Today’s Top Pick is a 1978 Varga Aircraft 2150A Kachina.

When was the last time you spotted a Varga 2150 on the ramp? How about a Shinn or a Morrisey?

These are all related, and one can argue that they are the same aircraft whose name changed as it moved from one manufacturer to another. Still, even when you combine all of the versions and evolutions, this is a rare machine.

After checking out some of its thoughtful features, pilots might wonder why this airplane is not more popular.

During the 1950s William Morrisey, an aircraft designer and test pilot, built an airplane called the Morrisey 1000C Nifty. He developed the aircraft into the 2000C before selling the design to Shinn Engineering.

By the late 1960s Shinn had ceased production, and Varga Aircraft acquired the design rights. Over the course of ownership changes the airplane gained power, from a Lycoming O-235 in the beginning to a 150 hp O-320 and finally a 180 hp O-360.

Because it is small and light, the airplane flies well enough on any of the three engines, but the O-360 version is a bit of a muscle car with wings.

Many people will be stumped as they try to identify the Varga, perhaps thinking it is a Grumman Tiger or, from a distance, a Beechcraft T-34 Mentor. That large, airy canopy gives it the look of a military trainer. Indeed, some clever folks call it the poor man’s AT-6.

This 1978 Varga 2150A has 1,810 hours on the airframe and 308 hours since overhaul on its 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engine. The panel includes a Garmin GNX 375, Garmin 795 GPS touchscreen transponder/GPS/moving map with ADS-B In and Out, GTR 225 comm, intercom, and basic analog flight and engine instruments.

Pilots looking for a compact personal aircraft with tandem seating for two and control sticks that give it a sporty, almost fighter-like feel should consider this 1978 Varga 2150 Kachina, which is available for $79,500 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.

• FLYING Magazine: Down to Empty Fuel Tanks
• Plane & Pilot: Varga Kachina
• Plane & Pilot: Varga 2150/2180 Kachina
• Plane & Pilot: Shinn 2150-A

The post This 1978 Varga 2150A Kachina Is a Rare-but-Reliable ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.