PIPER SENECA SERIES For Sale

Piper Seneca Series Aircraft Information

Primarily used for personal and business flying, the Piper Seneca is an American twin-engined, light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971. The Seneca has the capacity for one crew member and five or six passengers. The empty weight is 3212 lb (1457 kg) and the maximum takeoff weight is 4750 lb (2155 kg). The cruise speed is 188 knots (216 mph, 348 km/h), stall speed is 61 knots (70 mph, 113 km/h), and the maximum speed is 204 knots (235 mph, 378 km/h). The rate of climb is 1550 ft/min (7.87 m/s).

The PA-34 was developed as a twin-engine version of the Piper Cherokee Six. The Piper Seneca model prototype was a Cherokee Six with wing-mounted engines installed, retaining its nose engine. This prototype was flown as a tri-motor aircraft in the first stages of the test-flying program.

The decision was made to forego the three-engined design and develop a twin-engined design. First flown in 1967 the PA-34-180 Twin Six had two 180 hp Lycoming O-360 engines, a fixed nosewheel landing gear, and a Cherokee Six vertical tail. In 1968, the second prototype featured retractable landing gear and a taller vertical tail. Throughout development the wingspan was increased by two feet. Fitted with 200 hp Lycoming IO-360-A1A engines the third prototype flew in 1969.

The PA-24-200 Seneca I was certified and introduced in 1971 as a 1972 model. The Seneca I is powered by a pair of Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 engines. The aircraft's righthand engine is a Lycoming LIO-360-C1E6 engine variant. The "L" indicating that the crankshaft turns in the opposite direction, giving the aircraft counter-rotating engines. The counter-rotating engines make the Seneca I more controllable in the event of a shut down or failure of either engine.

The new PA-34-200T Piper Seneca II was introduced in 1974 as a 1975 model. The Seneca II features changes to the aircraft's control surfaces, including enlarger and balanced ailerons, a stabilator bobweight, and the addition of a rudder anti-servo tab. The aircraft is powered by turbocharged, six-cylinder Continental TSIO-360E or EB engines. The Seneca II retained the counter-rotating engine arrangement. Optional "club seating" was also introduced.

The PA-34-220T Piper Seneca III was introduced in 1981. The Seneca III featured upgraded Continental TSIO-360-JB engines. Introduced in 1994, the PA-34-220T Seneca IV was similar to the Seneca III offering minor improvements, such as a streamlined engine cowl. The cowls were redesigned to increase performance, several cockpit switches were relocated from the panel to the headliner and a slightly different engine variant, the Continental TSIO-360-RB was installed on the Piper Seneca V. The Seneca was also built under license by Embraer in Brazil as the EMB-810. The Seneca is operated by private individuals and companies, as well as air charter companies and small feeder airlines.

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