Today’s Top Pick is a 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah.

When a Grumman American Cheetah—or a Yankee, Traveler, or Tiger—shows up at the airport, I immediately begin to think about the aircraft’s interesting history.

While its design evolved from the late Jim Bede’s kitbuilt two-seater BD-1, a number of companies produced the Cheetah and its siblings over the years, including the business jet powerhouse Gulfstream.

The compact Grumman Americans are fairly basic aircraft, with fixed gear and fixed-pitch propellers, but they are known for surprisingly high cruising speeds and overall performance. The 108 hp Tiger, which is the most powerful version of the AA-5 airframe, is known to  keep pace with some 200 hp retractables.

For many pilots, the simple, reliable and fuel-efficient design lies in a sweet spot. The Cheetah provides good traveling performance and responsive handling that  give it a sporty, higher-performance feel. Add the signature sliding canopy, and you have the stuff of fighter-pilot fantasies.     

This 1976 Cheetah has 2,650 hours on the airframe, 380 hours on its 150 hp Lycoming O-320 E2G engine since overhaul and 372 hours on the propeller since overhaul. The aircraft is equipped with a Challenger air filter.

The panel includes a Garmin GTR 200 Comm radio, Narco NAV-121 with localizer and glideslope, Apollo II GPS, King KT 76A transponder, uAvionix TailBeacon with ADS-B Out, and an EGT instrument.

Pilots searching for a fun-to-fly, versatile and economical four-place aircraft that can handle training, local flights and cross-country travel should consider this 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah, which is available for $69,000 on AircraftForSale.

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

• FLYING Magazine: Approachable Aircraft: Grumman AA-5 Series
• FLYING Magazine: Flying Lessons: When Cheetahs Were Fast
• FLYING Magazine: Tiger Is Back
• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Grumman AA-5 vs. Mooney M20 Series
• Plane & Pilot: Gulfstream American Cheetah
• Plane & Pilot: This Incredible Plane: Bede BD-1
• The Aviation Consumer: Grumman Tiger/Cheetah

The post This 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah Is a Compact, Efficient ‘Aircraft For Sale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.

Today’s Top Pick is a 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah.

The innovative Grumman American series of piston singles are appealing for their history alone, with aviation pioneers Jim Bede and Roy LoPresti involved in their development. In the early 1960s Bede designed the BD-1, a kitbuilt two-seater that later developed into the AA-1 Yankee and the rest of the AA line that included the Cheetah. The aircraft featured bonded wing skins and other aerodynamic aides that helped them eke out higher cruising speeds than one might expect.

The Cheetah and other Grumman derivatives have a following among pilots who love their responsive handling, economical operation and, of course, sliding canopy. These airplanes are the winged equivalent of compact sports cars that are known more for fun than horsepower.

This Grumman American Cheetah has 3,236 hours on the airframe and 1,847 hours on its engine since overhaul. The panel features a Garmin GNC 250XL GPS, Narco CP 125 audio panel, King KY 197 Com, dual Narco Navs, Garmin Aera GPS, Narco AT 50 transponder, and  four-place intercom.

Pilots intrigued by the notion of enjoying sporty styling and performance from the same economical, reliable engine used in the Cessna 172 should consider this 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah, which is available for $60,000 on AircraftForSale.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

• FLYING Magazine: Approachable Aircraft: Grumman AA-5 Series
• FLYING Magazine: Air Compare: Grumman AA-5 vs. Mooney M20 Series
• Plane & Pilot: Grumman American Trainer
• Plane & Pilot: Grumman American TR-2
• The Aviation Consumer: Grumman Tiger/Cheetah

AVweb: Buying A Used Aircraft: Grumman Tiger/Cheetah

The post This 1976 Grumman American AA-5A Cheetah Is a Pioneering ‘AircraftForSale’ Top Pick appeared first on FLYING Magazine.