Grumman Tiger, good bad and ugly

CC268 said:
There is a beautiful Grumman at my airport for sale. Nicest one I’ve ever seen. Guy has over 100K in it and he is selling for 57K. Autopilot, 430W, PS Engineering audio panel, JPI 830, new paint and interior. Wouldn’t mind having it myself!
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Where are you? My brother in law is itching to buy an airplane to go with his new PPSEL.
 
TigerGene said:
I have a non WAAS IFR legal GPS. Although the radio stack is on the center right part of the panel, I have a CDI tied to the GPS on the left side. I also have dual Narco Nav radios, one with GPS and they both work great. So a total of 3 CDIs in my plane.
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How do you like the audio panel in that location?
 
CC268 said:
Nope! I’m telling ya though this Grumman is fricken sweet!
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Would also be interested in details. I'm not quite to buying either but for the right one....
 
trenton said:
How do you like the audio panel in that location?
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At first I wasn’t sure if I would like it, I’m used to it at the top of a center stack. However, I soon discovered I like it there within easy reach. It would have been nice to put the GPS there, probably could have avoided the CDI and switch panel. But I don’t think it would have fit there, the GPS is just a bit too large.

Besides, I now have a large empty space for a new hippy dippy big screen WAAS GPS in the center stack. Problem is I can’t afford one.
 
Groundpounder said:
Saw that one myself. Engine is kind of high time, and the GPS isn't WAAS, but those are good negotiating points.
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Yep. You're gonna spend $35k taking care of those two issues and adding ADS-B.
 
I have been looking for a good Grumman.....

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Or a Tiger.....

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Groundpounder said:
Couldn't find and specific threads on the Tiger, so I decided to start one.
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Owned mine 10 years and 700 hours. No canopy leak and didn't do anything to the seals ever. Download the Grumman info. as there are only a couple of minor things at annual (remove the nose gear completely and re-lube ... one time wing attach bolt check). Mine was 135 knots at 2500 RPM with fuel burn 8.5 at 10,500 and 8.3 at 11,500. Previous owner to me put over 50k in just the avionics and instruments so I basically bought it for a little over what he put in just the panel. W&B was dirt simple for mine: 675 lbs if using full fuel, max 100 in the cargo area and not more than 330 behind the pilot including cargo area.

I sold mine only because most of my flights are solo or on passenger max (about 1-2 a year with that single passenger). Bought an RV7A which has the EXACT same rudder as the Tiger (but now I'll have a 160-165 knot cruise). The RV line used the Tiger tail as a model ...

Do NOT pay attention to the guy below - he doesn't know what he's talking about.

brien23 said:
Small ruder for X wind landing, more than one landed on nose wheel and met their demise not that other aircraft don't. People tend to step on the seats just a problem of not knowing how to get in the plane, I believe the wing is a time life item and the end of the plane. If it is a new paint job people have got stripper in the joints remember this plane is glued together and stripper in the glue is bad, make sure this did not happen
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1. Don't land on the nose wheel
2. The rudder is larger than most other GA AC. I landed DIRECT crosswind 32G35 (I'm in a windy area) and STILL had a little scootch of rudder available. Ron Levy landed one 42G45 DIRECT, but said he would never do that again. Common direct crosswind here is 20G24.
3. If you fly like crap and can't come down final at 65-70 MPH, don't get one ... they're speed sensitive and will float. If you set RPM to 1500 abeam the numbers and throttle to idle over the threshold, no problems whatsoever. You won't even need the ASI.
4. They're "tight cowled" so you do have to watch CHTs in the climb, but with correct training that isn't a problem either.
 
Only thing is that I think I recall the Grumman I was referring to earlier has a high time engine which may be a big deal breaker.
 
Here you guys go. Check out this Grumman. Very high time engine, but it is a NICE plane. It is in a covered tie down right now but it says it has always been hangared. This is just a few hangar rows down from me.

https://www.yogapura.com/n221ew
 
TigerGene said:
1. Sliding canopy for hot days, makes taxi, climb and cruise comfortable
2. Fold down back seats make an awesome cargo hauler with over 6-1/2 feet of room
3. Comparable in speed to C model Mooney, C182 and faster than an Arrow
4. Fuel burn only 10 gph at 135+ knots cruise
5. Airframe is strong as heck, no history of inflight structural failure
6. Great useful load, mine is 900 lbs.
7. Modern instrument layout, no shotgun panel
8. Fixed pitch prop and fixed gear means cheap insurance and reduced maintenance
9. Easy engine access
10. Plenty of backseat leg room.
11. Mine flies exactly as the book predicts, speed and fuel burn are spot on
12. Great support for parts and maintenance
13. INCREDIBLE inflight visibility
14. Plenty stable for instrument flight, and yes I fly IFR in mine.
15. Wheels mount on the fuselage, not on the wing. Eliminates landing stresses on wing/fuselage joints. Not like an Arrow!

Best of all it’s a Grumman! Pretty cool to broadcast that fact on every radio call!
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This quote pretty much covers it. I’ve had mine for 3+ years with no problems to date. I do owner assist annuals with a Grumman knowledgeable mechanic that are ridiculously inexpensive. They are a very simple airplane, easy to work on, and not many problems arise if they have been taken care of.
Working on my instrument ticket with it.
 
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CC268 said:
Here you guys go. Check out this Grumman. Very high time engine, but it is a NICE plane. It is in a covered tie down right now but it says it has always been hangared. This is just a few hangar rows down from me.

https://www.yogapura.com/n221ew
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Saw that one hit the Grumman mailing list a bit ago and I assumed it would have sold by now. Probably the high time engine but even factoring that in and an adsb update for the 330 that seems like a decent price since it looks well cared for.

Bit low on useful load (I've seems multiple in the 900s). Autopilot is a bit ancient but new options are becoming available. Curious why the owner didn't spring for replacing the fuses with breakers when redoing the panel. Any tiger experts know the cost to do that?
 
Well now, hasn’t this been a relevant and useful Grumman discussion?!
Seem to have dispelled all the OWTs, conspiracy theories, and naysayers early on.
Anyone disagree the AA5B is a great GA plane?o_O
 
atbroome said:
Would also be interested in details. I'm not quite to buying either but for the right one....
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The good ones don’t last very long on the market usually.

Almost 2-year Tiger owner just adding another data point. Everything has pretty much been said already. Great airplane. Responsive controls...which some may say make it less stable for IFR (it’s great for ifr, btw)...I say it makes it more fun to fly. I can’t overemphasize how much I like the canopy. Excellent for cool ground ops and easy in/out. The folding back seats add amazing utility to the plane.
 
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Zeldman said:
The steering wheel is on the wrong side, but that doesn't bother me enough to not take the car if given to me....:lol::lol:
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No the steering wheel is on the RIGHT side - as it should be for all proper LBCs. :)
 
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A couple more from the Grumman/Grumman-Olson carrozzeria.

They made 150,000 vans for UPS back in '84!!

No flush riveting...tsk tsk. :rolleyes:

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Small_USPS_Truck.jpg
 
SixPapaCharlie said:
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You need to replace the canopy double bead seal on the glass side. Also, the seal on the canopy side may have been put on backwards. The v of the canopy seal needs to be toward the fixed side I believe. I have owned both a Cheetah and now a Tiger NEVER had the seal leak. Have had the whiskey compass drip, but not the canopy.
 
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