VARGA 2150/2180 "KACHINA"

1977’1982

Plane & Pilot

Tuesday, November 30, 1999 at 12:00 AM ET

Verified

Edited By:

Omar Filipović

Key Takeaways:

The Kachina, a tandem two-seater sport plane, was initially conceived by a Douglas test pilot to appeal to returning WWII pilots with its military trainer charisma, later marketed by George Varga.
Its construction features a chrome moly tube fuselage with removable metal panels for easy inspection, and its primary appeal was its reasonable cost and the sheer fun of flying.
While generally powered by a 150-hp Lycoming engine, a more powerful 180-hp variant was offered in its final three years of production.

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Veteran Douglas test pilot William Morrisey guessed that the thousands of returning World War II pilots would be eager to climb into a tandem sport plane that had all the charisma of a military trainer. After battling the FAA’s red tape for some years, Morrisey sold out to Clifford Shinn, who built some 35 planes before quitting. The tandem two-seater was renamed Kachina and marketed by George Varga. The fuselage is built of chrome moly tubing with removable metal side and bottom panels for quick inspection. The left side of the greenhouse canopy swings open for entrance to the cockpit. The Kachina’s big appeal is not only reasonable cost but sheer fun of flying.

In its last three years of production, Varga offered the more powerful 180-hp variant.