For Sale: Aircraft 1971 American Yankee AA-1

alfadog

alfadog

Final Approach
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alfadog
We are just wrapping up the annual on the airplane now and I know the owner wants to sell it. It is a nice-flying, solid, little airplane that has no pending issues. Looks a bit tired but just from its age, not from abuse. Tired means the paint is just a 6 or so and needs some buffing, the interior also a 6 perhaps, new carpets. TTAF around 2800 and 400 SMOH in 2009. Will have exact times and pics soon. Well-maintained by good shops until it sat for the last two years in a hangar. Newish mags, good compressions, dated avionics with one nav/com. This is a nice little airplane that would respond well to some TLC by a new owner. Asking $20k. Curious what folks think. I know you can't say much without pics, should have them early next week.

PS, it is not a Grumman but is one of the very last made by American - American Aviation AA-1 Yankee Clipper :)

edit: here is one to hold y'all 'til next week. Taken in 2016 but it could have been taken yesterday, she looks the same.

001230580.jpg
 
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Great economical planes for sure!

I’d take one over a 150/2 for most of the normal GA flying people do, think if people knew more about these everyone would be training in a AA1/5 vs a 150/172
 
Can you bathe in it, when it leaks wa wa like Bryan’s? :p
 
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Well you asked for our opinion so here it is... I sold my 1970 model one a year or two ago in similar shape but with less TT and less SMOH and it was actively flying. I struggled to get 16k for it even with a bunch of new parts. They are great airplanes but unfortunately a lot of people only hear bad things and expect a steep price cut since it ins't a Cessna.
 
Yes, the opinions are welcome. Thanks.
 
mscard88 said:
Can you bathe in it, when it leaks wa wa like Bryan’s? :p
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Well, I did not see any holes in the bottom for the water to drain out so I am thinking "yes". FWIW, the present owner has never flown the airplane; he got it and a Cherokee 140 in a trade. We spoke to the last fellow that flew it regularly and he said it was dry. FWIW.
 
Skyrys62 said:
Here are some specs I saw with a quick search. Not sure of accuracy... as you'll notice with the weights lol.
...
Gross weight: 1500 lb
Max landing weight: 1500 lb
Empty weight: 1007lb
...
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It is not the trainer but those weights are correct. In fact, the subject a/c is 1018 lb. empty so useful load is only 482 lb.
 
Skyrys62 said:
Here are some specs I saw with a quick search. Not sure of accuracy... as you'll notice with the weights lol.

1971 Grumman American Trainer AA-1A
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The AA-1A was the later "Trainer" model with recontoured wing leading edges. Compared to the AA-1 Yankee in the OP, the AA-1A had a lower stall speed, a gentler stall, and was a bit slower. Here's the specs for the original AA-1:

AA-1 specs.png

I instructed in several of the original AA-1 Yankees when they were new. I thought they were good trainers, especially if the student intended to move up to higher-performance, high-wing-loading types.

One day in May 1971, a distinguished-looking middle-aged gentleman came into our Long Beach CA FBO and asked for a demo ride in a Yankee. I took him out to N6190L, and as we boarded he pulled on a pair of leather flying gloves. We went flying, and he obviously loved the Yankee and its responsive handling.

Back in the office, the customer paid for the ride and left. The chief pilot ambled over and asked me if I knew who that was. I looked at the name on the invoice; I didn't recognize it. "Col. Glenn Eagleston," Ken said, "had 18.5 kills in WW2 and Korea ... and now he's in your logbook under 'instruction given'."
 
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Yeah I grabbed the wrong search result.. deleted it.

Here was what was wrong with the weights I noticed:
Empty weight: 1007 lb
Useful load: 1007 lb
 
Tarheelpilot said:
It normally takes cash and a seller that’s just tired of messing with it...

Not low hanging fruit but I’ve seen it happen.
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400SMOH, nag com, especially if it has working glide slope, nice paint and all, I guess if the seller is in a really bad spot who knows, but I’d be suspect if it they would take much under 18k for it.
 
Right place at the right time with cash in hand. Right now, there is a nice Luscombe on the field ready to take $13k cash, maybe less.
 
alfadog said:
Right place at the right time with cash in hand. Right now, there is a nice Luscombe on the field ready to take $13k cash, maybe less.
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Oh man!

There was that turbine one that someone got for a steal, I was like one day late on that.
 
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