L-17A North American Navion
Air Force courier
The
Navion is a product of North American Aviation, the same manufacturer that
created the famous P-51D Mustang. In fact, the Navion shares some of the styling
cues of the Mustang: the small squared tail, the long sloping nose, and the
sliding canopy. These similarities are no accident; North American Aviation
designers wanted to create an aircraft that would be 'familiar' to post-WWII Air
Force pilots and future customers. Production of the Navion started in 1946 and
early examples, such as this one, are made from surplus war parts. In later
years, the L-17A Navion was used as a courier aircraft during the Korean War. It
is also the only single engine piston civilian aircraft that was ever certified
for aircraft carrier operations. To maintain 'authenticity', this sample is
painted in a traditional USAF paint scheme. As a rare antique, but fully
functional and flyable, this specimen is not available for commercial ops, but
is welcome on any movie set as a static prop or an actual flying aircraft. Contact
me for more information.
- USAF Paintscheme
- Sliding canopy - can be flown in open position
- Retractable landing gear
- Fully functioning and flyable
- At home on grass, gravel, or rough strips
To learn more about how I came to have this aircraft, click here.