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 6-8. Gross wt. 7,540. Empty wt. 4,700. Fuel capacity 120. Engines 550-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 155. Cruise mph 141. Stall mph 68. Initial climb rate 714. Range 464. Ceiling 17,000. The Norseman was designed by Robert B.C.Noorduyn in 1934 and entered production in Montreal, Canada, in 1935. Designed more »
Piper Cherokee Cruiser Piper Warrior II STANDARD DATA: (Warrior) Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,325. Empty wt. 1,342. Fuel capacity 50. Engine 160-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 146. Cruise mph 141. Stall mph 58. Initial climb rate 710. Ceiling 13,000. Range 730. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,490. Landing distance (50′) 1,115. STANDARD DATA: (140) Seats 2. Gross more »
STANDARD DATA: 600) Seats 1. Gross wt. 6,000. Empty wt. 3,700. Fuel capacity 100. Engine 600-hp Pratt & Whitney. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 140. Cruise mph 124. Stall mph 55. Initial climb rate 900. Range 402. Ceiling 15,000. Takeoff run 775. Landing roll 500. STANDARD DATA: (800) Seats 1. Gross wt. 6,000. Empty wt. 4,100. Fuel more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,158. Empty wt. 1,472. Fuel capacity 36. Engine 190-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 130. Cruise mph 112. Initial climb rate 975. Ceiling 15,800. Range 275. Maximum range 420. The V-76 Sentinel two-seat liaison and observation airplane was developed from the Model 105 Voyager in 1941 by the Stinson more »
STANDARD DATA: Wright Flyer Seats 1. Gross wt. 750. Empty wt. 605. Fuel capacity 24. Engine wt. 180 lbs & 12-hp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 26. Range 120′. Ceiling 10′. Takeoff distance 60′. December, 1903, Kitty Hawk, North Carolina. Orville and Wilbur Wright successfully flew the first powered aircraft.
STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,150. Empty wt. 690. Fuel capacity 15. Wingspan 22’5″. Length 19’7″. Engine 80-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 110. Cruise mph 100. Stall mph 37. Climb rate 800. Ceiling 10,000+, Takeoff run 400. Landing roll 600. Range 280. William Fike, designer and Alaska airline pilot, created this two-place cabin monoplane. more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 5,300. Empty wt. 4,158. Fuel capacity 111. Engine 550-hp Pratt & Whitney Wasp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 205. Cruise mph 170. Landing mph 67. Initial climb rate 1,600. Range 750. Ceiling 21,500. This is one of the most popular and widely used of military surplus aircraft in general aviation. It more »
Piper Cherokee 180 New Piper Archer III STANDARD DATA: Archer (PA-28-180) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,450. Empty wt. 1,395. Fuel capacity 50. Engine 180-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Cruise 129 kts. Stall 53 kts. Initial climb rate 725 fpm. Range 507 nm. Ceiling 14,150. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,625. Landing distance (50′) 1,185. STANDARD DATA: Archer (PA-28-181) Seats more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 3. Gross wt. 2,150. Empty wt. 1,350. Engine 145-hp Warner Super Scarab radial or 150-hp Supercharged Menasco. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 152. Cruise mph 140. Stall mph 45. Initial climb rate 900. Ceiling 19,400. Range 520. The Ryan Aeronautical Co. was the successor to the old Ryan Company that produced Charles Lindbergh’s Spirit more »
STANDARD DATA: (SR.10) Seats 5. Gross wt. 4,000. Empty wt. 2,810. Engine 290-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 141. Cruise mph 130. Initial climb rate 850. Ceiling 14,000. The first model of the Reliant was the SR with a wingspan of 36 feet 3 inches; 88 were built. The Reliant underwent various minor changes that resulted more »
STANDARD DATA: (526 L) Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,150. Empty wt. 1,521. Fuel capacity 24. Engine 200-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 158. Cruise mph 140. Stall mph 56. Initial climb rate 1,378. Range 310. Ceiling 22,300. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,050. Landing distance (50′) 1,345. The Zlin’s impressive record in aerobatic competition includes awards for first more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 6,759. Empty wt. 5,111. Fuel capacity 125. Engine 800-hp Wright radial. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 288. Cruise mph 190. Stall mph 72. Initial climb rate 2,570. Range 1,008. Ceiling 29,800. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,308. The North American T-28 was the first U.S. military trainer to be outfitted with tricycle landing more »
Piper Arrow IV New Piper Arrow STANDARD DATA: (Arrow) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,750. Empty wt. 1,593. Fuel capacity 77. Engine 200-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 175. Cruise mph 165. Stall mph 63. Initial climb rate 831. Ceiling 17,000. Range 932. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,600. Landing distance (50′) 1,525. STANDARD DATA: (Turbo Arrow) Seats 4. more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,600. Empty wt. 1,027. Fuel capacity 24. Engine 125-hp Menasco C-4. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 150. Cruise mph 127. Stall mph 42. Initial climb rate 1,200. Range 350. Ceiling 17,500. The Ryan Aeronautical Co. was a successor to the Ryan Co. that produced the airplane Charles Lindbergh used to cross more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 3. Gross wt. 1,625. Empty wt. 948. Fuel capacity 20. Engine 90-hp Franklin. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 115. Cruise mph 109. Initial climb rate 600. Range 380. Ceiling 13,000. The 10 Voyager was the improved successor to the 105 Voyager. Introduced in 1940, the new airplane differed only by its increased cabin width more »
STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,725. Empty wt. 960. Fuel capacity 30. Engine 145-hp Warner “Super-Scarab” seven-cylinder radial engine. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 132. Cruise mph 120. Stall mph 40. Initial climb rate 850. Ceiling 15,000. Range 600. The Phantom was a side-by-side, two-seat cabin monoplane that first appeared as a product of the newly more »
STANDARD DATA: (P-51D) Seats 1-2. Gross wt. 11,600. Empty wt. 7,125. Fuel capacity 269-489. Engine 1,720-hp Rolls-Royce/Packard Merlin. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 437. Cruise mph 362. Initial climb rate 3,475. Range 2,300. Ceiling 41,900. Many experts agree that the North American P-51 Mustang is the world’s finest fighter plane in its class. Most air races around more »