Today’s Top Pick is a 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77.

When pilots think about the golden age of general aviation, small, two-seat, high-wing Pipers, Porterfields, Taylorcrafts, and Aeroncas tend to come to mind.

The era also produced more substantial models with space for a family of four (or five) and enough power to take them aloft easily. This 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77, more commonly known by its civilian name, the Reliant, was one such aircraft.

Machines like this Reliant were the high-performance traveling airplanes of their time, much like a Cirrus SR22 or Beechcraft Bonanza of today. For antique-aircraft enthusiasts who also like to take longer flights to a variety of destinations beyond vintage fly-ins will find the Reliant to be a robust and capable vehicle that also happens to draw crowds wherever it goes.

As a later-model Reliant, this aircraft has the distinctive gull wing that has a wider chord around mid-span that tapers toward the fuselage and tips. Earlier “straight wing” versions have a constant chord wing.

This 1943 Stinson has 1,447 hours on the airframe, 110 hours since overhaul on its 300 hp Lycoming R-680-13 9-cylinder radial engine and 11 hours since overhaul on its Hamilton Standard propeller. The aircraft is also equipped with a Brackett air filter, Cleveland wheels and brakes, Jasco alternator and regulator, navigation and landing lights, and Aeroflash strobe.

The VFR panel includes a Garmin GTR 225 comm, Garmin GTX 335 transponder with ADS-B Out, and PS Engineering PM1200 two-place intercom.

Pilots looking for a classic design from aviation’s golden age that can hold its own in modern times should consider this 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77, which is available for $115,000 on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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The post This 1943 Stinson Vultee V-77 Is a Gull-Winged ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1945 Grumman American F8F-2 Bearcat.

Have you ever gotten your airplane going as fast as it will go, with power, prop, and mixture settings just right, and imagined you were Lyle Shelton setting a new speed record for piston-driven aircraft?

Or maybe you were thinking of Darryl Greenamyer, another record setter and SR-71 driver who strung together a bunch of consecutive wins at Reno. Perhaps you were performing your best impression of Mira Slovak, who won the first National Championship Air Races in 1964.

If any of these scenarios sounds familiar, this might be the airplane for you. After all, those pilots soared to glory in souped-up Grumman F8F Bearcats. If you long for a taste of what they experienced, this is a chance to start with the right hardware—a rare chance.

If warbirds make up a small segment of the general aviation market, then warbirds modified for air racing and airshows account for barely a sliver. And Bearcats, well, they are the hen’s teeth of the bunch.

Their rarity stems from their failure to enter service in time to see action in World War II. The bulk of production was canceled, and while many postwar squadrons flew Bearcats, new jet fighters soon eclipsed them. Obsolescence couldn’t keep the Bearcat down completely, though, because to many unlimited class air racers, it was a dream come true.

The compact fighter grew out of talks between Grumman officials and Navy fighter pilots early in the war—what we would call focus groups today. The pilots wanted a high rate of climb more than anything else, so Grumman trimmed weight and drag from the F8F. Its Pratt & Whitney R-2800 engine took care of the rest.

While this potent combination did not go to war, it was a tailor-made racing platform.

This 1945 Bearcat has 992 hours since new on the airframe and on its R-2800 twin-row, 18-cylinder engine.

Pilots who are ready to move into the high-performance warbird community and prepared to become caretakers to a rare, renowned, nearly 80-year-old single-seat fighter should consider this 1945 Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat, which is available on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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• Plane & Pilot: Grumman F8F Bearcat

The post This 1945 Grumman F8F-2 Bearcat Is a Rare, Elite ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1940 WACO UPF-7.

WACO was known for crafting a range of beautiful open cockpit and cabin biplanes from the 1920s into the 1940s. That range was diverse, including what often seemed like too many configurations and variations to remember.

This UPF-7 is one such example because many observers are accustomed to seeing biplanes of this vintage with open cockpits, not sliding canopies. The built-to-order nature of the civilian aircraft industry during aviation’s golden age, however, resulted in a variety of features.

This aircraft also benefited from a 2010 restoration that included modifications and upgrades to its engine, panel, and airframe that improve its readiness for today’s general aviation missions. Flying a machine like this to vintage aircraft gatherings, pancake breakfasts, or informal fly-ins is nearly a guarantee of good times and gratification.

This 1940 WACO UPF-7 has 2,652 hours on the airframe and 112 hours since overhaul on its 300 hp fuel-injected Jacobs R755A2 engine. The aircraft is equipped with a Jasco alternator, Whelen A650 wingtip strobe and navigation lights, Cleveland wheels and brakes, RRR Russ tailwheel, Brackett air filter, Hooker harnesses front and rear, M20 oil separator, and smoke system.

The panel includes an Aspen 1000 PFD and MFD, Garmin GNC 250XL Comm/GPS, GTX 327 transponder, Garmin 496 GPS on panel mount, PM 1000 three-place intercom, ACK A30 encoder, Electronics International 7-cylinder engine monitor, and FS 450 fuel flow and totalizer.

Pilots looking for a World War II biplane trainer that is less common than a Stearman, and those who simply have a soft spot for the UPF’s distinctive silhouette, should consider this 1940 WACO UPF-7, which is available on AircraftForSale.

If you’re interested in financing, you can do so with FLYING Finance. Use their airplane loan calculator to calculate your estimated monthly payments. Or, to speak with an aviation finance specialist, visit flyingfinance.com.

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The post This 1940 WACO UPF-7 Is a Restored and Upgraded ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1954 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver Mk I

The de Havilland Beaver is a truly iconic aircraft, known for a blend of power, load-carrying capability, short-field performance, and ruggedness that has made it the go-to vehicle for generations of bush pilots, especially those who regularly delivered supplies across Canada, Alaska, the arctic, deserts, and other remote areas.

The design got its start during the 1940s and quickly became a singular success. There are many other bush airplanes but none quite like the Beaver, which has become a staple of popular culture, appearing in numerous movies, television shows, and advertising campaigns.

This Beaver has 20,205 hours on the airframe, 400 hours on its Pratt & Whitney R-985 AN14B engine, and 270 on the Hartzell three-blade propeller. It is rare to see a Beaver without floats, and this one comes with Wipline 6000 amphibious floats with a gear advisory system to keep pilots from landing on water with the wheels down or on land with them up. 

The airplane for sale here looks sharp in its original paint and received a new interior last year. The panel features a Bendix/King KX155 nav/com, Apollo GX55 GPS, Bendix KY 96A com, and Garmin 345 audio panel. 

If you are ready to commit yourself to bush flying and adventurous travel plans involving destinations where water is the only runway, it might be time for this Beaver, which is available for $549,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

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The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1954 de Havilland DHC-2 Beaver Mk I appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1986 Waco YMF-5

Everyone at the airport pauses and looks up from whatever they are doing when a vintage biplane arrives. I recently was treated to a close-up view of a Waco F- series similar to this one when it lined up behind us at the fuel pumps. Many pilots dream of flying a Golden Age classic like this, with open cockpits, a radial engine, and the wind rushing past. This could be a nice opportunity to turn back the clock to an era when general aviation was evolving rapidly, driven by a steady flow of innovation.

Waco built a bunch of F models, all slightly different, but the 1935 YMF-5 is one of my favorites. It is also the version that Waco Classic Aircraft chose to bring back into production in the mid-1980s with numerous improvements. This YMF has 4,262 hours on the airframe and was covered in new Poly-Fiber fabric in 2011. New leather cockpit trim was installed this year. The YMF can accommodate two passengers in the front cockpit with the pilot in the rear.

The aircraft’s Jacobs R755-B2M engine has 814 hours since overhaul, and there are 144 hours on the wooden Sensenich propeller. Avionics include a Bendix King KX-155 nav/com, a KMA-24 audio panel, a KT76A transponder, and a Sigtronics three-place intercom.

If you are in the market for a 1930s-style flying experience with the benefit of improved manufacturing and avionics, and you enjoy turning heads on the ramp, this could be the right airplane for you. This Waco YMF-5 is available for $143,500 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

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The post Today’s Top Aircraft For Sale Pick: 1986 Waco YMF-5 appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Early this year I was taxiing to our hangar after a flight when I noticed our next-door neighbor’s bay door was open. From a distance I could see an exposed radial engine, long narrowly spaced landing gear and two stout wings—a Boeing Stearman.

You never know who might be living next door when you are a new tenant at the airport. Many of my neighbors have revealed themselves since Annie, the Commander 114B, and I arrived last November. They are an interesting posse including a Stinson Reliant, a Globe Swift and a Van’s RV-7, and that’s just in one row. I know a couple of Extra aerobatic models are in residence, as is a Fairchild PT-23 Cornell. I have seen them taxiing but do not yet know their exact addresses.

• READ MORE: Finding Your Ideal Aircraft: Roll With the Punches

The Stearman next door has not taxied for many years, much less flown. The word on the field is that it has been sitting idle for at least 15 years. After spotting it through the open door and rolling a bit closer I could see one man on a ladder working on the hangar door and another, the hangar landlord, supervising.

After I parked we chatted for a while. I found out that the owner is ready to sell and is asking $70,000, and that the airplane comes with a spare Continental radial engine which rested on a wooden pallet in a corner of the hangar. I suspect that it, like the one on the airplane’s nose, would need an overhaul.

I do not know whether the machine was in flying condition when parked or was sidelined by a mechanical failure. It looked complete, though. A few access panels had been removed but were present. The covering looked good, with no tears or holes, though I am sure it would need replacement anyway. Painted all-over silver-gray, it had white stars in blue circles for insignia – no bars, stripes or red dots. This particularly simple livery happens to be my favorite for a Stearman.

“I’m sure you could get it back in the air,” the hangar guy said. I think his tone was slightly sarcastic but I cannot be certain. “In my dreams, perhaps,” I said to myself. No, this old darling will have to find a real restorer—someone with the time, knowledge and budget to tackle what is going to be a big project.

“It will cost $80,000 just to re-cover that airplane, and I wouldn’t trust the motor, either,” a mechanic friend told me.

• READ MORE: The Upside of Flying an ‘Orphan’

He also mentioned that a pilot based nearby has a well-kept Stearman that he flies regularly and probably would sell for the same price as the project airplane. While at first I thought his price estimate was an exaggeration, I no longer think so after checking restoration shops’ price lists. It seems like after new covering and getting the engine, rigging and avionics into shape one could wind up owning the world’s most expensive Stearman.

That thought made me wonder just what it would take to get the airplane airborne again. In the coming weeks I plan to dig into this hypothetical endeavor, which has become a source of jokes among colleagues who think I might want to buy the thing and restore it myself. There is no way that will happen. Just ask my wife.

Still, it is bound to be exactly what some aviation enthusiasts would want. I would like to learn about all of the steps such a restoration would entail. Stay tuned.

The post The 1942 Stearman Next Door appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Now, 75 years later, this is still true—and those who own them are definitely proud of being the current caretakers, and they know how to celebrate that.

The 51st annual International Cessna 195 Convention was held in Joliet, Illinois (KJOT), September 7-11. It was a people-focused weekend for the 195 families celebrating 75 years of the Cessna Businessliner, with 32 Cessna 195s in attendance. In addition, there were 22 states represented, along with two airplanes from Canada.

The BBQ Kickoff

To fire up the convention, on Wednesday, Chairman Chris Thomsen hosted a welcome barbecue at his home in Meadow Creek Airpark (2IL9). This was the first stop for many on their way to KJOT. 

The next day, about 25 of the 195s participated in a fly-out to Brodhead (C37) to kick off the Midwest Antique Airplane Club (MAAC) grassroots fly-in. The spectacular Kelch Aviation Museum was enjoyed by many during their visit. Afterward, outside the Holiday Inn at Burger Theory, folks spent an evening at the hotel sharing stories (and lies) with fellow 195 club members along with burgers and drinks. For those with extended-range tanks, the hospitality suite offered late-night libations.

Focus on Maintenance

On Friday, club members attended a maintenance seminar. Many of them said they were impressed by the professionalism of the training. It consisted of three hands-on 45-minute sessions that participants cycled through. 

First, Jeff Pearson offered a workshop on prop-seal installation. Then, at the same time, Caleb Curry of Radial Engines did a session on ignition inspection and timing on the magneto and distributor. Finally, Darren Butcher led a discussion on “hot topics,” including landing lights, tailwheels, new gear legs, flyaway kit contents, and prop servicing. Three of the attendants volunteered their airplanes. They were literally taken apart—and luckily put back together!

For the non-pilot companions, some fun activities were offered simultaneously, including shopping and lunch in nearby Naperville. 

A Special Formation

A five-ship formation flight was the highlight of the afternoon, and a photo session in preparation for an upcoming feature in FLYING. The members enjoyed traditional Chicago pizza and a surprise performance by the Blooze Brothers band that evening. Many danced until the music stopped!

The final day featured a fly-out to the beautiful fly-in community of Poplar Grove (C77). Fourteen Cessna 195s made the journey and were treated to hangar tours, engine shop tours at Poplar Grove Airmotive, the Vintage Wings and Wheel Museum, and enjoyed a taco lunch at the pavilion, hosted by Jim and Val Slocum. The Thomas family—owners and operators of the airport—were gracious hosts. They have created a fun, friendly neighborhood atmosphere for people in aviation at Poplar Grove.

The convention banquet was held on Saturday night aboard the Spirit of Chicago. The 190-foot vessel departed from the Navy Pier in downtown Chicago. The weather for the dinner cruise was perfect, and the Chicago skyline offered spectacular views. Unfortunately, several aircraft were forced to fly out early with the poor weather forecast for Sunday and missed the Saturday activities. 

Co-hosts Chris and Heidi Thomsen, Will and Nila Saloga, and Coyle Schwab executed a successful, fun, and safe gathering for the International Cessna 195 Club Family.

Cessna's marketing department forgot to add one crucial characteristic of the 190-195s in their brochures, "class,” not only for the airplane, but also for its owners. The 51st annual International Cessna 195 convention was representative of that.

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The post Cessna 195 Convention Draws More Than 30 Models appeared first on FLYING Magazine.