The Aviat Husky, certified in 1987, was not named for the dog, but the toughness the word implies. The price of older aircraft pushes our self-imposed “Budget Buy” limit of $50,000—more like $80,000 to $120,000. The new ones, depending on options, can make it all the way to $300,000. If it’s low price you are looking for, stay with the Husky A–1, A–1A, or A–1B. Over the years the gross weight increased from 1,800 pounds for the A–1 at 125 miles per hour to 1,890 pounds for the A–1A. You’ll find Huskys at 1,990 pounds up to 2,250 pounds and reaching 140 miles per hour (121 knots true airspeed). If you want to add floats, the A-1A will do, but if it is amphibious floats you desire, go to the A–1B model with its higher gross weight.
THE REAL WORLD
Steven M. Burns is a North Hampton, New Hampshire, roofing consultant who owns iconic aircraft for four or five years and then moves on to the next icon. Now it’s time to “move on” from his Aviat Husky A–1A. He only flew it 25 hours a year, so the per-hour cost was high at $184 including all costs, but for someone flying 100 hours a year it would be lower. It burns 10 gallons per hour. He has 750 hours total flying time and 600 of those are in tailwheel aircraft, so he got a good deal on insurance at $1,800 a year. His flights were all within 50 nautical miles of home base. The climb rate is 1,800 feet per minute most often with just half a load of fuel, but Burns has seen 2,000 feet per minute on a cold day. The key to a good landing is to nail that airspeed on short final approach at 60 miles per hour. The older Huskys like his, priced at $109,000, have a wing that likes to float down the runway. Newer ones have a different wing. The constant-speed propeller allows him to climb well and cruise at 125 miles an hour. Burns has favored tailwheel airplanes since the time he learned to fly. An instructor took him to a grass field in a tailwheel airplane and a passion was born.
For more information
Aviat Aircraft, 672 S. Washington, Post Office Box 1240, Afton, Wyoming 83110; 307-885-3151; email [email protected]; www.aviataircraft.com.
