"John McFarlane" writes:

Can someone summarise Piper Aztec handling qualities for me.

truck-like

Interested in single engine climb performance in under all
conditions/aircraft weights

Loaded like a packed Warrior, takeoff, climb and landing with gear
extended can be uneventful on a single engine at low altitude.

- especially Max AUW and hot n high.

Heavily loaded at intermediate altitudes (12-15,000'), cruising for
hours on a single engine is not at all stressful (with a turbo-
normalizer).

Also interested in the difference between models and capabilities,
configurations (Fuel, AUW etc)

Get a Trade-a-Plane subscription. Their database has the specs for
various Aztec models.

I suspect DiamondAire upgrades can make up for performance
differences between models.

One difference you might not find listed elsewhere is that the
*older* models are coated with zinc chromate. Later models are not.

I'd also like to know if/when (retractable) shoulder belts were
introduced. I wish I had them on mine.

--kyler