The Tiger was the outcome of the same redesign work on the AA-5 Traveler that resulted in the 150 HP Cheetah, and it was originally little more than the same aircraft with a Lycoming O-360-A4K 180 HP engine, resulting in a 139 KNOT cruise speed. The gross weight was increased from 2,200 LBS (998 KG) to 2,400 LBS (1,089 KG) on the Tiger.