Warbird Information Exchange

Back when I was a kid, I recall many ads in Flying for the new Champ. It was powered by a new 60 hp two clyinder Franklin engine.
The main selling point was the price...$4995, or the price of a new, well optioned Ford LTD, loaded Mustang or 2 1/2 basic Mavericks...so perhaps equal to $30-40,000 today.

The venture wasn't a success, though some of the Franklin engines were sold to Wing Commander Ken Wallis for his series of autogyros.

Anyone know how many were built and sold? Wikipedia only says "a handfull".
I don't recall seeing any in Trade-A-Plane.

Are any of the engines still in use?

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Yes, but not many. Most were converted to A-65's, A-75's, and C-85's. Apparently, the 2 cylinder just didn't have the beans to make the aircraft perform well.

It did as well as an A-65 or any pre-war Lyc, but if a plug downed a cylinder you were really close to having nothing. I watched one lose a cylinder at Meadowlark Airport, sea level, 70 degrees, and it held 200 feet to come around and land on the old cross runway. The throttle never changed until touchdown!
Chris...