Piper PA-40 Arapaho

The Piper PA-40 Arapaho was an American twin-engined cabin monoplane designed by Piper as a replacement for the PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R.[1]

PA-40 Arapaho
Role Twin-engined cabin monoplane
National origin United States
Manufacturer Piper
First flight 16 January 1973
Status Cancelled
Number built Three

Like most Piper products at this time, the PA-40 was named after a Native American tribe, in this case the Arapaho.

Development

The Arapaho was similar in size to the Twin Comanche and had six seats but had a taller main landing gear and larger cabin windows.[1] It had two counter-rotating 160 hp Lycoming IO-320 engines.[1]

The prototype was damaged in June 1972 when the factory at Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, flooded and the prototype, registered N9999P, did not fly until 16 January 1973.[1] It crashed on 21 September 1973 during spin trials.[1] and the aircraft was redesigned with a taller tailfin. The second modified prototype with normally aspirated engines first flew in April 1974 and was followed by a third aircraft with turbocharged engines.[1]

The PA-40 was type certified on 18 July 1974, as an amendment to the Twin Comanche type certificate. The Arapaho was scheduled to be launched as a 1975 model, but the company decided not to market the aircraft and the project was cancelled in December 1974.[1][2] Piper stated that the cancellation was for financial reasons as it did not want to establish a new production line during the 1973–1975 recession.[3]

Following cancellation the two aircraft were used by Piper as company liaison and communication aircraft, one based at Lock Haven, the other at Lakeland, Florida.[4] Later, one aircraft was scrapped by Piper and the third, registered N9997P, is now privately owned in Texas, following use by the Purdue University student maintenance program.[5][6]

References

Notes
  1. Peperell & Smith 1987, p. 248
  2. Federal Aviation Administration (August 2006). "Type certificate data sheet no. A1EA". Retrieved 24 August 2009.
  3. "Piper defers Arapaho". Flight International. 26 December 1974. p. 901.
  4. "Lock Haven: Pipe's front line". Flight International. 12 August 1978. p. 486.
  5. "Piper PA-40 Arapaho". Retrieved 2 May 2020.
  6. LoRusso, Michael (April 2004). "Piper PA-40 Arapaho". Retrieved 24 August 2009.

Bibliography
  • Peperell, Roger W; Smith, Colin M. (1987). Piper Aircraft and their forerunners. Tonbridge, Kent, England: Air-Britain. ISBN 0-85130-149-5.

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