.

[00:05:40]>> A batch of 10.

[00:05:41]>> So moving from this section, what are the other areas of your your weld shop here? You do?

[00:05:44]>> Okay. Then uh this then up here before you do gas tanks. Now all of our chromali tubing is wire welded. Okay. So it's MIG welded. Our st our f our stainless steel and aluminum is TIG welded.

[00:06:00]>> Okay.

[00:06:00]>> And here's where we do gas tanks.

[00:06:04]And let's explain the tanks to first. Uh those are all those X members there.

[00:06:12]Those are the drag wire through the center of the gas tank.

[00:06:18]uh the ones with a bulkhead there's a decathlon because uh for arerobatics you don't want that gas to in snap rolls or slow rolls slamming from one wall to the other. So we have a bulkhead in between.

[00:06:30]>> So let me get this straight. This X-frame you have in there is weld into or through the tank so you can put uh wires through it or >> right a drag and anti-drag.

[00:06:40]>> Wow. Okay.

[00:06:42]>> Yeah. Now >> that's a good use of space.

[00:06:44]>> Yeah. See like the tank skins in the middle there. Those are decathlon tanks.

[00:06:48]And you can see the all the little perforated holes where that bulkhead is welded. On the 7 series, there is no bulkhead.

[00:06:55]>> Okay.

[00:06:58]Oh, that is a a really unique design.

[00:07:00]>> And then this is this is a 7 series and scout tank here. Those have a those X members there going in them without the bulkheads.

[00:07:09]>> Okay.

[00:07:12]These are rotisseries you were talking about earlier.

[00:07:14]>> Yeah, that's right. Uh, in fact, when we go in there, you'll see fuselages on them. Need more >> Yeah.

[00:07:20]>> explanation. Then these are just empty.

[00:07:22]Well, let's go in here and then, uh, see this here fixture is where you put the tank half in there and you put your X member through the center like that.

[00:07:34]>> Okay. I see. And >> it's tacked together. Then he takes it out and weld it out >> and then you weld the sheet metal around the X.

[00:07:39]>> Yep.

[00:07:39]>> All right. So, this is really the raw materials where everything starts, >> right? These are spars and struts that we have here.

[00:07:45]>> Now, you've got some chromoly tubing on the wall and you've got some extrusions here. Is these made to order for you specifically? Are these spar material here?

[00:07:53]>> Yeah, this the the tooling to make these spars and and rear spars, we own that.

[00:07:59]>> Do you? Okay.

[00:07:59]>> So, the company that extrudes it for us, uh, you can't make them for anybody else.

[00:08:07]So, that's our So, kind of interesting how it's done is uh typically the the billet weighs about 600 lb and you bring the temperature of the the billet up to to about uh 650° and they and then they uh put in a press and it squeezes it out of our dye. So it looks like this. It comes out as one continuous noodle to up to 1,000 ft long.

[00:08:33]>> Now do you all leave this solid or do you machine lightning holes out of it?

[00:08:36]>> We do that. We machine those all. Yeah, those are base. Yep.

[00:08:40]>> And you got >> a front. There's two stars front spars.

[00:08:44]Then the shorter one is would be seven series and scout. The taller one is the Kathlon.

[00:08:49]>> Okay. Now these trailing >> the rear spars are all models the same size. It's just the the length of them.

[00:08:56]>> Okay. Now this is how how long has it been constructed this way? They used to be more of like a builtup spar and this is like the modern way of doing it.

[00:09:04]>> Well, we've we're the first ones to produce a metal wing. Okay.

[00:09:07]>> Everything that Blanca made prior to that was all wood spars.

[00:09:11]>> Okay.

[00:09:11]>> And they're nailed together. So >> So when you went metal, this is how you chose to take this is the path you chose, >> right? Let me introduce you to our sponsors that make all these episodes possible. Donav Avionics at don.com.

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[00:10:51]Okay, we have uh two vertical mills and two turning centers.

[00:10:55]>> And what do you produce in there?

[00:10:57]>> Uh well, this one here is smaller components in this one.

[00:11:02]Uh let's see. Is he running anything?

[00:11:05]You got the drawing for that? I just >> Is that like a seat a seat rail or something or >> No, this but this are strut attached to the fuselage strut.

[00:11:15]>> This is what it'll look like when it's done. It'll be it'll cut be cut in half though completed.

[00:11:20]>> Strut attach points, >> right?

[00:11:23]>> And that is steel or is that aluminum?

[00:11:25]>> This is aluminum 61 aluminum.

[00:11:28]>> Got it. makes this print.

[00:11:30]>> The lighting in here kind of makes it look like steel.

[00:11:32]>> It does. Yeah.

[00:11:34]>> 66.

[00:11:34]>> That's That's plated there. That's got So, here's a complete one. I'll put this back, I guess.

[00:11:40]>> Mhm.

[00:11:41]>> He's actually machining some more strut fittings here.

[00:11:46]But we also use this one for our spars cuz this this one here can do 60 in at a time.

[00:11:52]>> Okay.

[00:11:53]>> So, we station it in there. We do 60 in, and then we rotate it down and do the next 60 in. complete the whole spot.

[00:11:58]>> So your your lighting holes and all those.

[00:12:00]>> Yeah. So then, you know, like a spire has got a part number. So all you do is put the part number in the machine here and it'll then you change all the tools that you need for it and then uh you start your run and it'll automatically use the right tool and drill that hole.

[00:12:18]Okay. This is my favorite drill press.

[00:12:20]This is actually a 1918 Fosdick. Can you imagine? This thing made parts in World War I. really.

[00:12:28]>> It has one electric motor driving, four drill presses, and they're all there.

[00:12:34]There's six speeds. So, there's a belt for three different speeds and a high and low speed for the lever.

[00:12:41]>> Now, what is the significance of having these all kind of clumped together like this? What's >> uh Now, that was just >> it is do you do spar work in here or did the in the past?

[00:12:50]>> Well, in the past, well, like say what they used in World War I or World War II, I don't really know.

[00:12:55]>> Okay. But kind of jokingly, I actually he's now passed away, but but the brother-in-law had a uh had a shop and um this this drill press used to have in his shop. And one day he was he used to come over to help do some machining back in the '90s and he says, "You know that drill press is available." He says, "I found it. You can you can buy it for $150." I said, "Why not?" So we what we really like about it this it it's perfect for reaming cuz you know they have reams in here. So when we drill stuff out.

[00:13:31]>> Okay. This this is actually will be a carry through for once.

[00:13:37]>> Okay.

[00:13:37]>> On a seven series.

[00:13:38]>> Well yeah I can see the advant cuz you could have a different tool in each one kind of like you do in your CNC now and just slide it down to each station if you will >> to do the next piece.

[00:13:47]>> All right. So that was building number one. What do we have in building number two? Building two is fabric and paint.

[00:13:53]>> Okay. So immediately we we go from welding and getting them powder coating which is offsite. Y >> and then >> yeah these two buildings I built in in 1990.

[00:14:04]>> Okay.

[00:14:04]>> And then the last one I did in 2000.

[00:14:08]So they're I can smell that it's paint.

[00:14:18]>> Yeah.

[00:14:22]There's a there's an action made right in the water.

[00:14:29]So, so what she's doing is she's ironing all the the glue. And kind of interesting if you notice all of our tapes are green.

[00:14:40]>> Yeah. Why is that?

[00:14:41]>> And the reason is that so the the the person installing it make sure you're 100%. Then when the inspector looks at it, if it's all green, then there's no clear areas that there would be no glue there. When you cover the fuselage, you start with the fuselage first on the top half.

[00:14:58]>> Oh, we start with the bottom. If you work on the bottom, >> she does the bottom first.

[00:15:02]>> Okay.

[00:15:03]>> And then then this and so then what we do then all the irons.

[00:15:17]So, so then if you notice the irons and the decron melts at about 400° so all of our irons we set at 320 and then there's iron so it's tight so it so like a drum.

[00:15:32]>> Okay. So you kind of you tighten them up right at this stage and then you do a a silver as a primer. Correct.

[00:15:39]>> Uh it's gray. Yeah.

[00:15:42]>> You said these are decathlon.

[00:15:44]>> This is decathlon. Now look at all the ribs in that.

[00:15:50]I think there's roughly 19. I think you know how many ribs are in a cessa 172 and 182?

[00:15:57]>> I do not.

[00:15:57]>> Five.

[00:16:00]>> Five ribs.

[00:16:02]>> The strength is the external skin.

[00:16:05]>> Wow.

[00:16:06]>> Where this fabric there's no strength there.

[00:16:08]>> Yeah, that makes sense.

[00:16:09]>> Now when we when we load this thing, you know, this wing has been tested to 9 G's.

[00:16:14]>> Okay. So you can imagine we had uh oh trying to think for some reason I think it was 7,550 lbs we had on this wing to that simple would be a 9g load. So all of our wings are tested to 9gs.

[00:16:35]So don't tell people if you exceed 9gs on an airplane you're a test pilot.

[00:16:41]you're you're um you're passed out at 9 GS, right?

[00:16:45]>> So, but it's certified for, you know, plus five plus 6 minus five. That's what the airplane's certified for that.

[00:16:52]>> Yep. And now this is fully assembled.

[00:16:54]You can see here where that Xpipe goes straight through and your wires your drag and anti-drag and what those do is keep the wing this way is is is why those those wires do like that keep an alignment.

[00:17:07]>> Okay? where because the fabric it doesn't there's none there >> and again because this is a fabric covered aircraft that's why you have this otherwise the the the sheet metal skins would would take up that load.

[00:17:17]>> Yeah.

[00:17:18]>> Okay. So you have a not a clean room but you have a dirty room to keep everything else clean.

[00:17:23]>> Right. Right. Yeah. That's there's vent so there's draw air drawn in and then they then they vacuum up and sweep up the floor with anything they sand on.

[00:17:33]>> Okay.

[00:17:34]>> If you want to come over here and see them sand that. See the primers put on.

[00:17:46]See, like these here have already have not been sanded. It's been partially sanded, but this they'll have to They don't use sandpaper on this, but they'll use a scotch pad to get >> so it doesn't cut into it too much.

[00:17:58]Yeah.

[00:17:59]>> Right.

[00:18:02]And there he's doing a decathlon wing.

[00:18:14]How much time would you expect to spend on preparing an airplane for paint and then paint?

[00:18:21]>> Much time >> between the fabric covering, priming, sanding.

[00:18:25]>> Well, I can tell you when we're at our peak production, >> eight weeks to build an airplane start to finish.

[00:18:32]>> Eight weeks. whole thing.

[00:18:38]Now, these two buildings are 12,000 square feet a piece. Okay, >> this one's 33,000.

[00:18:43]>> Now, this machine here is a laser punch combination.

[00:18:49]So, it's it's cheaper to to punch holes than it is to laser them. Uh so, straight edges and and round or holes or we we stamp it. And that large rider head holds 54 different tools for types of holes. So we kind of see it on running here.

[00:19:11]What you building on this one?

[00:19:12]>> A leading edge skin.

[00:19:14]>> Oh, this is a leading edge skin.

[00:19:26]Does it does that do any laser work?

[00:19:29]Okay. Just at the end it'll laser also.

[00:19:31]Right now it's stamping straight lines and punching holes.

[00:19:47]All right. So Jerry, what is this machine? Why does it have to be so tall?

[00:19:51]This is like practically two stories tall.

[00:19:54]Well, actually the the the box covering it is actually the soundproof booth.

[00:19:59]>> Okay.

[00:19:59]>> But this is this press here is 70 tons and uh we only use it maybe two days a month. But what we do is we put a flat sheet in here and we draw the gas tank.

[00:20:10]So this this what this dy makes the upper half and there's another one we put in there for the lower half.

[00:20:16]>> So this machine is made just for your for your gas tanks >> for gas tanks and our our firewall. So, we have three three dies and we're only using this machine. But the joke was uh I bought this machine for for $30,000.

[00:20:31]>> Yeah.

[00:20:32]>> And uh a year before I bought it, the company that had it was actually near uh near Konosha and they were a major subcontractor for auto industry.

[00:20:45]Primarily what a lot of things they did is all the switches for electric door windows and openers. is they're made from the main thing. So when when the old man died, the kids didn't want to run away. They sold the company to China and China didn't want these. They didn't want to pay for getting the they wanted something new, probably faster.

[00:21:05]So I bought four machines from Joking.

[00:21:09]So this one here, I I spent 30,000 for it. That soundproof booth, they paid 18,000 for it a couple years before I bought them. and they spent 105,000 rebuilding that press and then I bought it for 30. Those other two presses, I bought those for 4,000 a piece and and the booths the town booths are 18,000.

[00:21:30]>> Wow.

[00:21:33]>> So you shopped around?

[00:21:35]>> Yeah. At that uh cuz I say the company was uh just really near Kenosha, Wisconsin where it was at.

[00:21:44]>> So this is the wing department.

[00:21:46]>> Yep.

[00:21:56]These are two dashons. One's a left and one's a right. So, one girl makes one wing, one makes the other.

[00:22:18]morning.

[00:22:21]So, these are all solid a riveted on.

[00:22:26]>> Okay. She's going to she's going to squeeze all these rivets now.

[00:22:30]>> Sure.

[00:22:30]>> Okay. You can see her she's doing it right now.

[00:22:44]squeeze one. Then she'll come take the cleos out and put the rivets on the other half and squeeze them together.

[00:22:50]>> So what is this? Uh >> that's a former that's cuz the So the so the skin is rides on that where the fabric rides on top of it.

[00:22:57]>> Oh, okay. Cuz this is going to be sheet metal.

[00:23:01]>> Yep.

[00:23:01]>> Over to here or on top of here?

[00:23:04]>> Uh I >> Yeah, on top of it. On top of it.

[00:23:07]>> On top of it. Yeah. Right.

[00:23:10]>> So that's where the tanks get clamped.

[00:23:12]>> Mhm. Got three straps over.

[00:23:14]>> Yep. And then there's And then there's where they get bolted on there. You can see where the pad is.

[00:23:36]>> So over here you're doing the drag wires, I see. Correct.

[00:23:39]>> Yeah, she's Yeah, she's starting to put them in now. Now she's a little further advanced. So >> morning getting this thing all squared up.

[00:23:58]>> You got to smile. You're going to be on TV.

[00:24:10]So depending what they need, they take over the paint department and they'll paint it. Uh they used to zinc chromate them, but you know, can't get zinc chromate anymore. So >> And then you bring some color in here with some plants in the >> Yeah. That's a girl thing.

[00:24:25]>> Got to have some greenery, huh?

[00:24:26]>> Yep.

[00:24:30]bring some life to this industrial environment.

[00:24:34]>> Yeah.

[00:24:37]>> So over here, over here, Jerry, we're building up ribs to get >> Yeah. This Right. So, uh, what Louie does here is he straightens them and then he rivets all the gussets on them. Oh, he's going to show you one now. I guess >> that's something you can hang on your wall right there.

[00:24:55]That's nice.

[00:24:56]>> Yes. um putting together ribs for 7 GCDC.

[00:25:01]From wing tip to wing tip, there's a total of 26 ribs. 13 on the left and 13 on the right. This and this is just part of that.

[00:25:11]>> Okay.

[00:25:12]>> A variety of ribs that are used for the left and right.

[00:25:17]>> So there is a bit of wood you used to just give the body some shape.

[00:25:22]>> Now this here, >> what do you guys use for the wood? What what is pine? Okay. This is five ply Russian white birch.

[00:25:28]>> Wow. Okay.

[00:25:30]>> So, in Russia Well, yeah, cuz you know, I used to use a a marine grade plywood.

[00:25:37]>> Yeah.

[00:25:37]>> But it was only three ply and and uh every so often there'd be like a a hole in the middle. So, I was getting about 10% scrap. So, I called the guy in Milwaukee that we bought it from and he says, "Well, why don't you try that Russian white birch? It's five ply and the price is the same." So, we switched over to that. We used to laser cut these here. Now, I have we have a company that actually routers this out for us.

[00:26:07]And then these these these stringers here have to be not free so you can bend them.

[00:26:13]>> So, these are dowels that are mil to have a y >> certain profile.

[00:26:18]>> Mhm.

[00:26:20]So they fit in that slot like that and then then we brass safety wire them in so they don't move.

[00:26:25]>> Why brass?

[00:26:27]>> Softer and doesn't if you tight pull it too tight it doesn't cut through the wood the wood.

[00:26:34]>> Okay.

[00:26:36]>> Blanka used to never like in the model here they they only did occasionally one on each end. Never in the middle you know.

[00:26:44]>> All right. Quick shot of the underbelly here of all the mechanics going on between the sticks and torque tubes.

[00:26:50]>> Now, this is our carbon fiber. And what this is is ball saw spacer and then >> the top side is carbon >> carbon fiber. And then there's this then there's fiberglass protect.

[00:27:03]>> It's built up. Yeah. Okay.

[00:27:06]And you got the bell crank for the torque tube goes to the ailerons.

[00:27:15]instead of a pushpull tube.

[00:27:23]All right, Jerry, show let's show everybody the finished product of all this industry going on over here.

[00:27:28]>> Mhm.

[00:27:29]>> And you've got how which models you have done here in the completion center?

[00:27:33]>> Okay. Uh there's there's a lot of these in for annual inspections cuz we're FA approved repair station. Okay.

[00:27:39]>> On seven and eight series. This is a This is a Denali Scout. So, this has got a 390 in it. So, it's 210 horse.

[00:27:55]>> There's another super D for me.

[00:27:56]>> It's almost weird to me right now to see an airplane with wheel pants because I've been following the stole crowd for so long and just bare tires.

[00:28:03]>> Yeah.

[00:28:04]>> It's actually kind of like, well, this is neat. This is new.

[00:28:06]>> Yeah.

[00:28:10]>> Okay. Getting ready for air show season.

[00:28:12]>> Yep. This will be Greg's for Sun and Fun.

[00:28:16]>> Now, seeing how these legacy aircraft are built up from raw materials to the fine engineered painted pieces of art, you really appreciate the sweat equity it takes to produce such a high-erforming aircraft.

[00:28:34]And this one here, specifically built for Greg Kunst, destined to be put to work at air shows around the country.

[00:28:46]Instead of a collection of license plates and numbers that's patrol, they do wings. They have about I think they got like 20 airplanes. There are seven ECAs.

[00:28:58]They do pipeline patrol and electric line patrol.

[00:29:02]Quick shout out to our patrons over on Patreon, and our co-pilot status, Zach Nuome, Mike Babcock, Lynn Gardner, Gary Martin, Michael Smith, and Steph Sabbo.

[00:29:13]Thanks for watching this episode of the Experimental Aircraft Channel. Remember to like, subscribe, and hit that bell so you don't miss a single episode. See you in the next one.

[00:29:41]Heat.