This is more a nuisance than a problem. This is the Best Cheyenne 400LS available. One additional factor I believe to be absolutely necessary is that pilots flying the Cheyenne should attend the Flight Safety school on the Cheyenne on a recurrent basis. 0000011689 00000 n Many of the problems are reflected in service letters, bulletins (and, frequently, remedial kits. legal hyenas and their pursuit of product liability claims. Dicks monthly Gear Up celebrates the human side of flying. The aircraft is operated by private individuals, companies and executive charter operators. (Note that the longitudinal stability problem is at its worst at aft loadings, and if the range is exceeded all bets are, of course, off.). You've disabled JavaScript in your web browser. It can cruise at the same long-range speed over 1,842nmi (3,411km), 400nmi (740km) more; it can carry eight passengers farther than a King Air 200 while cruising 50kn (93km/h) faster. Some owners report that the 400LS lacks the build quality compared to a King Air and its rarity can cause head scratches from mechanics who may never have seen one. More recently, former Piper test pilot (and frequent Aviation Consumer contributor) William P. Kelly Jr. discussed the issue in a letter (February 1, 1988). 0000179961 00000 n The massive Dowty-Rotol composite propellers are expensive and have only eight inches of ground clearance, leading to erosion problems. The airplane has two imposing TPE331-14 engines, each capable of producing 1,600+ SHP de-rated to 1,000 HP at its five-bladed MT propellers. The SAS is essentially an addition to the flight controls that is supposed to overcome the poor static stability of the original airplane. There is not a lot of competition to consider in this category. They could cost more than we expect, and there is no guarantee that any of that expense could be recouped. [3] It can climb directly to FL 410 at its 12,050lb (5,470kg) MTOW and typical single-pilot BOWs are 7,8507,900lb (3,5603,580kg). The -31T1 was in production from 1978 to 1984; 215 I and IAs were built. company on the then new Citation. If the design has died with the old Piper Aircraft Company, It was costly close to $40,000. In ground handling and during cross-wind operations it is especially troublesome, since it fights the desired control inputs. They made 620 shp, and therein lay a problem. 0000042546 00000 n It successfully smashed all the records in its class and set overall records to 6,000 and 12,000 meters. %PDF-1.4 % Then, in 1984, the Cheyenne 400LS was born the queen of the Piper Aircraft fleet. Also, the IIs generally come equipped with far superior avionics, such as the King Gold Crown instead of the panel-mounted radios in the Cheyenne I. It uses less runway, climbs and cruises faster than many pure jets. Careless support can bite in terms of airworthiness, higher cost and accelerated loss of value. The PIPER Cheyenne II, manufactured from 1974-1983, requires a 2 person crew and can transport up to 5 passengers. trailer Click here to view charts for Resale Values, Payload Compared and Prices Compared, Click here to view the Piper PA-31T Cheyenne features guide, Shopping For A Seaplane: Pick A Price Point. It is noteworthy that there have been few reported problems with corrosion. 0000093767 00000 n 0000158131 00000 n 0000004128 00000 n No airplane in this category should be considered a weekend toy. 0000068591 00000 n The computer also determines stall margin, commands stall warning signals and provides input to a simple, cockpit mounted angle of attack indicator dubbed the stall margin indicator. H|T{PTWesWwFM}j( * Start your free trial today! With a fuel capacity of 570 gallons of usable fuel on tap, the 400LS can fly more than 2,000 nm at that setting. Below FL 180, the aircraft tends to become more stable, but the phugoid instability is still obvious, and with each oscillation it becomes worse. has contracted with Isaacman Associates. And archaic autopilots can represent in-flight hazards if they are not meticulously maintained and rigged. The original version of the SAS addressed this problem, but the bugaboo of dynamic stability remained. It is an aeroplane that dies everything well. Design work on the Cheyenne began in 1965 as a turboprop-powered version of Pipers Pressurized Navajo. The numbers The PA-31T was produced from 1974 to 1983. The original Cheyenne is designated PA-31T. N7222F often pleasantly surprises ATC with its initial 4,000 fpm climb rate when asked for an expedited climb. apart from improving ground clearance, will increase the maximum speed 17 0 obj << /Linearized 1 /O 19 /H [ 1122 283 ] /L 38316 /E 23523 /N 5 /T 37858 >> endobj xref 17 36 0000000016 00000 n 0000001067 00000 n 0000001405 00000 n 0000001612 00000 n 0000001748 00000 n 0000002090 00000 n 0000002404 00000 n 0000006240 00000 n 0000006446 00000 n 0000007290 00000 n 0000007475 00000 n 0000007966 00000 n 0000008485 00000 n 0000008975 00000 n 0000009725 00000 n 0000010134 00000 n 0000017979 00000 n 0000018000 00000 n 0000018781 00000 n 0000018802 00000 n 0000019444 00000 n 0000019465 00000 n 0000020118 00000 n 0000020139 00000 n 0000020727 00000 n 0000020748 00000 n 0000021428 00000 n 0000021449 00000 n 0000022091 00000 n 0000022200 00000 n 0000022221 00000 n 0000022916 00000 n 0000022937 00000 n 0000023294 00000 n 0000001122 00000 n 0000001384 00000 n trailer << /Size 53 /Info 16 0 R /Root 18 0 R /Prev 37848 /ID[] >> startxref 0 %%EOF 18 0 obj << /Type /Catalog /Pages 15 0 R >> endobj 51 0 obj << /S 120 /Filter /FlateDecode /Length 52 0 R >> stream For a pilot with no turbine experience, the I or IA would be the best choice because it is the least demanding to operate. At the time, Piper Aircraft was improving on its unpressurized and pressurized piston-twin line of the Piper Navajo and Mojave. This is the only COMPLETE (RVSM,FULL PAID MSP) AVAILABLE! In 1981, auto-ignition was first offered as an option. The Cheyenne IIXL (PA-31T2) was certified in 1981. So the whole package can push $700,000. Maximum climb power was reduced and recommended climb speeds raised to keep the airplane further from the SAS operating speed range (nominally, 121 KIAS and slower). There are a few reasons this might happen: To regain access, please make sure that cookies and JavaScript are enabled before reloading the page. By John W. Olcott Altitudes above FL 350 are no longer the sole province of jet aircraft. Ive also had correspondence with Ed Black of Blackhawk. 1. This causes an unnaturally sharp pitchover and rapid speed buildup. Ours is one of only 44 total Cheyenne 400LS models built by Piper Aircraft between 1984 and 1992. That is a fair description of the original Cheyenne. Why is the hourly cost so high when only burning 60gph? Corrosion of the airframe has been rare, thanks to Piper's use of extensive anti-corrosion treatments and epoxy primers. The Cheyennes are a relative bargain in both initial price and operating costs. The previous owner of N7222F (C-FGKS) flew the aircraft from Edmonton, Canada, to Northern Virginia to show us its beauty. 0000006751 00000 n Maximum area is 22 cubic feet; load limit is 200 pounds (interior furnishings can reduce both). It takes about four inches of yoke travel to keep the plane level at FL 270. Another good source is Mike Shafer, president of Mercury Aircraft Sales in Sarasota, Florida. This same engine takes seven seconds to go from idle to full power. Heck, this is less then the price of some Saratogas out there. 0000013382 00000 n In the worst accident in terms of loss of life, seven people were killed when an ATP took off in a IIXL and tried to scud run but hit the side of a mountain. Two feet were added forward of the wing leading edge. During certification, longitudinal stability was an issue, and an elaborate "stability augmentation system" (SAS) was installed in the II series.. You're a power user moving through this website with super-human speed. Full Reverse allows for landing in shorter distances than even many single and piston twins. None of these occurrences was surprising. The Garretts have sophisticated protection systems built in. claim might be true. Each inboard main cell has two submerged boost pumps to supply fuel to the engine. 0000011808 00000 n thanks again. My usual response is to change the subject and make her a martini. It is derived directly from the Cheyenne III series, but utilizes the far more powerful TPE331 engines with four-blade propellers which produce significantly faster airspeeds than its predecessors. One 24 volt, 43 ampere hour air-cooled nickel-cadmium battery, located in the nose section furnished power for engine starting and also serves as a reserve source of emergency electrical power. When I am not working, eating or sleeping, you can find me there. Serial #: 42-5527036. 0000147953 00000 n Piper continued to improve the Cheyenne by certifying different engines, lengthening the fuselage and adding a T-tail. Feature, October 2020 Issue They arent. At all phases of flight, the cabin noise was less than I remember it being Indeed, the 1980 Cheyenne, which was There are two major branches to the design family. The Cheyenne became the Cheyenne II. This engine has a reverse flow, free turbine arrangement. These introduce artificial pitch forces at the yoke to counteract PIO or over controlling tendencies. You can even see the horizontal stabilizer. The aircraft was But it was too late to start the Cheyenne from scratch. Significant improvements were made throughout the product line in terms of maintainability, rational human factors-oriented redesign and in overall quality. For both individual and corporate owners, the early Cheyennes make sense as step-up purchases, as long as the combination of low price, low maintenance, and high-performance remains in vogue. The Emotional, Philosophical Journey to a Pilot Proficiency Check. We looked the records for a representative five-year period, during which a total of 187 service difficulty reports (SDRs) were submitted on the PA-31T series, including the PA-31T3/T-1040. You can see the left engine spinning down to a stop while the right engine slowly spools down and the crew exits. The system met the letter of FAA certification requirements in terms of achieving stick-free longitudinal stability but it did nothing for, and possibly aggravated, long-period phugoid divergence (in something approaching English, if pitch input moves the aircraft away from its trim airspeed, it tends to accelerate quickly in that direction, then recover abruptly [pull up or push over] with the divergence increasing with each cycle). The turbine engines are so reliable that Ive the sense that, given my modest piloting skills, Id be safer in a single turbine than in a Baron. It is powered by PT6A-11 engines rated at 500 SHP. Written by Twin and Turbine Magazine When it was introduced, the 400LS outperformed Cessna Citations of the day. little doubt that Piper's PA-42 Cheyenne 400LS is the hot rod of the Who are you using for service, and are you having trouble getting parts? Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. Initial rate of climb was about 6,000 feet per minute at the light weight used for the record flight. 0000014061 00000 n Magginetti mentions cabin heaters, torque indicating systems and the PA-31Ts SAS as systems that require higher than average attention. @ (o$y=.d;n0 0000043652 00000 n The PA-42 Cheyenne is a larger development of the earlier PA-31T Cheyennes I and II (which are, in turn, turboprop developments of the PA-31 Navajo). The starter-generators are 1,000-hour scheduled maintenance events. Deliveries of production Cheyenne IIIs began on June 30, 1980. Some changes, such as a retrofit that reduces temperatures during engine start-named (surprise) the Cool Start Kit-and procedures such as regular compressor washes can have benefits beyond making it to recommended hot section inspection (HSI) and TBO (3,500 hours for all three models). The Cheyenne and other sophisticated, high performance airplanes will each your lunch and/or your purse. A number of pilots have commented on the pitch sensitivity of the original Cheyenne during maximum power climb, with cg toward the aft limit and in approach mode. The original system had some problems, but modifications over the years seem to have helped. 0000003996 00000 n So we now face the dilemma confronting many fellow airplane owners, whether they be the proud possessor of a Cessna 172 or a Falcon 50: what to do with a great airplane of a certain age that is bumping up against another mandated and expensive intervention. At any speed less than 130 knots, the aircraft starts to oscillate. However, as speed built up, so lateral stability improved and we were very Compared with the Cheyenne II, the PA-42-720 was about 1m (3ft) longer, was powered by 537kW (720-shp) PT6A-41 turboprops and introduced a T-tail, the most obvious external difference between the PA-31T and PA-42, as well as the most significant change to the series. What's not to like? Ground handling is easy and straightforward, but taxiing will result in two very bruised knees if any sharp turns are required. It also was the end of production of the PA-31T series, although production was planned to be restarted in Lakeland for the IA and IIXL. The Navajo is arguably one of the best cabin-class twins, but its airframe was designed for 300-HP piston engines, not turbines that are both far more powerful and much lighter. By early models, we mean the original Cheyenne (later renamed Cheyenne II), the Cheyenne IA, and the stretched Cheyenne IIXL. How about a Cheyenne I that has those big engines? more and further and does it all for about half the cost of a comparable Some owners report that the 400LS lacks the build quality compared to a King Air and its rarity can cause head scratches from mechanics who may never have seen one. I hope Im going to be as wise. I know this airplane. It carries more and further and does it all for about half the cost of a comparable bizjet. Ill never regret being responsible for her stewardship but I dont miss maintenance costs. N3Rp '{A. rw:sr]m]6Afu {tih8d0yc13gix,H/SH\&5`X)#oGt|G&o4HqxZdA'{r nQfo4[gt)S0p1&_vyv|Wy\WZ7m e,Yp,;Fc_Mf]F>o|nGivVc'/5oW#TRx=* Proper loading is a key issue in the operation of any of the PA-31T series, most especially with the original Cheyenne. The cabin is so well insulated, this A mock-up is. These are the PA-31T series, or Cheyenne/II, Cheyenne I/IA and Cheyenne IIXL (plus an unpressurized hybrid developed for the air taxi and commuter markets, the PA-31T3 or T-1040) and the PA-42 series, which consists of the T-tailed and longer-fuselage Cheyenne III/IIIA and Cheyenne IV/400LS. (More on this later.) Mu2 fits the bill. 0000082556 00000 n maximum 30 percent power setting becomes apparent from reading the last page This forward movement of the airplanes empty-weight CG, along with a climb power limitation of 500-shp, allowed the IIXL to be certified without the stability augmentation system. long wheel base Land Rover). had the aircraft off the runway and heading up at an amazing rate of climb. Early versions tend to be dark and cramped. Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era. 0000002637 00000 n Changes Many elements of the first Cheyenne fit the Mickey Mouse appellation that was applied to all Piper airplanes. company limited itself to producing conservative if not down right This thread reminds me of the day that I decided to buy a Huey. Careless operation has the obvious consequences. When you think about it, how can I justify taking the chance of just overhauling our own engines? In 1978, Piper came out with another version of the Cheyenne, the Cheyenne I. In the 400LS, they are flat rated to 1,000 shaft horsepower per side, and can make that power all the way up to about FL200depending on temperature. startxref Tip tanks became standard. Gear and flap speeds are sufficiently high to fit in to a wide range of traffic situations. The plane is easy to load through its large rear and nose baggage doors, allowing a wide range for CG. As with any design, there are specific, recommended or even mandatory maintenance procedures. 0000069142 00000 n Chevenne 400 Ls with 5 blade perpillers has 1000 h.p engines too. For an aging airplane, the Cheyennes have remarkably few major maintenance problems or airworthiness directives. In Kellys words: None of these planes should be running around without this modification.). The Cheyenne IA, a slightly modified version of the Cheyenne I, came along in 1984. The PA-42 Cheyenne III was announced in September 1977. 0000013531 00000 n Ive talked to several experts. The fuselage is limited to a 15,000-hour life, while the wing and empennage have 20,000-hour life limits.[3]. The PIPER Cheyenne II has a 3,705' balanced field length and 2,482' landing distance. Turboprop Aircraft. I find an airplane I like, switch to flightaware.com and check out the ground speeds on several trips. Record HolderWith its six-pound weight to horsepower ratio, well in excess of the Extra 300 competition acrobatic plane, General Chuck Yeager set the time to climb record in the 400LS in the mid-1980s. Its ironic because, of all the maintenance issues, repairs and glitches that weve had in 10 years of Cheyenne ownership, the engines are about the only bits that havent required unscheduled interventions. True! One reason for these problems may be that a pair of hurricanes smacked Piper's Vero Beach, Fla. plant in 2004 and destroyed or severely damaged 300,000 square feet of it. It can operate out of 3,000ft (900m) runways with a 97kn (180km/h) minimum control speed, similar to a King Air 300; it can operate from much shorter hot and high runways than a Citation I and landing is shortened by the rotating speedbrake effect of the propellers in beta pitch. It also is a bit more involved to maintain. A week or so after flying this I flew a Kingair200 thought on initial T/O that there was something wrong as acceleration was so slow compared to the 400LS. Cheyennes I and II were manufactured from 1978 to 1983. Owner is Motivated and will entertain offers. The fuselageis limited to a 15,000-hour life, while the wing and empennage have 20,000-hour life limits. This means the pilot must either hold the brakes until full power is achieved, or duck-walk down the runway on takeoff. Cockpit organization and cockpit lighting also were improved. Start your free trial today! The Piper 400LS has everything I am looking for. The Cheyenne is no slouch in the cruise department, either. I think about how lucky we were that the Cheyenne was under contract by the time we made an offer. However, this doesnt mean it is simple. When it came time to upgrade from our Cessna 340A, our primary mission of flying from Northern Virginia to South Florida had expanded to include transcontinental and European flights (as well as a flight around the world thrown on the bucket list for good measure). This equates to six adults and 250 pounds of luggage. They can be awful tempting given the low purchase price, but they are priced that low for a reason. 0000005155 00000 n He writes about his enthusiasm for both the machines and the people who fly and maintain them. This is where a wife (Cathy) with an MBA and an interest in equity, return on investment, residual value, hourly costs, etc. My first instinct was to check the autopilot wasn't on. These discussions open up even more variables. 0000012150 00000 n Wing span (metric) 14.50 m. Length (metric) 13.20 m. Height (metric) 5.20 m. Powerplant. Garrett TPE 331-engined airplanes, such as the Aero Commanders, Mitsubishi MU-2s or even Swearingen (Fairchild) Merlin II and III models are a totally different category and set of considerations. PAY4 Executive transport aircraft. ground clearance of a meagre eight inches. Passenger comfort is good in our aircraft. Structurally, they have weathered well over the years. 0000052341 00000 n 0000010782 00000 n Bills a no-nonsense guy with a way of cutting through the noise to get to the essence of a choice. The imposing view is not just eye candy, eitherthis airplane has the performance to back it up. It is powered by PT6A-135s rated at the same 620 SHP as the Cheyenne II but features a stretched fuselage. Find N47ZG 1986 PIPER CHEYENNE 400LS on Aircraft.com. I would have had to maintain it, and I dont enjoy the thought of that. At the same time, the original Cheyenne was renamed the Cheyenne II. PIPER Cheyenne 400. The yoke will beat your knees purple, especially in any sort of crosswind. They have trouble getting repair parts to keep those planes flying too. However, there have been a number of elevator spar problems attributed to dissimilar metals (aluminum and steel). In service since 1984. The Cessna Citation became the economical jet of choice for business travel. More comfortable. 0000013091 00000 n The PA-31T finally was certified in May 1972. 0000109100 00000 n The Honeywell (Garrett) TPE331-14 engine and its fuel control unit are controlled by a computer for ease of operations. ttheir failure to develop a range of business jets which may have been Even at that, parts are an issue for me. The confusion started when Piper introduced a lower powered, lower cost turboprop and called it the Cheyenne I (PA-31T1). Many airplanes have artificial aids for undesirable or unacceptable handling characteristics. is to then power up to 30 percent torque against the brakes. All share a common heritage: the basic PA-31 design originally introduced as the Navajo. [2], In the late 1970s, Piper avoided developing a clean-sheet light business jet to compete with the Cessna Citation I and upgraded its PT6As from 720 to 1,000hp (540 to 750kW) Honeywell TPE331-14s. Accidents The two most notorious Cheyenne accidents were original PA-31Ts involving longitudinal control-the much maligned SAS system. Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. Full power is set for takeoff and can be maintained all the way up to altitude and cruise. However, the whole family lived up to the Piper reputation of offering a lot of airplane for the money. The pitch instability also becomes a problem in holding patterns at reduced airspeeds between 12,000 and 16,000 feet. For ninety-five percent of the time the The start sequence is fully automated. There is no major pattern. The cheapest B models seem to hover around $1.4 million. But then they would lose part of the reason for owning the II. Weight and balance takes some careful managing. The massive four-blade propellers look like paddles when parked, resting in the fine-pitch position. Could we ever get our investment back at time of sale? HVMo0WfSd@ qaz{!m"[XO_ 'H'Si>'&YU,6{6e_6Wv?oXZEdMgKif40w_jI)B-a?ffd$d^SD'": Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. Your email address will not be published. The trick, as always, is to find the airplane that offers the most features for the money, fits typical mission requirements, and hits a prospective owners emotional hot buttons. Aircraft.com is the leading registry for planes, jets, and helicopters. But, what exactly was wrong with the original airplane? The Piper Cheyenne 400LS is powered by two Honeywell TPE 331-14 engines with 1,000 shp each. J. Lynn Helms became the boss that same year. Piper still stocks a lot of parts, but if a Cheyenne part is unavailable, Piper will still make you one. Its power-to-weight ratio of 6 lbs/hp allows for a climb rate of 3,200 feet per minute and a cruise speed of 350 knots. g,!NA4 10 Comments. In ground handling and during cross-wind operations it is especially troublesome, since it fights the desired control inputs. The Cheyenne IIXL, manufactured from 1981 to 1984, is basically a Cheyenne II with a 2-foot stretch all of it forward of the main spar. As with the Cheyenne I, there is no stability augmentation system. One item that Piper should not have used was the Janitrol heater. As a result, the aircraft can travel more than 2,000 nm in a long-range cruise. Your email address will not be published. 0 t Learn how your comment data is processed. boring aircraft. Visibility from the cockpit is a real shortcoming until the 1980 model year. Even though there is an emergency backup to the SAS (a compressed air cylinder that imposes maximum nose-down force on the downspring), SAS is a no-go item on the PA-31T. To me theyre a lot. Theres a cure for this desire offered by Blackhawk. ). It can hold 3,819lb (1,732kg) of fuel plus two passengers with baggage, while each extra passenger costs 100nmi (190km) of range. Control authority is insufficient for a strong crosswind landing, so we learned to use differential power very early in our training on the Cheyenne. There is enough to manage in a Cheyenne even in good weather that it definitely is in the category of a check list airplane. Loading All three models have large capacity nose baggage compartments (a maximum of 20 cubic feet with a 300 pound load limit, depending upon the model and the type of avionics installed) and another bay in the aft fuselage. Frequently it would fail to light up during climbout or at cruising altitudes. Electrical wiring, especially connectors and even some fuses, were a nightmare to troubleshoot because each one was a bit different and many junctions were in hard to reach parts of the airframe. little doubt that Piper's PA-42 Cheyenne 400LS is the hot rod of the Aircraft Owners & Pilots Association Find it free on the store. Viewed from the front, the 400LS has perhaps the most exemplary impression of raw power of any airplane. The eighth seat sits partly in front of the door and partly in the rear cabin baggage compartment. Language links are at the top of the page across from the title. An A version, with improved nacelles, was in development when Lock Haven was shut down. Or both. Used Turbine Review: Cheyennes: The I, IA, II, AND IIXL The cabin is fine for three or four passengers even on longer flights, especially with the club seating arrangement.
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