The Navion cruised comfortably at about 150 mph.
The US Air Force, Army, and National Guard used the L-17 from the late 1940s through the early 1960s for liaison, reconnaissance, light cargo, and some as target drones. During the Korean War, some L-17s were also used as forward air control aircraft, gathering information from the front lines and relaying it to fighter and bomber aircraft. Designed for civilian aviation and first flown in 1946, North American introduced this aircraft as the commercial NA-154 Navion. The US Army Air Forces went on to order 83 military versions under the designation L-17A.
This Navion was the personal plane of former Utah Senator Jake Garn, an accomplished and seasoned pilot. Senator Garn is the only pilot in history to have aviation wings from the US Navy, US Air Force and NASA. In 1992, he also received one of aviation’s most coveted honors, the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for “a lifetime of public service in government and active participation in all segments of US Aviation, as a military and civilian pilot, astronaut and as one of the US Senate’s most effective aerospace spokesmen and legislators.” The plane has been fully restored and bears the patch from Senator Garn’s space mission. It was donated to the Hill Aerospace Museum by Jake Garn in 2020.
This aircraft is on loan from the U.S. Air Force Heritage Program.
Serial Number: NAV-4-1300
Manufacturer: Ryan Aeronautical Company
Primary Function: Personnel Transport and Reconnaissance
Crew: One
Engines: Continental O-470-7; 185 hp
Wingspan: 33 ft 5 in
Length: 27 ft 4 in
Height: 8 ft 7 in
Weight: 2,950 lbs
Speed: 163 mph
Range: 700 miles
Service Ceiling: 11,000 feet
Armament: None
Cost: $9,000
Years of Service: Late 1940s – early 1960s
The Navion on display at Hill Aerospace Museum was the personal plane of former Utah Senator Jake Garn. Senator Garn is the only pilot in aviation history to have aviation wings from the Navy, US Air Force and NASA. In 1992, he also received one of aviation’s most coveted honors, the Wright Brothers Memorial Trophy for “a lifetime of public service in government and active participation in all segments of US Aviation, as a military and civilian pilot, astronaut and as one of the US Senate’s most effective aerospace spokesmen and legislators.” The plane has been fully restored and bears the patch from Senator Garn’s space mission. It was donated to Hill Aerospace Museum by Jake Garn in 2020.
The Navion cruised comfortably at about 150 mph.
Despite such a small aircraft, the Navion was capable of carrying a load of about 800 pounds.
The Navion could take off and land in about 1100 feet.