The Citabria is a proven design, based on the Champion 7-series airframe. The more rugged 8 series is the more fully aerobatic Decathlon. Pre-1990s Citabrias have wooden wing spars, and with that comes the possibility of strut corrosion. The aerobatic 7GCBC model, with slightly longer wings and flaps, is arguably the most popular with first-time […]
While other low-wing four-place cruisers like the Cirrus SR20 or the Diamond DA40 might break the budget, there’s always the Piper Archer. There is a wide swath to choose from at all price points, and the market has never been stronger. Typically priced from $95,000 for a mid-1970s Archer II to nearly $500,000 for a […]
The Cessna 210 Centurion offers good range and endurance, loading flexibility and go-places cruise speed. With six seats, the retractable-gear 210 is an appealing step-up airplane to those who got their feet in a 100-series Cessna. But buyers should pick one that’s been well maintained, and learn to fly it right—Centurions are not airplanes for […]
Slow, but rugged and easy tempered, the ubiquitous Cessna 172 Skyhawk first flew in 1955 when company engineers moved the tailwheel of the Cessna 170 to the nose. This so-called “tricycle” gear wasn’t new, and arch-competitor Piper had already rolled out a nosegear design on the popular Pacer to fashion the Tri-Pacer. But the Cessna […]
Right after World War II, manufacturers of light aircraft assumed servicemen returning from overseas might want to learn to fly, and they were right. The sweet spot for this growing market was four seats, 150-HP and fixed tricycle landing gear. Cessna answered the call with the phenomenally successful Cessna 172. Piper’s response was the PA-28-140 […]
Pilots who have trained in fixed landing-gear airplanes like the Piper Warrior, or the Cessna 172, have long considered a Mooney M20J the logical step-up, as experience begins to gel and additional ratings appear in the logbook. Mooney M20Js typically achieve airspeeds north of 150 knots, and the 201 is known for its low fuel […]
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