What qualifies as a high performance airplane?

A high-performance airplane is defined as one that requires specific training and endorsements due to its power and capabilities. The correct criterion for classifying an airplane as high performance is that it has an engine with more than 200 horsepower. This threshold is significant because higher horsepower typically indicates a greater climbing rate, higher speeds, and more demanding flight characteristics, which can pose additional challenges for pilots who are not trained to handle such aircraft.

The other options do not align with the established criteria for high-performance classification. For example, an airplane with 180 horsepower, even if it features retractable landing gear and flaps, does not meet the horsepower requirement. Similarly, an airplane with a cruise speed of over 20 knots is not inherently high performance without additional context about its power and design. Lastly, while an airplane designed for aerobatics might exhibit high performance in certain aspects, the definition of high performance specifically hinges on the engine's horsepower, making it a separate category from conventional high-performance classifications.