With retractable landing gear, a slide-back canopy and a familiar fighter wing, you won’t have to eyeball an early Navion for long to see that it was intended for military duty. But rugged cool-factor is but one reason why Navion owners love these sporty singles, made even better with quality support from the American Navion Society.
Support is a good thing—these are old machines, some dating back to the mid-1940s. Barn find? Be prepared to give it some love and spend plenty of money to get it up to snuff. Ones that have been nicely upgraded and given the care they deserve will sell for hefty premiums, and Navions in general have increased sharply in price since we last looked at the market four years ago. Before making a deal on any model, do a thorough prebuy evaluation and get an insurance quote.