Superflite or Sailcloth: Sailcloth is much quicker to build, and can be up to 20 lbs lighter than Superflite. However, sailcloth has a service life if kept out of sunlight, of 8-10 years. Sailcloth can not be left outside. Sunlight can ruin sailcloth in one summer if it is left outside. It is not cheap to replace. Superflite or Stits will last many years. Some aircraft have had this type of covering for over 30 years and still pass annuals. It is much more durable than sailcloth. It has a silver uv protectant under the paint, and can be tied outside, but is much better kept inside. It can be painted to a show winning finish if you like. It is easy to clean and care for, patches easily and can be repainted. The cost is the same. Both have pro’s and con’s. If you are wanting to meet part 103, best go for the sailcloth. Superflite may push you over weight.  Special models come standard with Superflite, and cannot use sailcloth.

10 Gallon Fuel Tank: Expect your Challenger to burn between 3 and 5 gallons per hour. If you opt for the 503, it will burn 4-5 gph depending on your gross weight and how fast you want to go. The 582 will burn up to 6 gph. I highly recommend the larger tank. More fuel is safer. To many aircraft have gone down because they sucked the tank dry, including an Air Canada 767 in 1983 which landed safely dead stick from 41,000 feet! It can happen for a variety of reasons, but having extra fuel will stack the odds in your favor. I have a 10 gallon tank in my two seat CWS. I was flying a 90 mile leg departing with a full tank, and a 6 gallon can in the back seat. I got into a 25 mph head wind. I had to land about 15 miles short of my destination in a private strip and dump my can into the tank! Thank goodness for a GPS with aircraft data base and a “nearest” button! The only reason the 5 gallon tank exists is to meet part 103. The tank weighs almost nothing, just put in the fuel that you need if you don’t want to carry all 10 gallons. *Comes standard on Special models.

17 Gallon Fuel Tank: This is a new option from the factory.   It is an all aluminum tank designed to fit in the same location as the 10 gallon tank.  If you plan to do any cross country flying, this is the way to go. You will probably see a fuel burn of 4-6 gallons per hour depending on which engine you use and how hard you run it, but it will drain a 10 gallon tank pretty quickly.   If you have to buy AvGas while you are out could drain your wallet!

Aluminum wheels: Nylon wheels are standard on a Challenger. I had a set of Nylon wheels on mine. I blew one apart with a student flying, 125 miles from home, in January! Aluminum is much stronger, and they look a lot nicer.

6” or 5” Wheels: If you fly from rough or soft grass fields, the 6” might be a better option, but they do add a bit of weight and drag. I use 5” in the summer and switch to 6” in the winter. If you fly from pavement you probably don’t need the 6”. Also, remember if you get wheel pants, you need to match your wheel size.

Fiberglass wheel pants: These do clean up the airflow around the wheels, but you probably will not notice a difference, especially in the long wing model. They do help the appearance significantly but add a little bit of weight. As they say, “ounces make pounds!”  *comes standard with Special models.

Landing gear: While not actually a Challenger factory option, what I recommend on landing gear is to remove the landing gear from the kit, and order Mike Harrison gear from me.  The factory credit for removing the gear is $300.  The Mike Harrison package is $800 delivered. It includes fiberglass gear legs, cables, axle weldments, polished aluminum wheels, and very nice hydraulic brakes.  You end up spending about $100 more than you would if you kept the factory landing gear drum brakes, and 6" aluminum wheels, but you upgrade to much better brakes, and fiberglass gear legs.  It really is the only way to go.

Fiberglass Wingtips: The standard wing tip is a simple bow.  The fiberglass tips do make it look nicer.  Some say it increases performance, but it is probably insignificant.  However, I do highly recommend the boxed wing tips. They add rigidity to the wings and give it a better roll rate.   The boxed tips and fiberglass tips are generally installed together.

 Boxed wing tips: The boxed wing tips are simply a sheet metal overlay around the outboard end of the wing, which increases the rigidity of the wing.  If the wing tip is not boxed, when the aileron is deflected it tends to cause the wing to flex in the opposite direction.  This counters the effect of the aileron and reduces the roll authority.  I would highly recommend this option.

LSS Tail: New from the factory!  Now you have the option to use the new LSS tail.  This will give your Challenger better yaw stability with the doors on, and also better rudder authority. It uses a larger vertical stabilizer that runs completely back over the rudder in addition to a larger rudder.  For $150 you can't afford not to use this option.

Door Kit: This is one of the best things about a Challenger! I have flown mine at nearly 0 degrees Fahrenheit! With a heater installed, it was quite comfortable. If you live in a cooler climate as I do, you will definitely appreciate the doors. You can fly in relatively cool weather and be comfortable in the front seat without doors, but the increased wind in the rear seat can make the ride unpleasant.  I leave mine on most of the year, because when doing instruction I sit in the back and it is much more comfortable and quieter with doors on. The doors seem to make no noticeable difference in cruise speed, however they do make the airplane handle distinctly differently. You will notice a tendency for it to wander around in the yaw axis. I recommend that you get familiar flying without the doors before attempting to fly with them on, or even better, take some instruction with doors on. For more info on this see GA transition.  Also, if you get doors you may want to consider a different hold-open mechanism than Challenger’s. They use a nylon wedge on the center of the door that turns into a notch in a bracket attached to the bottom of the wing. That little bracket is a head banger! Many people are now using a marine hatch spring. This simple gadget will lock the door in the open position. Then just bump it, and it will release. Much better! Many marine supply retailers stock this item. *Door kit comes standard with Special models.

Wrap Around windshield: The wrap around windshield is included with the door kit. The standard windshield is flat and does little to keep wind off of you.  If you do not order the door kit, I would get the wrap around windshield kit.  It makes it comfortable to fly in moderately cold temperatures as the wind stays almost entirely off of the pilot. The back seat however does not enjoy the same effect. Comes standard with Special models.

Instrument Package: Pictured here is the LSS instrument package.  This is a simple but effective panel layout.  The instrument package on the regular models is a lot less complete.  If you buy an LSS, you get the panel pictured here with no changes available.  But if you purchase a regular model, I do not recommend the Challenger instrument package.  First of all, the instruments in Challenger’s package are not enough to safely fly a Challenger. You absolutely need an EGT (exhaust gas temperature) gauge, and if you run dual carbs, you need a dual gauge. A malfunction in one carb can cause your EGT to spike. If you do not have a dual gauge and it happens on the cylinder you are not monitoring, you will not be aware of the situation. EGT exceeding the redline, if not corrected, will immediately cause the piston to anneal, and or melt and sieze the engine. If you are a good glider pilot and have some luck, you may walk away with only a very expensive repair bill. Also, seeing a deferential between the two cylinders may alert you to a developing engine problem before it is too late.

A dual gauge is less critical for monitoring CHT (cylinder head temperature). It is very unlikely that a malfunction would occur in the cooling system that would only affect one cylinder. But, you do need at least one CHT gauge. If your fan stops turning, (usually from lack of or improper maintenance to the belt and or bearings) or if the belt is loose and slipping, it will overheat.  This usually occurs on takeoff and climb out. If the fan stops completely, you will have only a fraction of a minute at full power before the engine beomes silent. Obviously, having the correct instruments is not enough, you must be watching them!

However, there is a product line that solves this and many other instrumentation problems.  My recommendation for engine monitoring is one of the instruments made by Stratomaster. You can find a full catalog of them under Other Products.  The main reason that I recommend an electronic engine monitor is that it will alert you when there is a problem whereas an analog gauge only works if you are watching it.  It may be adequate to observe a trend, for instance, as the weather gets colder you notice the egt's are getting hotter and a jet change may be necessary. However, if a sudden change occurs, such as a vacuum leak, or a broken fan belt, if you are not watching the gauge at that instant by the time you realize what happened it will be too late.  It probably will have already gotten really quiet.  With a Stratomaster engine monitor you can set your high and low temp limits for both cht's and both egt's.  If the engine ever gets outside of those parameters the alarm will activate and the particular parameter that is out of the safe range will be flashing on the screen.  You will be able to take action before it is too late.  Also the electronic engine monitor is far more accurate than a gauge.  You will have a digital readout that tells you exactly what the temperature is.  And best of all, it usually ends up less expensive than a set of gauges!

Another option when considering instruments is a glass panel.  I know right now you are thinking, "Right! That probably costs more than the airplane!" But actually it costs less than you might think.  For instance, the Stratomaster Enigma pictured below contains all your engine monitoring information, and all of your flight instrumentation, including Attitude Indicator, Airspeed, Altitude, Vertical Speed, etc. Additionaly, it incorportates integrated moving map GPS technology with full aviation and topography databases.  All this for $3000.  If you start adding all that up in individual instruments you will discover what a deal this is.  It also simplifies the wiring process a great deal.

Stratomaster Enigma

Another instrument you should strongly consider is a slip ball indicator. Some people use a a piece of yarn tied to the windshield. This will slide off to one side if the airflow is not straight on. This is a very effective slip indicator. The problem is that it reacts opposite of a slip ball indicator. If the yarn goes right, the ball will go left. The ball is a long standing standard in aviation. If you learn the yarn method, you will have to transition later if you decide to go farther in aviation. Question: Do you think your Sport Pilot Examiner will allow you to tape a piece of yarn to his windshield for the check ride? I teach all my students the ball method, but you will definitely need one or the other to fly a Challenger, especially with doors on.

Shoulder Harness: This is a very important option.  It really should be standard equipment.  If you would happen to be in an accident in a Challenger, it would almost certainly involve a forward impact of some sort. If you sit in the seat, and lean forward you will see the spot where your head will impact without a shoulder harness. Upon close examination, you will see that in both seats, your head will be impacting either structural metal, or an instrument panel. Your head will not likely hurt either of them, so why bother with a shoulder harness? Seriously, get them.

Electric Start: It is expensive, and it does add a considerable amount of weight. With battery it will add more than 20 lbs. If you need to meet part 103, you will not be able to do it with electric start. However it is very convenient, and if you plan to soar, it is essential. Also if you would happen to have an engine failure you may be able to restart if you have electric start.

Stream Lined Struts: This adds noticeably to the climb and cruise performance.  A streamlined tube has 1/8th of the drag of a round tube.  Your Challenger will have roughly 24' of wing struts.  Those 24' of struts without fairing is like having 192 feet of streamlined tubing hanging on your airplane.  The fairing weighs almost nothing. It is essential for soaring. I highly recommend it. *It comes standard in the Special models.

Three piece Center Section: These are trim pieces that cover the gap between the wings, and gives a smooth transition in front of and behind the wings. This does reduce drag some, but in reality it is mostly a cosmetic upgrade. It is a little expensive, but it really does look sharp. If you are Stits covering, you will need to cover the center section with something, so you will save a lot of time and effort if you get this.

Fiberglass nose cone: The vast majority of Challengers out there have this.  It makes a definite cosmetic improvement, as well as reducing drag.  It does it add a little weight, so if Part 103 is your goal, this won't be a good idea.

Flaperons: The flaperons are very important on the two seat models.  They provide a very effective pitch trim.  They are also nice for slowing it down on landing, but it is not really necessary. It is a simple design and adds very little weight.  I would recommend them on all models unless it will put you over weight for part 103.