 Grumman Owners and Pilots Association"Building on our proud AYA heritage..."
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Why Grumman?
Grummans are unique among general aviation airplanes. Beside the fact that they are sexier looking than their competitors, Grummans sport a number of unique design features which distinguishes them from the rest of the pack. |
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UNIQUE CONSTRUCTION METHODSMost notable is the way they are built. Throughout the entire model range of AA-1 through the GA-7 Cougar, the airframe is not riveted, but glued or bonded together. This process gives tremendous strength, and very smooth airfoil surfaces. The whole structure, wings and fuselage, are produced using an aluminum honeycomb sandwich technique that is bonded together to create very strong, rigid and lightweight components. The wings have aluminum tubing for spars that, on the two-seat models, double as fuel tanks. Many of the components are interchangeable. For example, on the two seat-models the vertical and horizontal control tail surfaces are identical. UNDERCARRIAGEThe main gear is comprised of fiberglass, leaf spring legs which provide a degree of shock-absorption and consequent smoother landings. The nose gear is not the conventional steerable type but fully castoring, which allows for tight taxing turns and overall enhanced ground maneuverability. FIGHTER-STYLE SLIDING CANOPYWith the exception of the GA-7 Cougar, Grumman airplanes feature sliding canopies. Not only does this add to the "cool" factor in looks, it also adds to the cooling factor during taxi and even in-flight on hot days when the aircraft can be flown with the canopy partially opened. All-round visibility is excellent, with the view forward enhanced by a lower than usual position of the nose compared to similar class aircraft when in the cruise. CONFIGURABLE BAGGAGE AREAIn the four-seat models, the rear seat backs can be easily slid out of their housings and the seat back support un-clipped and folded forward to lie flat to provide a six-foot long cargo compartment that will hold a couple of bikes, skis or even short folks for a night of airplane camping. PERFORMANCEFrom the 108hp two-place AA-1 "Yankee", through the four-seat AA-5's to the twin "Cougar", the Grumman range offers a broad spectrum of features and benefits that owners and pilots find so irresistible. With many combinations of power, capacity, useful load and endurance, coupled with remarkably low cost of ownership, there's a Grumman aircraft to fit every mission. Compare Grumman aircraft by model ... |