Many Navions sport warbird paint, such as Case Ketting’s tip-tank-equipped, IO-540-powered version above.

In the world of general aviation, not many light aircraft can claim to have a genuine military pedigree, although a few have been tarted up to look like warbirds. One of the few non-pretenders is the Navion, introduced by North American Aviation in 1946 and intended to capitalize on what everyone assumed would be a post-war flying boom.

With its rakish sliding turtle-shell canopy, tall stalky gear and a P-51-style tail, the four-seat retractable came from the same stable as the Mustang, whose production ended at the close of the war. And true to its heritage, the Navion—pronounced “Navy-on”—did find a niche in military aviation as a liaison ride and many…