In ground handling and during cross-wind operations it is especially troublesome, since it fights the desired control inputs. cut-off buttons should the temperatures exceed the 820 limit. Piper was never noted for sophisticated engineering. This vane on the earlier models tended to freeze up and sound a warning, which caused some pilots to try to disable the system. ttheir failure to develop a range of business jets which may have been It uses less runway, climbs and cruises faster than many pure jets. The continual struggles to remain afloat at Piper can be attributed to Comfort Pilot and passenger comfort improved as the series was developed. 0000014061 00000 n maximum 30 percent power setting becomes apparent from reading the last page HVMo0WfSd@ qaz{!m"[XO_ 'H'Si>'&YU,6{6e_6Wv?oXZEdMgKif40w_jI)B-a?ffd$d^SD'": The Piper PA-31T stability augmentation system (SAS) adds variable elevator force via a variable tension downspring. There is one accident that occurred to a PA-31T under similar circumstances to the two that called the SAS into question: loss of control during an instrument departure in fog. Certification in the United Kingdom was not possible (and not even tried) because of pitch sensitivity and pitch force behavior and feel, which encouraged pilot-induced pitch oscillations rather than damping the tendency. The interior was upgraded and the instrument panel was redesigned, including a lower glare shield to improve visibility. The majority of the Cheyenne 400LS aircraft were fitted with nine seats, including a potty seat that can be completely enclosed by an accordion door neatly hidden in its furniture cabinet. One of the most annoying characteristics of the Cheyenne is caused by the aileron/rudder interconnect. 0000052368 00000 n This reason they stop mfg chevenne 400Ls turboprop aor craft too. 0000012267 00000 n Technical Data. Talk about paying for the Piper. While there are variations with equipment options, when lightly loaded cg is toward the forward limit and the airplanes are nose heavy. 0000094113 00000 n 1985 PIPER CHEYENNE 400LS. Ive talked to several experts. The majority of the Cheyenne 400LS aircraft were fitted with nine seats, including a potty seat that can be completely enclosed by an accordion door neatly hidden in its furniture cabinet. Fuel is carried in six tanks three interconnected tanks in each wing: a wet nacelle tank, and two bladder-type fuel cells. (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.). 0000005105 00000 n Could we ever get our investment back at time of sale? Of course, wed have only 1,500 hours to go before the same questions came up again. Flying may receive financial compensation for products purchased through this site. An STC has reportedly They have trouble getting repair parts to keep those planes flying too. 0000011689 00000 n 1. general aviation may be immeasurably poorer. Physical dimensions are the same as the PA-31T except that the basic airplane wingspan is two feet shorter (40 feet, 8 inches versus 42 feet, 8 inches) because in standard form it does not have tip tanks (although most purchasers opted for them). The company also makes what are called Speed Stacks, specially shaped exhaust stacks that are claimed to improve speed and reduce exhaust deposits on the aircraft. But then they would lose part of the reason for owning the II. The problem is essentially that thanks again. Those in the market for a used, entry-level turboprop twin have a lot of choices these days. J. Lynn Helms became the boss that same year. Another good source is Mike Shafer, president of Mercury Aircraft Sales in Sarasota, Florida. The only barricade between me and accomplishment of such grown-up activities is the fact that I love our Cheyenne. ground clearance of a meagre eight inches. Even if your insurance company were willing to let you get away without top notch training, you should get it. mwP:5L6r+,I-$X2ijbj)Q]B3ZFTV_ e V'&xT$,lFR/oFN`rX\Kil! W7 }/T]ip'Dl~ The in-flight shut down and premature removal rates of the PWC PT6 engine family is impressive. But unless something wonderfully unforeseen happens to our finances, I just dont have the cash. These discussions open up even more variables. Studying the Pilot's manual 0000082142 00000 n 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=* Ive never flown one and am not sure how I feel about taking a Malibu and bolting a PT6 on the front of an airframe designed for a 350 horsepower piston. Pilot comfort, however, is less than satisfactory because it is cramped and the yoke constantly gets in the way of the pilots knees. Proper loading is a key issue in the operation of any of the PA-31T series, most especially with the original Cheyenne. Most of the pilots involved in the reported accidents and incidents held ATP or commercial certificates; eight of the total held private licenses and one, a fatal accident, was flown by a student pilot. As the power is increased, the nose wheel oleo Many of the systems are not as well designed and organized as in later airplanes and because of the affects of age (not to mention abuse and neglect). The Piper Cheyenne 400LS is powered by two Honeywell TPE 331-14 engines with 1,000 shp each. be a direct competitor to the staid Beechcraft King Air 200. The company painted a Cheyenne demonstrator in a blueprint format to point out all the technical advantages Piper marketing people perceived for the design. 2023 Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association, JackRabbit Micro e-bike makes getting around easy, Vintage Electric rolls out most powerful electric bikes yet. The PA-31T requires more of pilots than the -31T1 or -31T2 in terms of systems knowledge, planning and in-flight management. The SAS is essentially an addition to the flight controls that is supposed to overcome the poor static stability of the original airplane. We can fit our family and dog, or two couples, in it and go places in comfort and style. Have you ever heard of a King Air with Garrets. 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. Standard operating procedure The IIXL is the winner in terms of payload/range and loading envelope. Because of the reduced power, initial climb rate dropped by almost 1,000 fpm compared to the original model, and maximum cruise speed fell by 40 knots. Insulation and trim was changed to increase finished interior dimensions. They are kidding themselves, since the reason theres no SAS is because the PT6A-11 engines are substantially downrated, and produce much less power. This means the pilot must either hold the brakes until full power is achieved, or duck-walk down the runway on takeoff. The thing fits us like a glove. However, as speed built up, so lateral stability improved and we were very Believe it or not, it felt good; I felt I was being a good steward of the airplane. 0000010000 00000 n One of the most annoying features of the Cheyenne was the Janitrol combustion heater which, although thermostatically controlled, was either on or off. There are two major branches to the design family. Written by Twin and Turbine Magazine A bonus is the fact that it is a beautifully aggressive and unique airplane. The cheapest B models seem to hover around $1.4 million. Some people think the Cheyenne I is a better airplane because it has no SAS system. In our case, we took this seat out, wrapped it up in plastic, and left it in the hangar during the entire period we owned the plane. Original PA-31T Dick Karl is a cancer surgeon who appreciates the beauty and science involved in both surgery and flying. That problem is the phugoid stability. PIPER Cheyenne 400. 0000042969 00000 n You can even see the horizontal stabilizer. Owner Comments My company has flown a 1983 Cheyenne I for two years now and we have over 900 hours on it. Oh, my, would I love one. The 400LS provides its owner with jet-like climb and cruise performance, along with turboprop efficiency and the ability to use numerous smaller airports that the jets cant. All rights reserved. complete we lined up on Lanseria's runway 06. But take a high-performance turboprop twin at a bargain-basement price, add a macho pilot with limited experience and training, then toss in an engine failure, IFR weather, or any kind of distraction. About that SAS As noted above, Pipers artificial and marginal fix to the longitudinal instability of the original Cheyenne turned into a blot on the entire series. This is the Best Cheyenne 400LS available. The airplane is fast and dependable and has a somewhat undeserved bad reputation arising out of its short-coupled fuselage and somewhat poor stability. In Sum By the time the program ended, the Piper Cheyenne series offered good all-around performance, good use of interior space and competitive systems. When were in icing, I am reassured by the thrump of ice against the fuselage, for I know that the prop heat is working well. That engine runs a little hotter than before the hot section and burns a little more jet-A, but now it matches the left engine more closely. Heck, this is less then the price of some Saratogas out there. I just happened on this article. hb``e`R It uses By the late 1970s, operators also turned to turboprops for even more efficient engines and better payload and range than most business jets, albeit a slower speed. However, like the archetypal nerd in an action movie, Their advice is dont do anything yet. Of course, you need bigger props too. The airplane is approved for day and night VFR/IFR operations when equipped in accordance with F.A.R. 0000109100 00000 n Pete Bedell is a pilot for a major airline and co-owner of a Cessna 172M and Beechcraft Baron D55. The airplane failed to meet FAA stability requirements, so it was back to the drawing board for a fix. He writes that his facility currently supports about 20 Cheyennes along with a number of other turboprops. The majority of the flights were flown above most airliners in comfort, style and at a fuel cost less than economy class tickets for the same itinerary. Single pilot, fast, can haul, mx and acquisition cost cheaper then a king air. Serial #: 42-5527036. in other turboprops. Full flap speed is 148. All three can carry a good payload and sufficient fuel for from 900 to 1,000 nm with reserves. 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. Besides, in 10 years of ownership, our potty (I really dont like this term shouldnt we just call it a relief bowl, or something like that?) 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. The Piper Cheyenne 400LS, PA-42-1000, is the final development and improvement of the venerable Cheyenne line of twin turboprop business aircraft. Payments as low as . The Cessna Citation became the economical jet of choice for business travel. Same for the props. I would have had to maintain it, and I dont enjoy the thought of that. The massive Dowty-Rotol composite propellers are expensive and have only eight inches of ground clearance, leading to erosion problems. A23SO", Piper Aircraft News Release: Extended Range for Cheyenne IIIs (1980), Piper Aircraft News Release: Cheyenne III Deliveries Underway (1980), https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Piper_PA-42_Cheyenne&oldid=1126671308, Short description is different from Wikidata, All Wikipedia articles written in American English, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 16:32. It has a wider cg range than the I or IIXL (138 inches aft limit compared to 136) and is far more sensitive in pitch (more on this below). 0000179961 00000 n But, what exactly was wrong with the original airplane? 0000022484 00000 n 0000092671 00000 n Swearingen to develop the Twin Comanche. That, together with the obvious success of the Beech King Air and the troublesome big Lycomings on the P-Navajo, undoubtedly was a factor in the decision to develop a pressurized turboprop. The bobweight was made available as a retrofit to earlier PA-31Ts (The modification, called the Dynamic Stability Improvement Kit is covered by Service Letter 977. And archaic autopilots can represent in-flight hazards if they are not meticulously maintained and rigged. Noise level is about average for a turboprop. Within our first year of ownership, my wife and I traveled to Bermuda, multiple Caribbean locations, and a 1,400-nm nonstop from Aspen, Colorado to Leesburg, Virginia. The first production Cheyenne III flew for the first time on May 18, 1979, and FAA certification was granted in early 1980. The original version of the SAS addressed this problem, but the bugaboo of dynamic stability remained. Piper still stocks a lot of parts, but if a Cheyenne part is unavailable, Piper will still make you one. Vref pegs the 400LS value at $1 million for a 1984 model to $1.22M for a 1992 model. 0000004128 00000 n There is not a lot of competition to consider in this category. 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. My usual response is to change the subject and make her a martini. At 24,000 feet, such an alteration results in a speed increase from 229 to 275 knots. Ive also had correspondence with Ed Black of Blackhawk. Chevenne 400 Ls with 5 blade perpillers has 1000 h.p engines too. For a pilot with no turbine experience, the I or IA would be the best choice because it is the least demanding to operate. Start your free trial today! In the normal category all aerobatic maneuvers including spins are prohibited. (It should be noted that the Cheyenne III, which is an entirely different airplane, does not share these troubles.). The Cheyenne 400 is that rare exception to the compromises required in aircraft design. The plane is easy to load through its large rear and nose baggage doors, allowing a wide range for CG. As you were browsing something about your browser made us think you were a bot. (More on this later.) Piper still stocks a lot of parts, but if a Cheyenne part is unavailable, Piper will still make you one. He stuck to his word. be a direct competitor to the staid Beechcraft King Air 200. Mu2 fits the bill. Theres a loophole in the regulations, in that there is no requirement for long-period dynamic longitudinal stability, only one for static stability. Design work began in 1965 (the PA-31P pressurized Navajo was in development at the same time). 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. startxref From 1973 to 1974 America faced an oil crisis, driving fuel prices through the roof. Passenger comfort is good in our aircraft. 0000093767 00000 n The cabin is so well insulated, this 820 degrees C and it is necessary to have fingers poised over the fuel But there have been a host of updates and there are a long list of recommended care and maintenance procedures that are key elements of keeping your powerplants up there with the fleet average. The previous owner of N7222F (C-FGKS) flew the aircraft from Edmonton, Canada, to Northern Virginia to show us its beauty. The chevenne 400 Ls turboprop Air Craft top speed 350 knots with 4 blade perpller . of the Cheyenne series, and Piper. 0000068334 00000 n It carries I test flew two Cheyenne 400LSs and loved them. If that doesnt work, think about the single-engine turboprops. Generally speaking, operators of the original version should make a dedicated commitment to good initial and recurrent training, rigorous pre-purchase inspection and evaluation and make sure they find a very qualified maintenance technician and shop. I was scared off by the low production number, the low number still flying, and the possibility of having the airplane grounded for long periods or even permanently. In October of 2019, with four occupants, we traveled through Canada, Greenland, Iceland, Ireland, Italy and back to Leesburg. The most severe case was attributed to improper paint stripping. I just saw a perfectly flyable Beechjet get parted out because the cost of the upcoming service interval essentially totaled the aircraft. For ninety-five percent of the time the The Cheyenne II came equipped with a total of eight seats, and in my opinion it should not have been equipped with the eighth-the rearmost seat. company limited itself to producing conservative if not down right No one seems to be able to explain the reason. The Piper Cheyenne 400LS is powered by two Honeywell TPE 331-14 engines with 1,000 shp each. Pratt & Whitney and several of the companies that specialize in PT6 maintenance have field service reps who would be delighted to get you started on your support education. In December, the plant was shut. Initial rate of climb was about 6,000 feet per minute at the light weight used for the record flight. 0000069142 00000 n Some pilots referred to the narrow windshield of the Cheyenne and P Navajo as a tank slit. 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. [3], Due to its top speed over 400 mph, it was renamed the Cheyenne 400LS when Lear Siegler owned Piper, then the Cheyenne 400. 0000009642 00000 n 0000008972 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). 0000006052 00000 n 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). turned on and the starter button is pressed. We knew they were coming and prepared for them. Its frightening because these are uncertain times for all of us and were talking a lot of money here. of propeller clearance. But Piper's product support is getting better. 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. Other factors contributed to this, foremost among them a battle for control of the company that began in 1969 and that was not resolved until 1977 and the flood that devastated the Lock Haven plant. Wing-tip fuel tanks were standard with this airplane, and so were redesigned engine air intakes and elongated exhaust stacks. I guess this is one thing Ill investigate over the next year while flying high in my Cheyenne. 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. Our problem is that the right engine from day one has periodically and suddenly lost two or three quarts of oil. They are a little older and definitely cheaper. This engine has a reverse flow, free turbine arrangement. Photo date: 2022-04-23. The two most important areas are avionics and autopilot/flight control systems. Later models were offered with an optional cargo door to make it easier to load the after compartment. This helps to maintain the engines on an on-condition basis. Right now parts support is very good. Piper management was slow to accept the turboprop engine; some members of the Piper family were said to be set against it. As a day-to-day business airplane, the 400LS is a fast and quiet airplane with an impressive cabin pressurization differential of 7.6 psi, providing a 10,000-foot cabin at FL410. American Aviation, Inc. offers a retrofit cowl system for the PA-31T series (except the IA, which has the pitot cowl system as standard) that improves performance and reduces engine operating temperatures. As interior improvements, including cockpit redesign and increased windshield area, were made, all occupants benefited. Belvoir Media Group, LLC. But it was too late to start the Cheyenne from scratch. One hundred seventy-seven flight hours from now, the engines on our 1980 Piper Cheyenne will reach TBO. 0000093310 00000 n But good looks, affordability, and ease of maintenance are just as important. The McCauley Accessory Division of Cessna offers a propeller conversion kit that-according to the company-reduces interior noise and improves performance. Two engines being a must, I quickly honed in on two aircraft, both with the more efficient Garrett engines: the Cessna Conquest II with TPE331-10s, and the Cheyenne 400LS with TPE331-14s. The contenders are the Piper Meridian, the jet-prop and the TBM. Back in the 1980s, Piper employed Gen. Chuck Yeager to set various time-to-climb records in the 400LS. 0000052743 00000 n The yoke will beat your knees purple, especially in any sort of crosswind.

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