Today’s Top AircraftForSale.com Pick: 1946 North American Navion

Acquiring an antique aircraft with modern equipment can be a good move.

1946 North American Navion. [Courtesy: Aircraft For Sale]

Each day, the team at Aircraft For Sale picks an aircraft that catches our attention —either because it is unique, is a good deal, or has other interesting qualities. You can read Aircraft For Sale: Today’s Top Pick at FLYINGMag.com daily. 

Variety is a big part of what makes general aviation interesting. There are so many differing types of aircraft on the market that shoppers usually can find a model that not only suits their basic mission profile but also expresses something about their values and personalities. These include many older designs that offer good value on the used market like this 1946 North American Navion.

North American’s Navion comes from a good aviation family that includes classics like the P-51 Mustang and the AT-6 Texan advanced trainer. The Navion was among the first modern GA aircraft to emerge after World War II. The sleek example offered here rolled off the assembly line a year ahead of the first Beechcraft Bonanzas. This 70-something machine was years ahead of its time compared with rag-and-tube machines that made up most of the market in those days.

This vintage aircraft has numerous upgrades from a 285 hp Continental IO520BB engine with 923 hours and a 99.5-gallon fuel capacity to a modern panel that includes a Garmin GNS 530, Garmin Glide Slope, Garmin GTX 330 Transponder with Traffic, EDM 700 Graphic engine monitor, FuelScan 450 fuel flow computer, autopilot, and four-place intercom.

If you are looking for a historic aircraft that will start conversations at any vintage fly-in and can be used like a newer model, this Navion is worth considering. It is available for $120,000 on AircraftForSale. You can arrange financing of the airplane through FLYING Financial Group. For more information, email info@flyingfinancial.com.

Jonathan Welsh is a private pilot who worked as a reporter, editor and columnist with the Wall Street Journal for 21 years, mostly covering the auto industry. His passion for aviation began in childhood with balsa-wood gliders his aunt would buy for him at the corner store. Follow Jonathan on Twitter @JonathanWelsh4

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