Aviat A-1 Husky

Piston single engine • High Wing • Conventional gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

• click map to move • two fingers to move map

Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Occupants

lb + lbs / pax

Select payload

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

Range

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.

Fuel capacity reduced by gallons ( gal usable for nm range).

Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.

Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

MOSAIC Eligible

In production

121

KTAS

Cruise Speed

700

Max Range

20,000

Service Ceiling

Occupants

625

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

Tailwheel

Aviat A-1C-180 Husky (N275WY) -- current-production backcountry taildragger. Photo: Jim Sorbie, CC BY 2.0

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Aviat A-1 Husky

Type certificated 1987 Source: third-party reference

Overview

The Aviat A-1 Husky is a certificated backcountry taildragger built by Aviat Aircraft in Afton, Wyoming – a modern, in-production answer to the Piper Super Cub, built for the same short-field mission. Where the classic bush Cubs are decades-old airframes, the Husky is a current-production 14 CFR Part 23 airplane: a welded steel-tube fuselage and metal-leading-edge wings under Dacron fabric, a 180-horsepower Lycoming O-360, and a constant-speed Hartzell propeller as standard equipment. The result is short-field performance close to a Super Cub’s from a newer airframe with factory support.

For the GA buyer, the Husky fills a specific niche: the person who wants genuine backcountry capability – short strips, floats, skis, big tires – from an airplane they can buy new or nearly new rather than restore. Its stall speed also sits well under the FAA’s MOSAIC clean-stall limit, so a sport pilot can fly it despite its utility mission.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Short-field performance. The Husky clears a 50-foot obstacle in roughly 690 feet and lands over one in about the same, with a short ground roll; it stalls near 46 KIAS in the landing configuration, the low number that makes the STOL performance possible.
Constant-speed propeller as standard. Unlike the fixed-pitch bush Cubs, the Husky ships with a constant-speed Hartzell propeller, which holds climb performance off short strips without giving up the roughly 121-knot cruise.
Rugged, field-serviceable structure. The steel-tube fuselage and fabric covering are simple to inspect and repair away from a maintenance base, and the airframe is stressed for backcountry work.
Built for conversion. The Husky moves readily between standard tires, oversized tundra tires, straight or amphibious floats, and skis – a common configuration for float and backcountry operators.

Trade-offs

Tandem, narrow cabin. Pilot and passenger sit in tandem in a narrow fuselage; buyers used to the side-by-side seating of a Maule or a Cessna 180 give up cabin width.
Heavier on the controls than a Super Cub. The Husky is stable and honest, but its controls are firmer and less immediate than the light, quick feel of a Super Cub – a fair trade for many, a drawback for purists.
New-airplane price. A current-production Husky is expensive against a used Super Cub or Scout; the value case rests on buying a modern, supported airframe rather than the lowest hourly cost.
Fabric is a periodic cost. The Dacron covering lasts decades but eventually needs replacement, a labor-intensive job; a recent fabric recovery is generally treated as a value-add, so covering age and condition belong on the pre-buy checklist.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 6.58 ft
Length: 22.58 ft
Parking area (ft²): 1254.89 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: Source: manufacturer figure 2,250 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 2,200 lbs
Useful Load: Source: manufacturer figure 925 lbs
Fuel Capacity: Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 50 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: Source: manufacturer figure 121 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 133 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 103 KIAS
Approach Speed: Source: manufacturer figure 50 KIAS
Range: Source: manufacturer figure 700 NM
Service Ceiling: Source: manufacturer figure 20,000 ft
Rate of Climb: 1500 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 690 ft
Landing ground roll: 350 ft

Engine

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Aviat A-1 Husky specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.