General Aviation Aircraft

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.

November 30, 1999

PIPER J-5 “CUB CRUISER”/PA-12 “SUPER CRUISER”
1946–48

STANDARD DATA: (Super Cruiser) Seats 3. Gross wt. 1,390. Empty wt. 490. Fuel capacity 30. Engine 108-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 115. Cruise mph 105. Stall mph 49. Initial climb rate 600. Range 600. Ceiling 12,600. Takeoff distance (50′) 720. Landing distance (50′) 470. STANDARD DATA: (J-5) Seats 3. Gross wt. 1,450. Empty wt. 830. more »
November 30, 1999

PIPER MALIBU/MIRAGE
1984–Present

New Piper Malibu New Piper Mirage STANDARD DATA: Malibu/Mirage Seats 6. Gross wt. 4,100/4,300. Empty wt. 2,460/2,790 lbs. Fuel capacity 120. Engine 310-hp Continental/350-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Cruise 203/232 KTAS. Stall 50/69 kts. Initial climb rate 1,143/1,218 fpm. Ceiling 25,000. Range 1,261. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,440/1,530. Landing distance (50′) 1,800/1,964′. The cabin class Malibu set the more »
November 30, 1999

SIAI-MARCHETTI PN 333 “RIVIERA”
1962–66

STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 3,270. Empty wt. 2,300. Fuel capacity 37-64. Engine 250-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 177. Cruise mph 164. Stall mph 68. Initial climb rate 1,220. Range 560. Ceiling 18,500. Ground takeoff run (50′) 1,400. Water takeoff run 1,565. Ground landing distance (50′) 1,100. Water landing distance 625. Originally developed by more »
November 30, 1999

SOCATA “TOBAGO” TB10 GT/“TOBAGO XL” TB200 GT
1986 – Present

STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,535. Emptywt. 1,532; (XL) 1,576. Fuel capacity 55.5. Engine(std.) 180-hp Lycoming 0-360-AIAD; (XL) 200-hp Lycoming 10-360AIB6. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 147; (XL) 161. Cruise mph 143; (XL) 150. Initial climb rate 787; (XL) 940. Ceiling 13,000. Range 580; (XL) 648. Takeoff distance (50) 1,657; (XL) 1,558. Landing distance (50′) 1,509; more »
November 30, 1999

TAYLORCRAFT
1939–58

STANDARD DATA: (Model 19) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,500. Empty wt. 860. Fuel capacity 18. Engine 85-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 110. Stall mph 38. Initial climb rate 700. Range 300. Ceiling 17,000. STANDARD DATA: (Ranch Wagon) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,150. Empty wt. 670. Fuel capacity 12. Engine 65-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: more »
November 30, 1999

Top 10 Faux Fighters
Whether you’re a G-junkie or a wannabe Top Gun, there’s a bird out there for you

faux fightersMaverick, Goose, Iceman, Tomcat, Sabre, Mustang, hero, testosterone, girls, speed, aerobatics, G-force. What do all these words have in common? Actually, they have two things in common: fighters and daydreams, although they could probably all be bundled into the “daydream” category because there are very few pilots who aren’t, to one degree or another, frustrated fighter pilots.
November 30, 1999

PIPER PA-18 “SUPER CUB”
1949–94

STANDARD DATA: Seats 3. Gross wt. 1,750. Empty wt. 930. Fuel capacity 36. Engine 150-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 130. Cruise mph 115.Stall mph 43. Initial climb rate 960. Range 460. Ceiling 19,000. Takeoff distance (50′) 500. Landing distance (50′) 725. STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,500. Empty wt. 800. Fuel capacity 18. Engine more »
November 30, 1999

PORTERFIELD 65 “COLLEGIATE”/90 “FLYABOUT”
1935–39

Porterfield 65 Collegiate Porterfield 90 Flyabout STANDARD DATA: (65) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,200. Empty wt. 700. Fuel capacity 13. Engine 65-hp Continental. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 108. Cruise mph 103. Landing mph 40. Initial climb rate 900. Range 325. Ceiling 16,000. STANDARD DATA: (90) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,326. Empty wt. 823. Fuel capacity 18. more »
November 30, 1999

SIAI-MARCHETTI S.205 (WACO 5.220)/S.2018
1966–81

STANDARD DATA: (S.205-20/R) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,755. Empty wt. 1,630. Fuel capacity 56. Engine 200-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 174. Cruise mph 159. Stall mph 52. Initial climb rate 865. Range 940. Ceiling 17,650. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,340. Landing distance (50′) 1,540. STANDARD DATA: (S.202-22/R) Seats 4. Gross wt. 2,755. Empty wt. 1,653. Fuel more »
November 30, 1999

SOCATA TRINIDAD TB20 GT/TRINIDAD TC TB21 GT
1984 – Present

STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 3,086. Empty wt. 1,763; (TC) 1,850. Fuel capacity 86. Engine 250-hp Lycoming 10-540 (TC) 250-hp Lycoming TIO-540. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 192; (TC) 230. Cruise mph 189; (TC) 215. Initial climb rate 1,200; (TC) 1,126. Ceiling 20,000; (TC) 25,000. Range 966; (TC) 962. Takeoff distance (50′) 2,099; (TC) 1,953. Landing more »
November 30, 1999

TEMCO “BUCKEROO”
1949

STANDARD DATA: (TE-18) Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,975. Empty wt. 1,350. Fuel capacity 32. Engine 165-hp Franklin. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 156. Cruise mph 145. Initial climb rate 1,000. Ceiling 17,000. Takeoff distance (50′) 875. Landing distance (50′) 740. The Temco Buckeroo was built in two versions, the Model TE-1A using a 145-hp Continental and the more »
November 30, 1999

Our 10 Favorite Cirrus SR22S
Airplanes that stand out from the crowd and make us take notice

It’s fair to say that Cirrus changed general aviation in a way that hasn’t been seen since the halcyon days following World War II, when it seemed everybody built airplanes.
November 30, 1999

PIPER PA-20 “PACER”
1950–54

STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 1,950. Empty wt. 1,010. Fuel capacity 36. Engine 135-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 139. Cruise mph 125. Stall mph 48. Initial climb rate 620. Range 580. Ceiling 15,000. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,600. Landing distance (50′) 1,280. The PA-20 Pacer was first introduced in 1949 as the PA-16 Clipper, a more »
November 30, 1999

REARWIN 8135 “CLOUDSTER”
1940

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2 or 3. Gross wt. 1,800. Empty wt. 1,100. Fuel capacity 34. Engine 120-hp Ken Royce seven-cylinder radial. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 135. Cruise mph 120. Landing mph 48. Initial climb rate 910. Range 609. Ceiling 16,300. The Cloudster was preceded by the 8090 and 8125 versions with two seats each. The 8090 more »
November 30, 1999

SIAI-MARCHETTI SF.260
1967–81

STANDARD DATA: Seats Seats 3. Gross wt. 2,430. Empty wt. 1,543. Fuel capacity 63. Engine 260-hp Lycoming. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 235. Cruise mph 214. Stall mph 65. Initial climb rate 1,770. Range 1,275. Ceiling 21,370. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,390. Landing distance (50′) 1,610. The Siai-Marchetti SF.260 looks very much like the Procaer Picchio except for more »
November 30, 1999

SOCATA “TBM 700”
1991 – Present

STANDARD DATA: Seats 6-7. Gross wt., depending on model, 5,911-7,430 lbs. Empty wt. 3,282-4,685. Fuel capacity 290 gallons Jet Al-JP4-JP5. Engine Pratt & Whitney PT6A 40-64 turboprop, 700 shp. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 345. Cruise mph 288. Initial climb rate 2,300. Ceiling 31,000. Range 1,565 miles at economy cruise. The TBM 700 began as an international more »
November 30, 1999

THORP T211 “SKY SKOOTER”
1946 – Present

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,270. Empty wt. 775. Engine 100-hp Continental 0-200. PERFORMANCE: Fuel Capacity 21. Cruise speed 107 kts. Initial Rate of Climb 750 fpm. Ceiling 12,500′. Takeoff Roll 450′. Landing Roll 495. Range 317 nm. The two-seat low wing Thorp resembles Piper’s Cherokee line for a reason: Both were designed by more »

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