title: Sherpa Aircraft Sherpa
text: # Sherpa Aircraft Sherpa
  
  The Sherpa Aircraft Sherpa is an American five-seat utility aircraft designed and built by Sherpa Aircraft Manufacturing Inc. The aircraft is made in two variants, a piston engined K500 and a turboprop K650T. The aircraft has a fixed conventional landing gear with a tailwheel, also available with alternate large tundra tires, skis or floats.
  
  ## Variants
  
  ### Sherpa K500
  
      Five-seat variant powered by a Lycoming IO-720 piston engine.
  
  ### Sherpa K650T
  
      Improved eight-seat variant powered by a Honeywell TPE331 turboprop. One completed and flown by 2011.
  
  ## Specifications (K500)
  
  Data from Brassey'sBrassey's World Aircraft & Systems Directory
  
  General characteristics
  
  * Crew: 1
  * Capacity: 4
  * Wingspan: 42 ft 7 in (12.98 m)
  * Wing area: 258 sq ft (23.97 $m^2)$
  * Empty weight: 2,585 lb (1,172 kg)
  * Gross weight: 4,750 lb (2,154 kg)
  * Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming IO-720 piston engine , 400 hp (298 kW)
  