Aviat Aircraft

"America's favorite taildragger" is a top-flight, single-engine, two-seat aircraft that is full of unique values, ideal for short field landings, bush and high-altitude flights.

The Husky was designed specifically to meet the needs of wilderness adventurers who want a durable, rugged, high-quality aircraft combined with the heavy loading and fuel capacity needed for a long trip.

Manufactured in Afton, Wyoming, the Husky is one of three aircraft currently available from an American aerospace manufacturer with more than 80 years of experience in single-engine aircraft production. The products of the American company Aviat Aircraft have their own very specific features: lightweight truss construction, covered with canvas or duralumin, combined with a powerful engine. The Husky family of aircraft is characterized by its ability to take off landings in extremely difficult terrain and on very short airstrips.

Company history

The company now known as Aviat Aircraft Incorporated was founded by Reuel Call in Afton, Wyoming, in 1939. Already proficient in building Polaris snowmobiles - precursors to today's snowmobiles - Call brought his mechanical and design skills with him when he took up aviation.

When Mr. Call obtained his pilot's license in 1939, he discovered that the commercial aircraft of the time were not suitable for the high altitudes and rugged terrain around Afton. Rather than settle for what was available, Call decided to design and build his own aircraft designed for mountain flying, which was christened CallAir after the newly formed company. Production of the original CallAir was delayed due to World War II, but Call was able to run its factory as a military aircraft repair facility in the meantime. After World War II, Call eventually released the CallAir A-3. It gained some recognition as an all-terrain aircraft, but in the 1950s customers were looking for something different. The CallAir A-5 through A-9 models were sold as crop spraying aircraft until 1959, when the rights to their designs were sold to competitors.

Facing intense competition in the industry and looking for a new direction for the company, Call partnered with Curtis Pitts and his Pitts Special biplane. Pitts needed an FAA-certified facility to manufacture his aircraft. Call needed an airplane to build in his now-empty factory. The Pitts series of aerobatic aircraft were designed by Pitts in Homestead, Florida, and built by Call at his facility in Afton, Wyoming.

In the 1970s, Frank Christensen, an aerobatics enthusiast, wanted to buy the company. When the deal fell through, Christensen instead created and sold his own Eagle 2 biplane kit modeled after the Pitts S2-A. Christensen's model, with all the necessary parts and materials and detailed instructions, revolutionized the world of self-assembly aircraft and became a commercial success.

Christensen and Pitts were business competitors until Pitts retired in the early 1980s, when Pitts' partner bought out Pitts' shares and then sold the entire company to Christensen. The name was changed to Christen Industries, and the newly renamed company offered its customers both Pitts and the original Eagle aircraft, as well as a new and improved version of the Eagle S2-B.

As sales of biplanes declined, Christensen focused on production rights to the Piper Super Cub. Unfortunately, Piper wanted more than $1 million for the project, so Christensen instead directed his team to create their own bush plane.

A survey of Piper Cub owners revealed what they liked and disliked about their aircraft. Christen Industries' design team gathered this valuable information and then set about solving problems and enhancing the Super Cub's strengths, creating a new aircraft from scratch - the Husky.

In 1991, Christensen retired and sold the company to Malcom White, who renamed it Aviat Inc. while retaining the product line. In 1995, Stuart Horn bought Aviat Inc. and gave it its current name: Aviat Aircraft Incorporated.

Today, Aviat continues to produce the Husky, Pitts and Eagle lines. Aviat has the distinction of being the oldest manufacturer of single-engine aircraft continuously operating in the United States.

Building on the base of the Piper Super Cub

The Husky project was launched in 1986, and the following year the Husky was certified by the FAA and went into production. The entire process from initial sketch to the start of commercial production took just 18 months.

A survey of Piper Super Cub owners revealed some opportunities for Christensen to differentiate the Husky. They got rid of the Super Cub's fixed propeller, opting instead for a fixed-speed, variable-pitch model that allowed a 25 mph increase in cruise speed. Other design improvements included an updated wider fuselage structure, a Lycoming engine and a modified aerofoil with 4-position half-fowlers with single slotted flaps. Foot brakes instead of heel brakes improved maneuverability on the ground.

The Husky was built to the more stringent FAR23 requirements, rather than the older CAR-3 requirements used for Super Cub certification. This meant it would be more crashworthy, with an emphasis on pilot safety.

Despite all the modifications, Christensen remained faithful to the Super Cub's best-loved features. He retained the low stall speed, tandem seat configuration, high fabric wings and center bar design.

The name Husky came from Christensen's desire for his new aircraft to be similar to the Super Cub, but with the more rugged Husky design.

Currently, the Husky's hull consists of a welded steel frame covered with aluminum panels and fourteen layers of Ceconite fabric. The fabric is made of polyester made from durable, UV-resistant and paintable woven Dacron. The Ceconite fabric is stretched over the frame and glued. Irons are then used to shrink the fabric and give it a beautiful, taut finish. All this corresponds to an airplane that is lightweight but strong. Unlike other manufacturers, Aviat paints all Husky parts before assembly, and the wings are attached during the final stages of construction.

Aviat often has a waiting list for production, but once production begins, the entire process of building a custom Husky takes an average of five months.

Continuous improvement

Aviat never allows the Husky project to stagnate. There is a grain of truth in their slogan "Husky means more." In the decades since the release of the original A1 model with a gross weight of 1,800 pounds, no heating and only a single coat of enamel, improvements have been continually made.

In 1999, a second model called the A-1A was released with an increased gross weight of 1890 pounds. In 2000, the A-1B increased its gross weight to 2,000 pounds. In 2005, a new wing design was introduced with 60% span flaps and an aerodynamic aileron design that eliminated the blade. This wing redesign increased roll mass by 50% and reduced unfavorable yaw. The updated Husky now had more consistent control response throughout the speed range, as well as improved low-speed control characteristics.

The A-1C was released in 2007 with a gross weight of 2,200 pounds, as well as new, larger doors with an external locking handle. Vernier mix and propeller control, as well as LED landing and taxi lights rounded out the 2007 improvements.

In 2012, Aviat again increased gross weight, this time to 2,250 pounds. A shock-absorbing landing gear system - the first of its kind in a bush aircraft - controlled bounce and rebound during landing, and further improved the Husky's overall handling in crosswinds, on slopes and in difficult terrain.

Improvements for 2018 included equipping the Husky with a Garmin glass cockpit. The bungee system was replaced with an altitude rudder trim to reduce trim load and system pressure, as well as greater pilot control and improved stick feedback.

The newly lengthened landing gear moved the tires 4", forward 2" and spaced them 12" further apart. This provided additional propeller clearance, improved stability and increased the angle of attack, resulting in better takeoff performance.

In the cabin, a new quick-release pin system allowed the rear seat, frame and bar to be removed, turning the area into more than 35 cubic feet of storage space. The pilot's seat was equipped with front-to-back adjustment and backrest articulation to make it easier for passengers to get in and out. Finally, an integrated throttle quadrant made it easier to operate the throttle and propeller mixture with one hand.

Looking ahead, Aviat is planning more than a dozen changes. An upgraded VFR and IFR Garmin TXi panel will be offered, as well as a diamond-stitched seat design, headphone holsters and shiny metallic paint for "stunning depth and aesthetic value that will make your aircraft stand out on the apron or in the field."