Piper PA-31T Cheyenne

PA-31T Cheyenne
	PA-31T1 Cheyenne in landing configuration
Role	Turboprop
Manufacturer	Piper Aircraft
First flight	29 August 1969
Produced	1974–1985[citation needed]
Number built	823
Developed from	Piper PA-31 Navajo
Variants	Piper PA-42 Cheyenne

The Piper PA-31T Cheyenne is a turboprop development of the earlier PA-31P Pressurized Navajo.

Development[edit]

Originally, the aircraft was an upgraded version of the Pressurized Navajo equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines. Later, the aircraft was further refined and developed, including aerodynamic improvements and fuselage extensions. The PA-31T led to the development of the PA-42 Cheyenne III and IV.

Operators[edit]

Military operators[edit]

Mauritania

Mauritanian Air Force^[1]

United States

United States Department of Defense.^[2]

Variants[edit]

PA-31T Cheyenne: Initial production version, powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines.

PA-31T-1: Original designation of the PT-31T Cheyenne I. Powered by 500-shp (373-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-II turboprop engines.
PA-31T Cheyenne II: Improved version, renamed version of original powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines.
PA-31T2 Cheyenne IIXL: Stretched version, powered by two 750-shp (559-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 turboprop engines.

Specifications[edit]

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77 ^[3]

General characteristics

Crew: 2
Capacity: 4–6 passengers
Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m)
Wingspan: 42 ft 8+1⁄4 in (13.011 m) (over tip tanks)
Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
Wing area: 229 sq ft (21.3 m²)
Airfoil: NACA 63₂-415 at root, 63A212 at tip
Empty weight: 4,870 lb (2,209 kg)
Max takeoff weight: 9,000 lb (4,082 kg)
Fuel capacity: 382 US gal (318 imp gal; 1,450 L) usable fuel
Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprops, 620 shp (460 kW) each
Propellers: 3-bladed Hartzell HC-BTN-3B constant-speed propellers, 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) diameter

Performance

Maximum speed: 326 mph (525 km/h, 283 kn) at 11,000 ft (3,400 m)
Cruise speed: 244 mph (393 km/h, 212 kn) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) (econ. cruise)
Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn) (flaps down)
Range: 1,702 mi (2,739 km, 1,479 nmi) (econ. cruise, 45 min reserves)
Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)
Rate of climb: 2,800 ft/min (14 m/s)
Takeoff run to 50 ft (15 m): 1,980 ft (600 m)
Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 1,860 ft (570 m)

References[edit]

^ "World Air Forces 1987 pg. 72". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2019.
^ Tom, Kaminsky (2000). The United States military aviation directory. Airtime Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-880588-29-1.
^ Taylor, John W.R. (1976), Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77, London: Jane's Yearbooks, pp. 358–359, ISBN 0-354-00538-3

External links[edit]

The Piper PA-31T Cheyenne history from Airliners.net

[1] "World Air Forces 1987 pg. 72". flightglobal.com. Retrieved 3 April 2019.

[2] Tom, Kaminsky (2000). The United States military aviation directory. Airtime Publishing Inc. ISBN 978-1-880588-29-1.

[Janes_76p358-9-3] Taylor, John W.R. (1976), Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976–77, London: Jane's Yearbooks, pp. 358–359, ISBN 0-354-00538-3

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