General Aviation Aircraft

Explore Plane & Pilot Magazine’s Aircraft section for trusted reviews, detailed pilot reports, and expert comparisons. From legendary trainers to cutting-edge designs, we help pilots evaluate performance, specs, and ownership experiences to make confident decisions in the air and on the ground.

PAZMANY PL-4A

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 850. Empty wt. 578. Fuel capacity 12. Wingspan 26’8″. Length 16’6″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 120. Cruise mph 98. Stall mph 48. Climb rate 650. Takeoff run 485. Landing roll 435. Range 375. When designer Ladislao Pazmany was encouraged to come up with an easy-to-build, simple, safe, and inexpensive metal plane that […]

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PIETENPOL “AIR CAMPER”€

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,150. Empty wt. 622. Fuel capacity 15. Wingspan 29′. Length 18’5″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 100. Cruise mph 80. Stall mph 40. Climb rate 500. Takeoff run 400. Landing roll 600. Range 320. The do-it-yourself craze was just getting started as a Depression-born phenomenon when the Air Camper replaced the earlier primary […]

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PITTS S-1S “SPECIAL”€

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,950. Empty wt. 710. Fuel capacity 19. Wingspan 17’4″. Length 14’3″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 156. Cruise mph 140. Stall mph 57. Climb rate 2,600. Takeoff run 450. Landing roll 1,000. Range 350. Originally designed and designated “Lil’ Stinker” by aircraft-design legend Curtis Pitts, the Pitts Special is one of the world’s […]

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POLLIWAGEN

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,250. Empty wt. 600. Fuel capacity 19. Wingspan 26′. Length 16′. Engine 78-hp Revmaster VW. PERFORMANCE: (designer figures) Top mph 200+. Cruise mph 180. Stall mph 38. Climb rate 700. Ceiling 28,000. Range 1,000. Takeoff run 450. Landing roll 550. Designed by Argentine-born Joseph Alvarez, the Polliwagen derives its name from […]

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POWELL “ACEY DEUCY”€

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 1,275. Empty wt. 750. Fuel capacity 14. Wingspan 32’6″. Length 20’9″. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 104. Cruise mph 87. Stall mph 27. Climb rate 650-700. Takeoff run 250. Range 250 This parasol-type tandem-seat monoplane was designed by John Powell, who was formerly a commander in the U.S. Navy. It is powered by […]

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PROWLER AVIATION”PROWLER/JAGUAR”€

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,500. Empty wt. 1,560. Fuel capacity 72. Engine 350-hp Rodeck V-8. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 300. Cruise mph 250. Initial climb rate 2,500. Ceiling n/a. Range 1,200. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,100. Landing distance (50′) 1,200. Back in 1973, George Morse, the founder of Prowler Aviation, saw the need for an […]

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PULSAIR AIRCRAFT CORPORATION “PULSAR XP”€/”SUPER PULSAR 100″€/”SUPER CRUISER”€/”PULSAR III”€/”PULSAR 150″€

Pulsar XP STANDARD DATA: PULSAR XP Seats 2. Gross wt. 1,235. Empty wt. 700. Fuel capacity 28-38. Engine 120-hp Rotax 912/914T. PERFORMANCE: Top cruise mph 206. Initial climb rate 1,750 fpm. Range 1,400 sm. Stall mph 47. Takeoff distance 500. Landing distance 800. The Pulsar Aircraft Corporation obtained the rights to Tri-R Technologies’ Pulsar kit […]

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QUESTAIR “SPIRIT”€

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2-3. Gross wt. 1,700. Empty wt. 1,025. Fuel capacity 40. Engine 210-hp Continental 10-360. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 287. Cruise mph 228. Initial climb rate 2,000. Range 1,180. The Spirit is actually the second of two extremely fast aircraft from Questair. The Spirit is a toned-down fixed-gear version of the record-setting Venture design. […]

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QUESTAIR “VENTURE”€

STANDARD DATA: Seats 2. Gross wt. 2,000. Empty wt. 1,240. Fuel capacity 56. Engine 280-hp Continental 10-550. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 345. Cruise mph 276. Initial climb rate 2,600. Ceiling 25,000. Range 1,150. Takeoff distance (50′) 1,000. Landing distance (50′) 1,600. When the Venture was introduced, few could believe the performance figures that were being claimed […]

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“QUICKIE”€

STANDARD DATA: Gross wt. 480. Empty wt. 240. Fuel capacity 8. Wingspan 16’8″. Length 17’4″. Engine 18-hp Onan two-cylinder. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 126. Cruise mph 121. Stall mph 49. Climb rate 425. Ceiling 12,300. Takeoff run 660. Landing roll 835. Range 550. The “Quickie” is an unusual design that can cruise at 121 mph and […]

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