AVIAT AIRCRAFT INC A-1B

The Husky A-1B is Aviat's modern answer to the Super Cub: a two-seat tandem taildragger with 180 hp, big flaps, a huge wing and a climb rate of 1,500 fpm. It was designed from scratch in the 1980s rather than derived from a 1930s airframe, and it shows in the details — better systems, a stronger structure, and 50 gallons of fuel giving genuinely long endurance. The weight limit is what the suffix changes. The original A-1 of 1987 is certified at 1,800 lb; the A-1A and A-1B both date from 1998, with the A-1B at 2,000 lb gross, which on a 180 hp two-seater is a meaningful difference in what you can take into the backcountry. The A-1C of 2007, with 2,200 lb at 180 hp or 2,250 lb at 200 hp, is listed separately. So an A-1B is the 2,000 lb aeroplane and anything earlier is a lighter one with the same engine.

It does what a Super Cub does and does most of it better, which is why government agencies, wildlife departments, pipeline patrol operators and backcountry pilots buy them. It is also expensive, both new and used, and the Husky market has never been soft. The fabric covering is modern and long-lived but is still the eventual major cost. As a taildragger with a large wing it is sensitive to wind on the ground and requires an endorsement and real currency. Parts come from Aviat, a small company, so support is good but not comparable to a Cessna. On tundra tyres or floats, which is a common fit, prices rise considerably.