Warbird Information Exchange

Came across this one at Napa Airport, CA today during their Wings and Wheels show. A fair number of these planes were built, but most people don't know what they are when they see the occasional one. I've taken the "N" number off the side to avoid cheating. The planes were built over forty years ago, so I think it might just barely make the vintage criteria.
Winner receives an "atta boy"

Tail looks like a Mooney product, but wasn't something like that built by Lockheed?

Aero Commander Darter or Lark, depending on which interation of AC built it.

Cvairwerks wrote:Aero Commander Darter or Lark, depending on which interation of AC built it.

That was quick Cvairwerks, registration is N9097H c/n 269. Registry lists it as a 1968, and the info on the plane listed it as a Darter

Hey Roger, I've got to admit that it was an easy one for me. I had been looking at one to use as a hack between fields this next year. The only problem is Murphy showed up at the house with about 50 of his relatives and all the spare bucks are now committed to getting our current house ready for sale or lease and getting into something else in a different part of the county. We'll see what happens over the next couple of months.

Craig

bdk wrote:Tail looks like a Mooney product, but wasn't something like that built by Lockheed?

I think your thinking of the Lockheed 60.

Yes, that's a bit bigger though.

Every time I see one of those I say "what in the world were you thinking Aero Commander?"

I just saw one of those at the Burlington, WI airport yesterday and was wondering what the heck it was. Now I know, and as GI JOE says, "Knowing is half the battle."

Zack

Commander 100 piece of cr*p

Not a fan of it Jack? I need to know more. It seems like a decent little airplane.

-David

It's just a ulgy do nothing competitor to the 172.

Jack,

I hadn't looked at it that way. Ya know, you're right. It's just a cheap knock off.

There's actually one in my area that I see every now and then. They look "Special."

Cheers,

David

You have to look at its competition. Mooney had been making Erpcoupes' with a backwards tail, Beech trying to sell its Mouseketeer andSkipper, Piper had its Traumahawk, everybody with their learn to fly airplanes and move up the ladder with "customer loyalty"