Piper PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-20_Pacer

The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced,
high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War
II period.

The Pacer was essentially a four-place version of the two-place PA-17 Vagabond
light aircraft. It features a steel tube fuselage and an aluminum frame wing,
covered with fabric, much like Piper's most famous aircraft, the Cub and Super
Cub. An aircraft prized for its ruggedness, spacious cabin, and, for its time,
impressive speed, many Pacers continue to fly today.

Factory installed 125 hp (93 kW), 135 hp (100 kW), 150 hp (112 kW), and 160 hp
(120 kW) engine options were available, and 180 hp (135 kW) engine after-market
conversions are an option.

The Piper PA-20 Pacer was originally designed as a tailwheel aircraft and thus
had somewhat limited forward visibility on the ground and more demanding
ground-handling characteristics. To help introduce more pilots to easier, safer
flying, from February 1951, Piper introduced the PA-22 Tri-Pacer with a
nosewheel instead of the tailwheel landing gear. Both the Pacer and the
Tri-Pacer belong to a sub-group of Piper aircraft called "Short Wing Pipers."
Additionally, the Tri-Pacer offered higher-powered engine options in the form of
150 hp (112 kW) and 160 HP (120 kW) engines, whereas the largest engine
available to the original Pacer had an output of 135 hp (100 kW). At the time
the tricycle undercarriage became a popular preference and 1953 saw the PA-22
Tri-Pacer outsell the Pacer by a ratio of six to one. Due to the geometry of the
nosewheel installation it is sometimes called the "Flying Milk Stool".

A trainer version of the PA-22 Tri-Pacer was designed and designated the
PA-22-108 Colt. It was intended to compete directly with other popular trainers
of the day, such as the Cessna 150 and was powered by a 108 hp (80 kW) Lycoming
O-235. Over 2,000 Colts were manufactured during the two production years.

The Colt closely resembles the Tri-Pacer and uses the same landing gear, engine
mounts, seats, windshield, door, tail surfaces, struts and the same instrument
panel as well. A few Colts have also been converted to tailwheel configuration,
although this is not as popular as converting Tri-Pacers.

The last batch of 12 PA-22-150s were built for the French Army in 1963 and the
last of the family a PA-22-108 Colt was completed on 26 March 1964. The type was
replaced on the Vero Beach production line by the PA-28 Cherokee 140.


Role
Civil utility aircraft

Manufacturer
Piper Aircraft

First flight
1949 (PA-20)
1950 (PA-22)

Produced
1950–1954 (PA-20)
1950–1964 (PA-22)

Number built
1120 (PA-20)
9490 (PA-22)

Variants
Javelin V6 STOL

Between 1953 and 1955, the Cuban Army Air Force (Fuerza Aérea Ejército de Cuba,
or FAEC) received 7 PA-20s, 4 PA-22-150s, and 3 and PA-22-160s. During the Cuban
Revolution, PA-22s had their rear-doors removed and a .30 caliber machine gun
installed in its place for use against insurgents, along with hand-dropped
grenades. A PA-22 providing ground support for the Cuban Army during the Battle
of Guisa is believed to be the lone aircraft lost by the FAEC to enemy fire.

During the Congo Crisis, Katangese separatists received five PA-22-150s from the
South African Air Force for the Force Aérienne Katangaise. Deployed against ONUC
forces between 1961 and 1963, their status at the end of the conflict remained
somewhat uncertain.

Specifications (1958 PA-22-160 Tri-Pacer)

General characteristics
Crew: one
Capacity: three passengers
Length: 20 ft 6 in (6.25 m)
Wingspan: 29 ft 3 in (8.92 m)
Height: 8 ft 4 in (2.54 m)
Wing area: 147.5 sq ft (13.70 m2)
Empty weight: 1,110 lb (503 kg)
Gross weight: 2,000 lb (907 kg)
Fuel capacity: 36 U.S. gallons (140 L; 30 imp gal)
Powerplant: 1 × Lycoming O-320-B four cylinder, four-stroke, air-cooled,
horizontally opposed, piston aircraft engine, 160 hp (120 kW)
Propellers: 2-bladed metal, fixed pitch

Performance
Maximum speed: 141 mph (227 km/h; 123 kn)
Cruise speed: 134 mph (216 km/h; 116 kn) 75% power, 7000ft
Stall speed: 49 mph (79 km/h; 43 kn)
Range: 500 mi (434 nmi; 805 km) with reserves, 610 with optional tank
Endurance: 3:30 at 65% power with one hour reserve
Service ceiling: 16,500 ft (5,000 m)
Rate of climb: 800 ft/min (4.1 m/s)
Wing loading: 13.5 lb/sq ft (66 kg/m2)


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