Grumman American AA-5
 Grumman American AA-5. Photo: Arpingstone, Public domain, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Grumman American |
|---|---|
| Model | Grumman American AA-5 |
| Type | Four-seat cabin monoplane |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | August 21, 1970 |
| Built | 1971–2006 |
| Number built | 3,282 |
| Registered in the US | 1,572 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | one, three passengers |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 hp |
| Cruise speed | 143 kn (2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger) |
| Range | 681 nmi (2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger) |
| Service ceiling | 13,800 ft (2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger) |
| Max weight | 2,400 lb (2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger)
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The Grumman American AA-5 series is a family of all-metal, four-seat light airplanes for touring and training. It includes the AA-5 Traveler, the AA-5A Cheetah and the AA-5B Tiger, built over the years by American Aviation, Grumman American and Gulfstream American, and the later AG-5B Tiger from American General and Tiger Aircraft.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,572 with a valid registration: 847 Tigers, 473 Cheetahs and 252 Travelers.[2]
History
After the success of its two-seat AA-1 Yankee Clipper in 1969, American Aviation wanted a four-seater. Its clean-sheet AA-2 Patriot missed its performance goals and only one was built, so the company simply enlarged the AA-1's outside and cabin dimensions to make the AA-5.[1]
- AA-5 Traveler (1971): 150 hp Lycoming O-320, 821 built.[1]
- AA-5B Tiger (1974): 180 hp Lycoming O-360 and a higher takeoff weight, 1,323 built.[1]
- AA-5A Cheetah (1975): a larger fin fillet, new cowling and longer rear windows, 900 built.[1]
- AG-5B Tiger (1990): built by American General Aviation and later Tiger Aircraft.[1]
Design
All AA-5s seat four under a sliding canopy that can be opened partly in flight for fresh air, and everyone climbs in from the wing root. They are known for light, pleasant handling and high cruise speed for their power. Like the AA-1, they use a bonded aluminum wing and a honeycomb fuselage that need no rivets, and fiberglass main landing gear.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,572 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| AA-5B | 847 |
| AA-5A | 473 |
| AA-5 | 252 |
Specifications (2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger)
| Item | 2005 model Tiger Aircraft AG-5B Tiger |
|---|---|
| Crew | one |
| Passengers / capacity | three passengers |
| Length | 22 ft |
| Wingspan | 31 ft 6 in |
| Height | 8 ft |
| Wing area | 140 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 1,500 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 2,400 lb |
| Fuel | 51 u.s.gal |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A4K, 180 hp (air-cooled, 4-cylinder, horizontally-opposed piston engine) |
| Propeller | Sensenich Propeller fixed pitch |
| Maximum speed | 148 kn |
| Cruise speed | 143 kn |
| Stall speed | 53 kn |
| Never-exceed speed | 174 kn |
| Range | 681 nmi |
| Service ceiling | 13,800 ft |
| Rate of climb | 850 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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A Grumman AA-5A Cheetah (C-GVLU) at Smiths Falls Airport, Ontario, June 2005. Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
A Grumman American AA-5 Traveler (C-FEMM). Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
A Grumman American AA-5B Tiger (C-GHHC). Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain -
Grumman American AA-5 Traveler during takeoff. Photo: KGG1951, CC BY-SA 3.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Grumman American AA-5
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 1.6 1.7 Wikipedia, "Grumman American AA-5", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.