Explore the world of general aviation aircraft with our reviews. Written from a pilot’s perspective, these reviews provide fantastic insight into what these general aviation planes are really like.
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,450. Empty wt. 910. Fuel capacity 48. Engine 80-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 114. Cruise mph 103. Stall mph 40. Initial climb rate 650. Range 500. Ceiling 14,000. Rearwin Aircraft and Engines introduced the Skyranger in 1940 as a side-by-side two-seat cabin monoplane. This aircraft was first produced in more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 3. Gross wt. 2,150. Empty wt. 1,310. Engine 120-hp Walter. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 105. Cruise mph 92. Landing mph 45. Initial climb rate 500. The Spartan C-3 was one of the three-seat open cockpit biplanes that were highly popular in the Midwest during the late 1920s. The tandem cockpits had accommodations for more »
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,817. Empty wt. 1,125. Fuel capacity 35. Wingspan 30′. Length 21’2″. Engine 150-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 148. Cruise mph 130. Stall mph 52. Climb rate 1,450. Ceiling 22,000. Takeoff distance (50′) 440. Landing distance (50′) 450. Range 525. Veteran Douglas test pilot William Morrisey guessed that the thousands of returning more »
STANDARD DATA: (260) Seats 6-7. Gross wt. 3,400. Empty wt. 1,779. Fuel capacity 84. Engine 260-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 170. Cruise mph 158. Stall mph 63. Initial climb rate 775. Ceiling 12,800. Range 828. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,800. Landing distance (50′) 1,000. STANDARD DATA: (300) Seats 6-7. Gross wt. 3,400. Empty wt. 1,846. Fuel more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,600. Empty wt. 1,775. Engine 215-hp Franklin. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 103. Landing mph 53. Initial climb rate 700. Range 560. Ceiling 12,000. About 200 Seabees are currently flying in the United States, with approximately 130 others active in other countries. First made in 1944 and placed more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 5. Gross wt. 4,400. Empty wt. 2,987. Engine 450-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp Junior. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 212. Cruise mph 200. Landing mph 65. Initial climb rate 1,430. Range 900. Ceiling 24,000. This speedy low-wing cabin airplane received its performance from 450 hp supplied by a Pratt & Whitney nine-cylinder Wasp Junior more »
Waco 1BA Waco UPF-7 STANDARD DATA: (UPF) Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,650. Empty wt. 1,870. Fuel capacity 50. Engine 220-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 138. Cruise mph 123. Climb to 9,000 in 15 minutes. Ceiling 15,800. Waco open-cockpit biplanes were first produced in 1923. The most popular and common survivor is the UPF-7 (PT-14) because more »
Cessna Caravan 675 Amphibian Engine PT6A-114A Cruise Speed (10,000 ft.) (kts.) 162 Range* (10,000 ft.) (nm) 790 Takeoff SL ISA Ground Roll (ft.) 1920 Landing SL Ground Roll (ft.) 1045 Max Useful Load (lbs.) 3055 Fuel Capacity (gals./lbs.) 335/2248 SHP 675 * Includes takeoff, climb, cruise, descent and 45-min. reserve at max. cruise more »
STANDARD DATA: (Lance) Seats 6-7. Gross wt. 3,600. Empty wt. 2,011. Fuel capacity 98. Engine 300-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 190. Cruise mph 181. Stall mph 80. Initial climb rate 1,000. Ceiling 14,600. Range 994. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,690. Landing distance (50′) 1,710. STANDARD DATA: (Turbo Lance) Seats 6-7. Gross wt. 3,600. Empty wt. 2,071. more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 1. Gross wt. 12,500. Empty wt. 9,900. Fuel capacity 270-370. Engine 2,300-hp Pratt & Whitney Double Wasp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 440. Cruise mph 350. Landing mph 100. Initial climb rate 2,500. Range 650. Ceiling 40,000. The Thunderbolt had a reputation as the toughest, heaviest single-engine fighter used in World War II. It more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 1. Gross wt. 804. Empty wt. 584. Fuel capacity 10. Engine 40-hp Volkswagen. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 122. Cruise mph 112. Stall mph 46. Initial climb rate 690. Range 422. Ceiling 19,700. Takeoff run 427. Landing roll 328. Although the Sportavia RF4D had been around since 1966, it wasn’t too widely known until more »
STANDARD DATA: (E) Seats 4. Gross wt. 4,200. Empty wt. 2,563. Fuel capacity 125. Engine 300-hp Jacobs radial. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 185. Cruise mph 177. Initial climb rate 1,170. Range 600. Ceiling 18,000. STANDARD DATA: (S series) Seats 5. Gross wt. 3,250. Empty wt. 1,945. Fuel capacity 70. Engine 225-hp Jacobs. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 144. more »
Comanche 260 Comanche 400 STANDARD DATA: (260) Seats 4-6. Gross wt. 3,100. Empty wt. 1,728. Fuel capacity 90. Engine 260-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 195. Cruise mph 185. Stall mph 61. Initial climb rate 1,370. Range 1,190. Ceiling 20,000. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,040. Landing distance (50′) 1,015. STANDARD DATA: (250) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,900. more »
Rockwell Commander 112 STANDARD DATA: (112) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,800. Empty wt. 1,173. Fuel capacity 48-68. Engine 200- hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 173. Cruise mph 163. Stall mph 62. Initial climb rate 1,020. Range 592-880. Ceiling 13,900. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,585. Landing distance (50′) 1,310. STANDARD DATA: (112TC) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,950. more »
STANDARD DATA: (L-1) Seats 2. Gross wt. 3,332.Empty wt. 2,593. Fuel capacity 48. Engine 285-hpLycoming radial. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 122.Cruise mph 110. Initial climb rate 1,160. Range 280. Ceiling 12,800. The Stinson Vigilant is a two-seat liaison/observation plane powered by a Lycoming nine-cylinder radial engine rated at 285 hp. Its two occupants sit in tandem more »