Bargain Buys on AircraftForSale: 1978 Varga 2150A Kachina

Rare is the pilot who has never dreamt of owning and flying their very own warbird. With a control stick in their right hand, the throttle in their left, and a panoramic view from a tandem cockpit surrounding them, the dream is most often brought to a grinding halt by the economic realities of warbird ownership. But today’s bargain, a rare Varga Kachina, provides a bit of the warbird experience at only $79,500.

Produced by three different manufacturers in slightly different forms between 1958 and 1982, the Kachina blends the aforementioned tandem cockpit, canopy, and dual control sticks with a far more economically palatable airframe and engine. Just under 200 examples were built in total, first by companies called Shinn and Morrisey and the majority by Varga. Today, 120 remain on the FAA registry.

The airframe utilizes many common Cessna and Piper parts, while the engine is the tried and true 150hp Lycoming O-320 turning a fixed-pitch propeller. This results in a cruise speed of around 120-130 mph. Takeoff and landing distances to clear a 50-foot obstacle are both listed as 450 feet or less — impressive figures, although oddly, the flight manual warns that takeoff and landing performance “is based upon calculations and has not been demonstrated by flight tests.”

Nevertheless, flying fun is the name of the game with the Kachina, and the previous owners have added some niceties to make this example even better. Shoulder harnesses, front and rear charging ports, and a Garmin GNX 375 touch screen ADS-B in/out transponder and GPS make the cabin a nicer place to be, and an engine sump heater helps to make winter flying easier on the engine, which has only 308 hours since the last major overhaul in 2021.

You can arrange financing of the aircraft through FLYING Finance and quickly calculate your monthly payment using the airplane finance calculator. For more information, email info@flyingfinance.com.

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Jason McDowellAuthor

Jason McDowell is a private pilot and Cessna 170 owner based in Madison, Wisconsin. He enjoys researching obscure aviation history and serves as a judge for the National Intercollegiate Flying Association. He can be found on Instagram as @cessnateur.