Aircraft model
GRUMMAN G-164
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The original Grumman Ag-Cat, from the first years of production. It is an agricultural biplane designed by Grumman and built under contract by Schweizer, with a radial engine, a chemical hopper between the engine and the cockpit and a structure built to survive low-level work.
The biplane layout gives it good low-speed handling and a short turning radius, which matters in field work, and the Ag-Cat became one of the most numerous purpose-built ag aircraft ever made. The early G-164 is the smallest and least powerful version, with a 220 hp Continental and a 200-gallon hopper, and most have either been re-engined with larger radials or retired. Chemical corrosion is what kills these airframes. Agricultural flying requires a commercial certificate and documented experience for insurance.
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- GRUMMAN G-164
What it is
| Seats | 1 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Continental W670-6A (radial) |
| Horsepower | 220 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1957 |
| Production end | 1966 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance;tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 85 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 250 nm |
| Service ceiling | — |
| Climb rate | — |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 48 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 1 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,600 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 1,372 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 3,500 lb |
| Empty weight | 1,900 lb |
| Usable fuel | 38 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 12.3 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $35,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $150,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,000 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $50,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $85,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 344 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 52 |
| Median year built | 1962.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 0 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 19.23 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 0 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 0 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 0 · thin base (low)3 |
| Airworthiness directives | 0 |
| Directives, last 5 years | 0 |
| Rate confidence | low |
- Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 52 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 52 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 52 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 1-2 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 5.3 of 103 |
| Support | 4 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 0 of 105 |
- Accident record: class median 25 · 181 models in class.
- Severity: class median 5.
- Access: class median 987.
- Support: class median 72.
- Liquidity: class median 20.59.
- 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.