King Katmai Review

A variety of small taildraggers can take you in and out of short strips, but what if you want to carry a lot more than what a Piper Cub can hold, would like to fly faster than 90 mph, and don’t want to feel like a paper kite when the winds kick up? For an unbeatable combination of dazzling short-field performance, high useful load, fuel efficiency, fast cruising speeds, and unique protection against stalls/spins, the only place to go is Peterson Performance Plus and their amazing custom SE and Katmai aircraft, all fitted with a canard mounted directly behind the prop. The canard completely changes the aircraft’s slow-flight characteristics and increases flight safety even during normal airport operations. Pilot Getaways Technical Editor Crista V. Worthy profiles Todd Peterson and his wife Jo, who have built this successful company together, and then flies their amazing airplane, which can take off in less than 300 feet at a weight over 3,000 pounds.