Grumman Gang and AYA, I don't own a grumman, but I get their e-mail
newsletter. These aircraft have probably some of the best
(group/association) support in the US as far as I can tell. So the support
side isn't an issue.

start at www.aya.org

Cheers,

wrote in message
...
"Dice" wrote:
Is it prudent to buy an orphaned aircraft brand?

I had a 1961 Shinn/Varga ... they went out of biz in 1980 with less than
200 made. There are probably 150 still flying. A relatively minor repair
snowballed into a major restoration. Even with a plane that old and
"orphaned," the engine is a Lycoming-0320, so getting parts for that was
not a problem. The Varga-specific parts are not easy, but not
impossible, and if you need it, someone else likely has likely needed it
too and has found a solution, complete with FAA approval.

I'm sure there's a Tiger *club*. These clubs are a GREAT resource for
doing repairs and finding parts as well as for telling you all the
nuances and quirks (if there are any) of the airplane and its
performance issues/highlights.

For me its a toss-up between a Diamond and the New Tiger,
and frankly I prefer a yoke.

Have you ever flown a stick? If not, I would just encourage you to fly
one for a few hours.