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.
Nobody would argue that the introduction of light-sport aircraft (LSA) changed general aviation in ways unseen since the golden era of Cubs and Luscombes.
It’s not like there aren’t already options on the market for Cessna 172 owner/operators who want all the Skyhawk’s pilot-friendly familiarity with the added benefit of a fuel/money-saving diesel power plant.
Premier 172 SPECIFICATIONS Engine: Continental CD-135 turbodiesel Horsepower: 135 Propeller: MT composite, three blade, constant speed Cruise Speed (kts.): 129 (10,000 feet) Takeoff Ground Roll (ft.): 869 Takeoff Over 50-Foot Obstacle (ft.): 1794 Rate Of Climb, Sea Level (fpm): 690 Fuel Burn (gph, 85% power): 6.2 Range (standard tanks): 44 gallons usable Jet A 55% more »
From the Wright Brothers’ first flight at Kitty Hawk to the dawn of the Jet Age, almost every airplane was powered by an internal combustion engine—most using gasoline.
Cessna TTx SPECIFICATIONS Engine: Continental TSIO-550C Horsepower: 310 TBO (hrs.): 2000 Fuel Type: 100LL Landing Gear Type: Tri/Fxd Max T/O Weight (lbs.): 3600 Max Zero Fuel Weight (lbs.): 3300 Max Landing Weight (lbs.): 3420 Empty Weight (lbs.): 2600 Useful Load—Std. (lbs.): 1000 Usable Fuel—Std. (gals./lbs.): 102/612 Payload—Full Std. Fuel (lbs.): 388 Overall Length: 25 ft. more »
Looking down from 25,000 feet, I can see the Channel Islands to the northwest and Mt. San Jacinto guarding Palm Springs to the east.
How many prospective aircraft owners would opt for the performance of an experimental homebuilt aircraft if it didn’t involve flying an airplane they had to build themselves?
Diesel Glasair Sportsman 2+2 SPECIFICATIONS & PERFORMANCE Price (Basic Two Weeks To Taxi Sportsman, 2017): $199,250 CD-155 Diesel-Engine Option: $89,000 Powerplant: 155 hp CD-155 Max Takeoff Weight (lbs.): 2500 Empty Weight (lbs.): 1550 Useful Load (lbs.): 950 Usable Fuel (gals.): 50 Fuel Burn: 5.2 @65%, 6.4 @75%, 7.3 @85% Wing Loading (lbs./ft. at gross): 17.9 more »
There’s a new Eclipse jet in the sky, and it may just be the one everyone wanted in the first place.
Eclipse 550 Engine Make/Model: Pratt & Whitney PW610F Thrust (lbf): 900 Fuel Type: Jet-A TBO—Hours: 3500 Standard Empty Weight: 3700 Max Ramp Weight (lbs.): 6034 Max T/O Weight (lbs.): 6000 Max Landing Weight (lbs.): 5600 Useable Fuel (lbs./gal.): 1698/252 Full Fuel Payload (lbs.): 636 DIMENSIONS AND CAPACITIES Wingspan (ft.): 37.9 Overall Length (ft.): 33.5 Height more »
There are many things in aviation that we’d all like more of: more runway in front of us, more altitude below us, more speed, more fuel in the tanks, more legroom for passengers, more useful load and more engine power all come to mind.
Things aren’t looking good at 6 a.m. on Monday, the morning my wife Theresa and I have planned a 10 o’clock departure from Hanscom Field, our home base near Boston, on the first leg of the trip of a lifetime to California and back.
If you’ve ever fooled around with a gravity knife, you can imagine the eureka moment Dr. Reiner Stemme likely experienced while trying to develop a motorglider providing both uncompromising soaring and outstanding powered performance.
Perhaps more than some aviators, I’m often reminded how essential good mechanical work is on an airplane.
Stemme S10-VT Base Price: approx. $400,000 As Typically Equipped: $446,000 Engine: 115 hp Rotax 914F Turbo Max Range: 928.7 nm MTOW (lbs.): 1,874 Empty Weight (lbs.): 1,423 Max Payload (lbs.): approx. 451 Wingspan (ft.): 75.46 Wingspan, folded (ft.): 37.4 Wing Area (sq. ft.): 201.3 Height (ft.): 5.91 Length (ft.): 27.62 PERFORMANCE Cruise Speed At 10,000 more »
The kit-built Raven light-sport bush plane was intended to become RANS’ flagship crossover into the LSA world.
S-20 Raven AIRFRAME SPECIFICATIONS Wingspan: 30 ft. 3 in. Area (sq. ft.): 152.7 Mean Chord (ft.): 5.05 Aspect: 6.0:1 Length: 21 ft. Height—Taildragger: 6 ft. 7 in. Height—Tricycle:: 7 ft. 11 in. Number Of Seats: 2 Doors: 2 Baggage Volume (cubic ft.): 21.2 Baggage Capacity (lbs.): 80 Fuel Capacity (gals.): 26 U.S. POWER PLANT Engine: more »
Even if you’ve never flown one, Mooneys have a universal appeal as tough, quick-handling, economical, fast machines, often analogized as sport planes.