A CITABRIA 7GCBC PLT HAD AN OFF ARPT LNDG WHEN HIS ENG SUDDENLY STOPPED.

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WE DEPARTED FROM STL AFTER FUELING; TO FULL TANKS OF GAS; FOR A 290 NM TRIP TO TUL. WE MADE A FORCED LNDG DUE TO FUEL STARVATION 7 NM FROM TUL. THE ACFT WAS NEW; AND WE HAD JUST PICKED IT UP IN WISCONSIN THAT MORNING. OUR FLT PLAN HAD INCLUDED A WX BRIEF INCLUDING WINDS ALOFT. WE CALCULATED A FUEL BURN OF 10 GPH; WHICH IS 1 GPH MORE THAN THE PERFORMANCE CHARTS CALLED FOR AT 75 PERCENT PWR. WE HAD 2 GPS ON BOARD; BOTH WORKING; AND WERE AVERAGING BTWN 90-105 KTS THE ENTIRE DISTANCE. THE MANUFACTURER'S PERFORMANCE CHARTS STATE A RANGE OF 436 NM WITH AN ENDURANCE OF 3.92 HRS. WE WERE IN THE AIR FOR 2.9 HRS. THE GAUGES SHOWED THAT THERE WAS STILL FUEL IN THE TANKS. 7 NM FROM TUL THE ENG QUIT AT 1500 FT AGL. WE SPOTTED A FIELD TO OUR R AND TURNED TOWARD THE FIELD. THERE WAS A PAVED CONCRETE STRIP IN THE CTR OF THE FIELD WITH NO PHONE OR PWR LINES AND WE LANDED. I DID NOT TRY TO RESTART; NOT ENOUGH TIME. IT SEEMED THAT OUR FUEL BURN WAS MUCH HIGHER THAN WE WERE LED TO BELIEVE; BOTH FROM THE OPERATING MANUAL AND A VERBAL CONFIRMATION FROM THE FACTORY. WE WERE AT 75 PERCENT PWR THE ENTIRE TRIP. CAUSE FOR EXCESSIVE FUEL BURN UNKNOWN. OUR AVERAGE BURN FROM WISCONSIN TO STL WAS 10 GPH. WE MADE A SAFE EMER LNDG WITH NO DAMAGE TO PLANE; PLTS; OR PROPERTY. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR LANDED ON AN UNUSED ROAD AT THE PORT OF TOCUSA; E OF TUL. AS THERE WAS FUEL SHOWING ON THE GAUGES; THE RPTR STARTED THE ENG IMMEDIATELY AND IT RAN PERFECTLY. WHEN THE ACFT RAN OFF OF THE TRACON RADAR SCREEN; A SEARCH AND RESCUE WAS IMPLEMENTED. THE OKLAHOMA TROOPERS WERE ON THE SCENE IMMEDIATELY. SOME FUEL WAS PUT INTO THE ACFT AND IT WAS FLOWN TO TUL WHERE AN FBO LOOKED OVER THE ACFT AND COULD FIND NOTHING WRONG WITH IT EXCEPT THAT THE FUEL STRAINER WAS HALF CLOGGED WITH RESIDUE FROM THE MANUFACTURE OF THE TANKS. THE FACTORY WAS CONTACTED; BUT THEY GAVE NO FINANCIAL HELP AND ONLY OFFERED THAT THIS MIGHT HAVE BEEN A VAPOR LOCK CAUSED BY CLOGGING THE FUEL TANK VENT. AN FSDO REPRESENTATIVE INTERVIEWED THE RPTR ON THE TELEPHONE AND GAVE HIM A REPRIMAND. THE FSDO REPRESENTATIVE SAID THAT NOTHING WOULD BE PUT INTO HIS RECORD. THE RPTR DOES NOT KNOW WHY THERE WAS A REPRIMAND. THIS PROB HAS NOT RECURRED IN THE 100 HRS THAT THE RPTR HAS FLOWN HIS NEW ACFT.