Skip to main content

The Most Affordable Singles

We examine some of the best buys In general aviation


By Bill Cox

Liberty XL2
16 LIBERTY XL2: The two-seat Liberty XL2’s primary claim to fame is that it was one of the first airplanes to embrace FADEC (full authority digital engine control). The Liberty employs a computer-controlled, 125 hp Continental IOF-240-B that manages all parameters of engine management automatically. An obvious benefit of computer control is efficiency, and the XL2 scores about 5.3 gph at 60% power. Liberty sells the airplane as a trainer or personal transport, and it’s a comfortable machine in either mode, with a 48-inch-wide cabin. Cruise is 125 knots at max throttle and 7,000 feet. If you have a budget of $200,000, you should be able to buy a used XL2 Vanguard from as late as 2008 to 2009.


Improvements To The Breed
Perhaps contrary to popular belief, several of the airplanes in this article have experienced changes in the last quarter century. Cessna’s Skyhawk, the world’s most popular airplane until a few years ago, has undergone some upgrades since its revival in 1997. Though Cessna switched to Lycoming engines with the reintroduction of the Skyhawk, Skylane and Stationair, the Skyhawk was offered in two hp configurations: 160 hp on the 172R, and 180 hp on the 172S. Performance differences were minor, though the S version of the Skyhawk obviously benefitted from slightly better climb and about one knot more cruise. Another major improvement in the Skyhawk was the Garmin G1000 glass-panel display. Today, Cessna has dropped the 172R and produces only the 172S.

Another popular Cessna, the Centurion, represented a major improvement in its 1995/1996 iterations. The airplane had been available in normally aspirated, turbocharged and pressurized versions for several years. For the last two years of production, Cessna upgraded the turbo and pressurized models from 300 hp to 325 hp, and added new wingtips to make the Cessna 210R more competitive with the Piper Malibu. The R version of the Centurion added about 100 fpm to climb, 15 knots to cruise and 100 pounds to payload.

The Aviat Husky has been around since 1988, and again, the newest airplane retains the basic configuration while offering significant upgrades. The original Husky, A-1 and A-1B used the carbureted, 180 hp O-360-A1G/P, while the more recent A-1C employs the injected, 200 hp IO-360. Predictably, the extra 20 hp transforms the airplane’s takeoff and climb performance from spectacular to just short of unbelievable. Huskys have assumed the old Super Cub’s place at the top of the bush bird pyramid, and the A-1C only continues that tradition and widens the gap between the competition.

Labels

Labels:

Popular posts from this blog

How to make a balloon fly

How does a hot-air balloon work (in theory)? In a word: buoyancy . Hot-air balloons float in the sky for pretty much the same reason that boats float on the sea. A boat floats because it's supported by the water beneath it: the weight of the boat (pulling downward) is exactly counterbalanced by the pressure of the water beneath it (pushing upward). A boat doesn't float perfectly on the water surface but sinks partly into the water according to how heavy it is. The bigger the boat, the bigger the area of water beneath it, the greater the force of the water pressure pushing upward on it, and the more weight it can carry. Here's another way to look at it: generally speaking, an object will float if it's less dense than water (in other words, lighter than an equal volume of water) and sink if it's more dense (heavier than an equal volume of water). Imagine a block of lead the size of your arm dropped into a bathtub filled with water. An "armful of lea...
Read more

What is the Difference Between a Jet & a Plane?

One of the most common types of airplanes in use today is the jet, which has largely replaced traditional aircraft powered by propellers. Although propeller planes are still used in some instances, jets dominate commercial and private air travel due to their greater speed, ability to fly at higher altitudes and mechanical reliability. General Airplane History While efforts toward powered flight date back to the earliest inventors, the first successful flight of a fixed-wing aircraft was performed famously by the Wright brothers in 1903. Their plane, known as the Wright Flyer I, was made of wood and used a gasoline engine to spin a pair of wooden propellers. Over the next several years, the Wright brothers continued to refine the design that would provide the basis for aircraft over the coming decades. World War I provided a major incentive for the design and construction of better airplanes. Planes were originally used purely for surveying the enemy's positions. This l...
Read more

How to Become an Airplane Pilot

Who are you, and why are you writing this? I am a licensed private pilot, and I am writing this article as a guide for prospective pilots. I have enjoyed my flying very much, and want to encourage others to embark on the grand adventure of aviation. I began my flying in 1990, and since then, I have accumlated just over 700 hours of flying time. The most frequent measure of a pilot's experience is the number of "flying hours." he or she has accumulated. My 700 hours is still relatively low. For comparison, my instructor has over 4,000 flying hours. Many airline pilots have 20,000 hours or more. I want to fly airplanes. What do I need to do? To operate an aircraft in the United States, you must be licensed by the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), which since 9/11 is part of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There are several levels of pilot's license; the most basic is the Private Pilot license. This license permits the holder to pilot an a...
Read more