American Champion Aircraft (ACA) has become the first manufacturer to certificate an aircraft powered by Superior Air Parts’ Vantage engine. The High Country Explorer, a bushplane version of ACA’s tandem-seat 7GCBC Citabria Explorer, is powered by a 180hp (135kW) Vantage O-360.
In addition to a more powerful engine, the tailwheel-equipped High Country Explorer is fitted with taller and lighter aluminium landing gear to provide increased ground clearance for the larger two-blade, fixed-pitch Sensenich propeller. The 820kg (1,800lb) gross-weight aircraft cruises at 105kt (195km/h).
The Vantage is the production-certificated version of Superior’s 160hp XP-360 experimental-aircraft engine, which is based on the popular Lycoming IO-360.
Source: Flight International
