Aircraft model
HOWARD AIRCRAFT DGA-15P
Everything here is true of every aircraft of the type, not of any one aircraft.
The Howard DGA-15 descends from a racing aeroplane — DGA stands for Damn Good Airplane, which is what Ben Howard called his 1930s racer — developed into a five-seat cabin transport with a 450 hp radial. It is big, fast for its era at 145 knots, and has a cabin that seats five in comfort.
Most survivors served as wartime Navy trainers and ambulances, and many are now restored to a very high standard. Ownership means a radial engine that throws oil and costs a great deal to overhaul, a fabric-covered wood and steel structure needing hangarage and periodic recovering, and a large taildragger that demands real skill. The type has an active and knowledgeable owners' community, which is essential because there is no manufacturer. Values depend heavily on restoration standard.
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- HOWARD AIRCRAFT DGA-15P
What it is
| Seats | 5 |
|---|---|
| Landing gear | taildragger |
| Engines | 1 |
| Engine | Pratt & Whitney R-985 (radial) |
| Horsepower | 450 hp |
| Fuel | 100LL |
| Certification basis | CAR3 |
| Production start | 1939 |
| Production end | 1944 |
| Endorsements required | high-performance;tailwheel |
Performance
| Cruise speed | 145 KTAS |
|---|---|
| Range | 800 nm |
| Service ceiling | 21,500 ft |
| Climb rate | 1,200 ft/min |
| Stall speed (Vso) | 52 KCAS |
| Takeoff over 50 ft | — |
| Landing over 50 ft | — |
Load and fuel
| Seats | 5 |
|---|---|
| Useful load | 1,450 lb |
| Full-fuel payload | 550 lb |
| Max takeoff weight | 4,350 lb |
| Empty weight | 2,900 lb |
| Usable fuel | 150 gal |
| Fuel burn at cruise | 25.2 gal/h |
Cost of ownership
| Price, low | $150,000 |
|---|---|
| Price, high | $300,000 |
| Prices as of | 2026 |
| Engine TBO | 1,200 h |
| Overhaul cost, low | $70,000 |
| Overhaul cost, high | $120,000 |
The fleet and its record
| Registered, all time | 303 |
|---|---|
| Active fleet | 96 |
| Median year built | 1943.0 |
| NTSB events, last 10 years | 4 |
| Fatal events, last 10 years | 1 |
| Events per 1,000 active, last 10 years | 41.67 · thin base (low)1 |
| Personal-flying events per 1,000 active | 41.67 · thin base (low)2 |
| Ownership transfers, last 24 months | 20 |
| Transfers per 100 active | 20.83 · 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 96 active.
- Personal-flying events per 1,000 active: per 1,000 active aircraft · base 96 active.
- Transfers per 100 active: per 100 active aircraft · base 96 active.
Peer scores6
| Peer class | Fixed wing single-engine, piston, 1 engine, 5-6 seats |
|---|---|
| Accident record | —1 |
| Severity | —2 |
| Access | 0.7 of 103 |
| Support | 5.3 of 104 |
| Liquidity | 6.8 of 105 |
- Accident record: class median 38.14 · 75 models in class.
- Severity: class median 10.
- Access: class median 1,826.5.
- Support: class median 74.
- Liquidity: class median 17.96.
- 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.