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The Cessna 175 Skylark, as originally designed and marketed by Cessna, was supposed to be a mid-level offering between the tame 172 Skyhawk and the big, expensive 182 Skylane. It was paired with an engine that was ok if operated correctly, but earned an unreliable reputation at the hands of pilots that didn’t read the instructions.
Our Skylark is a marriage of performance modifications that results in a flying machine that has to be experienced to be believed. Horton STOL (Short TakeOff and Landing) wing mods. Vortex Generators. Tailwheel conversion. And last but not least, the engine the airframe should have started with – the legendary Lycoming O-360 with 180 horsepower.
The package results in an airplane capable of 120 kts at altitude, but it’s when it’s time to get low, slow, and taildragger dirty that the wing mods start to shine. You’ve never felt an airplane so willing to fly slow with perfect control – we know, because we’ve flown a lot of them. The 180 hp pulls hard, and gets the airplane off the ground and climbing swiftly even with a full load. The taildragger conversion is one of the easiest to land, to boot.