Cabela's Aeronca Champ In East Hartford

[Jerry O'Neill]

I thought this was pretty neat. The Cabela's in East Hartford, CT is built on Rentschler Field, the former Pratt and Whitney airport.
They've got this Aeronca Champ hanging from the ceiling. An electric motor spins the prop.
I only hope it was not an airworthy airframe!
Jerry

[Kyleb]

Many Cabelas and Bass Pro Shops have a static Aeronca. I'd guess they have taken a hundred or more airframes off the market. Given that I *want* to buy and rebuild a Champ (or Chief), this ain't a good thing in my eyes.

It only gets worse when I imagine what'll happen to these airframes when it comes time to redecorate the stores...

Last edited by Kyleb on Mon Feb 16, 2009 10:03 pm, edited 1 time in total.

[Jerry O'Neill]

Hopefully I'll be the first in line to get it when they "re-decorate"!
Jerry

[Chad Veich]

The Cabela's here in Glendale, AZ has a Super Cub hanging up over the food court.

[Canso42]

The Cabela's in Buda, Texas has a Cub. I let a couple of employees there know my opinion of their bush plane decor too but they seemed utterly clueless.

[CAPFlyer]

The plane at the Fort Worth location is a very well made replica. I was told that it was made out of a scrap hulk. It has a fiberglass "engine" in it, but the fact that it's using a piece of iron pipe to turn the propeller is obvious from inside 20 feet.

[GARY HILTON]

Every Cabela's I've had the pleasure to expend money at , have all had a Super Cub.....I haven't seen one with an Airknocker before....I stopped in the Cabela's in Hamburg, Pa. twice last week....(bought my reloading outfit there!) I had to go stare at the Cub....everyone of them seem kinda funny looking for some reason...To me, they look too small to be a real Cub...I wondered if they could be replicas, like some of the ultralights...If I'd of had a step ladder, I would have found out for sure....You can't see any type of data plates...
The only thing I've seen in Bass-Pro, are the 53 Chebby pick-ups, like they have at Old Navy...That's where they need the airplane dangling from the ceiling...Old Navy....I'll see if I can lease out my Poon to them!

[JBoyle]

The one in Post Falls, Idaho has a very nice J-3.
Don't know the history but it's in classic yellow/black w/cub decal and a Cabela's logo on it.
IIRC, it has a wildlife radio finder antenna on the left wing struts...or is it a set of antlers? Sorry, haven't been there much.

[GARY HILTON]

Went thru E Hartford today...was wanting to stop in at the Cabela's there and get some pics of the plane there, but it was raining, and I hate getting off the interstate with my 18 wheeler if I can't get a good visual on my destination...

[Roger Cain]

The new Cabelas I visited in Boomtown just outside of Reno NV last fall doesn't have a plane in it. Changing times?

[GARY HILTON]

Stopped in Cabela's in Wheeling WV Teusday...nice Super Cub on floats..
Stopped in St Louis, MO. Cabela's...No plane at that location, but they do have the Chebby pick-em-up!....