Aircraft model
GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Grumman Tiger is a four-seat low-wing single with a sliding canopy, bonded aluminium honeycomb construction instead of rivets, and a free-castering nosewheel. On 180 hp it cruises at 139 knots, about 15 knots faster than an Archer on the same engine, because the airframe is small and clean. The canopy can be slid partly open on the ground and in flight at low speed, which owners love.
It is a distinctly different aeroplane to operate. The free-castering nosewheel means steering on the ground is by differential braking only, which takes practice and is hard on brakes and tyres. The bonded construction means damage repair requires a shop that understands it, and delamination or corrosion in bonded joints is the specific pre-purchase inspection item. It also has a modest useful load and a firm ride in turbulence because of the short wing. Against that: it is quick for the fuel, genuinely fun to fly, well liked by owners, and cheaper than the equivalent Piper or Cessna. Parts availability has improved since the type certificate found a stable owner, but it is still thinner than for a 172.
Compare with…
Put GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B side by side with up to two other models.
- GRUMMAN AMERICAN AVN. CORP. AA-5B
What it is
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | tricycle |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Lycoming O-360-A4K |
| Horsepower | 180 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | FAR23 |
| Production start | 1975 |
| Production end | 1979 |
| Endorsements required | — |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 139 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 700 nm |
| Service ceiling | 13,800 ft |
| Climb rate | 850 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 53 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | 1,550 ft |
| Landing over 50 ft | 1,200 ft |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 4 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,040 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 734 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 2,400 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,360 lb |
| Usable fuel | 51 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 10.1 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $85,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $185,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 2,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $32,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $46,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 851 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 642 |
| Median year built | 1977.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 15 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 3 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 23.361 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 18.692 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 127 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 19.783 |
| Airworthiness directives | 2 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | ok |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 642 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 642 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 642 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 3-4 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | 7.9 of 101 |
| Severity | 3 of 102 |
| Access | 3.7 of 103 |
| Support | 8.3 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 5.2 of 105 |
| Overall (sum of the categories shown) | 28.1 out of 506 |
- Accident record: class median 28.36 · 202 models in class.
- Severity: class median 11.65.
- Access: class median 767.75.
- Support: class median 141.5.
- Liquidity: class median 19.57.
- Each of the five categories places the model within its peer class, from 0 (the worst of the class) to 10 (the best): a position among comparable models, not a grade. The overall score is the sum of the categories shown that are scored, out of 10 for each (50 when all five are); it is given only when at least 4 of the five are scored, and it can be set against another model's only when both are in the same peer class and scored on the same categories.