1946 North American Navion, 4,348 tt, e-185 1,272, simple gear up, good plane!

The Navion is a North American Aviation aircraft developed and built just after world war II to cater to the thousands of trained pilots returning from the war. Unlike the Cubs, Taylorcrafts and Luscombes, the Navion (like the Bonanza) was designed as an all metal, retractable gear, 4 place, cross country machine, capable of business trips or taking your wife and another couple on vacation or out to a nice dinner in the city! Designed to be familiar to military pilots, the Navion sports a sliding canopy over the passenger compartment and rear baggage area and a tail very reminisent of the famous P-51 mustang! Many Navions were sold to the military for use as liason aircraft (due to the comfortable 4 place cabin) and many Navions today are painted and stenciled with airforce or navy markings and are treated as “warbirds” as well as classics at airshows. Later in 1947/early 1948, North American sold the rights to the Navion to Ryan, who produced it for a couple of years before selling it to Tusco, who each produced their own versions.

In 1966 this aircraft received an upgrade to the e-185/205 engine, which is still installed. Rated for 205 h.p. For 5 minutes, (takeoff), then 185 h.p. Continuous. This airplane has been in Michigan since 1998, both of whom had it constantly and well maintained, but who used the aircraft occasionally, rather than often (20-25 hours per year) annuals since 2002 have been consistant, with only 1 6 month lapse in 2011.

Not a sitter or ramp queen, this airplane was treated well and stored inside. In fact, the annual is current, and does not expire until 10/1/2021!

But the airplane is no longer perfect!

Like any retractable geared airplane, the Navion requires that the pilot remembers to put the gear switch in the down position before every landing, not just most landings. Also no credit is given for all the times you successfully did put the gear down, it still requires it every time. The pilot forgot to lower the gear this one time, at his home airport. You might imagine the belly skins were scraped, or worse, the joining strip on the belly that bolts the two halves of the wing together, but luckily, you would be wrong!
The inboard edge of both flaps are scraped, and having them down saved the belly!! The right flap inboard hanger is scraped through as well, and the left one has some erosion but not all the way through. The right flap fairing is deformed from the hanger coming loose. And the step is damaged, but not the attach point. The exhaust pipes are each slightly scraped on the ends and there is a very light skin deformation on the edge of the nosegear well (easily patched or straightened).

And that’s it!

No wing damage, aileron damage, tail damage. Not even any lower cowl damage.

1946 North American Navion

  • The canopy has the full side glass mod, and it is not damaged at all.
  • The interior is “vintage” cloth, but serviceable as is.
  • The dash has been updated to a modern “6 pack” guage layout, and all of the flight instruments are modern units!
  • The king radio panel units have been removed and are not included, but the trays are included and fully wired so you can go back this way with no install costs, or upgrade some or all to more modern stuff, without paying for what you don’t want.

Price: $8,995

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Seller's other items: wentworthaircraftinc

Location: DETRIOT, MI, United States