CHEYENNE IIIA

nals the fuel control unit to reduce fuel flow to a minimum value, thereby re- ducing turbine and propeller rpm. As in all turboprops, a reverse lockout, which prevents the propellers from moving to- ward reverse thrust in flight, is also standard. 34 • JUNE 1987 The streamlined, extended exhaust stubs (left) are the only easily recognizeable external design difference between the Cheyenne J/Jand J/JA. Q-tip propellers (left, below) are standard; designers claim they reduce tip erosion, are more effjdent and make less noise than conventional propellers. A late-April visit to the Vera Beach factory revealed two Cheyenne llJAs on the assembly line (right). The customer, Lufthansa German Airlines, will use them as part of their pilot training program. A strong Deutschemark and a weak dollar make the J/JA a particularly attractive buy for the Germans. Alitalia, the Italian airline, has bought two Cheyenne /!lAs. Another safety system of note is emergency pressurization. Should the normal system fail and the cabin pres- sure reach 12,000 to 12,500 feet, an emergency system can be activated. This can be done manually, but the system is also designed to activate automatically. Emergency pressurization is supplied by bleed air from the right engine only. These and other features make the Cheyenne lllA a relatively friendly air- plane for those stepping up to turbo- props. The procedures, while different from those used in turbocharged, pres- surized singles and light twins, are no more difficult. Engine temperature, power and airspeed limitations, as with all airplanes, must be carefully ob- served, and the pilot must know the proper combination of power, attitude and configuration for each phase of flight. The Cheyenne lllA must be flown by the numbers, particularly in the ap- proach phase. For example, instrument landing system approaches should be flown with engines set at 550 pound- feet of torque (the measure of the work being performed by the propeller gear- box and a turboprop's primary indica- tion for setting power), gear down, full flaps, propellers set at 1,700 rpm and a four-degree nose-down pitch attitude. This produces an airspeed of 120 KIAS. Experiment with other combinations of these variables and you may destabilize the approach, creating more work than necessary. The Cheyenne series built its reputa- tion as a price-competitive, easy-to-fly alternative to turboprops such as the Mitsubishi MU-2 and the smaller mod- els of the Beechcraft King Air line. Oper- ators familiar with the Piper Navajo- and there are many-tend to have brand loyalty and find it easy to move up to a Cheyenne. After all, Cheyennes carrying the PA-311 designation are an elaboration upon the Navajo's basic air- frame design. The adverse publicity generated by the litigation following two similar Cheyenne II takeoff accidents did much to tarnish the airplane's, and Piper's, im- age. The worst of the courtroom allega- tions, that the Cheyenne II demon- strates unstable longitudinal stability and overly sensitive pitch characteris- tics, was heavily publicized in 1983 and 1984 after inquiries into the circum- stances surrounding the certification of these airplanes. To what extent did AOPA PILOT • 35 A choice of a full King/Bendix or Collins avionics package is standard, including flight control system (above, right). Glareshield annunciators (above, left) tell of emergellcy and abnormal conditions. Access to radome and battery is easy, thanks to a double-hinged nose cone (left). Engine fire warning annunciators are standard (right), optional extinguishers cost $4,925. I "I I 36. JUNE 1987 BEYOND THE POH Beneath the calm exterior of F1ightSafety's Cheyenne simulators (above) rages all manner of aeronautical mayhem. Some 144 emergencies can be very convincingly duplicated. $2,825; recurrent courses are $1,400. Those prices are for a one-time curriculum. Under FlightSafety's full-service training program, pilots and mechanics may receive additional training throughout the year and save money in the long run. Either way, it is cheap insurance. By the way, do not bring your golf clubs, tennis racquets or other recreational para- phernalia on your visit to FlightSafety. In- structors get down to business from day one, and the schedule is Spartan. After days of engine fires, partial-panel approaches to min- imums (with a few other system malfunctions thrown in for good measure) and countless single-engine exercises, a student leaving his daily two-hour stint in the simulator will have little energy left for frivolities. Just re- member: You are there for learning, not fun. And you will learn. For further information, contact Flight- Safety International, Marine Air Terminal, laGuardia Airport, Flushing, New York 11371-1061; telephone 800/227-5656. -TAH To be sure, the Cheyenne IlIA is a compli- cated airplane, but with the proper training it is easy to fly in a confident manner. FlightSafety International's Lakeland, Flor- ida, training center specializes in Cheyenne pilot and mechanic initial and recurrent train- ing. The cost of the courses is included in the purchase price of a new Cheyenne. Using a week-long curriculum involving intensive ground school and simulator train- ing, FlightSafety takes the pilot far beyond the information in the pilot's operating hand- book and concentrates on proficiency in emergency procedures, many of which sim- ply cannot be safely duplicated in the air- plane. Those who fail to take advantage of this training are making a big mistake. Apart from a potentially dangerous unfamiliarity with the airplane, operators electing not to take this course run the risk of paying higher insurance premiums or being denied insur- ance altogether. FlightSafety charges $5,250 for the pilot initial course and $3,150 for recurrent train- ing sessions. Initial maintenance training is Piper engineers know of stability prob- lems? Did a stability augmentation sys- tem (SAS) fix the problem? Or is it a quick fix that can do more harm than good? Some of the answers may never be known because critical evidence mys- teriously disappeared. The Cheyenne III, IlIA and 400LS are an attempt to put the past behind. Built under a different type certificate than previous Cheyennes, these airplanes are more docile in pitch, have very mild stall characteristics, larger center-of-gravity envelopes and present less difficult loading problems. (To assist the pilot in figuring weight and balance problems, each new Cheyenne comes with one of Piper's greatest inventions: a plotter that shows movements of the center of grav- ity as each passenger, bag or pound of fuel is added to the airplane). The IlIA's accident rate has been ex- emplary. The 1983, 1984 and 1985, Cheyenne I1IAs had a total of three air- worthiness directives. Airworthiness Di- rective 83-8-1 required replacement or retorquing of propeller attach bolts on 1983 models; AD 86-5-2 required an in- spection of United Instruments altim- eters certificated to 35,000 feet; AD 86- 17-7 required the replacement of certain hydraulic hoses. No airworthiness directives have been issued against Cheyenne I1IAs manufactured in the 1986 and 1987 model years. A service bulletin was is- sued, warnir}g of possible cracks in land- ing gear side braces and advising a thor- ough inspection of these parts. Some 40 Cheyenne I1IAs have been sold. Lately, however, government agencies and foreign airlines have con- stituted the majority of the customers. The United States Customs Service has bought eight I1IAs for the purpose of identifying and intercepting aircraft sus- pected of importing illegal drugs. An un- identified number of other I1IAssee sim- ilar service. Deutsche Lufthansa AG has pur- chased six I1IAs for the purpose of pilot training. Alitalia Airlines, the Italian flag carrier, has bought two for the same rea- son. These airlines, apart from their appreciation of the IlIA's suitability as a trainer for those transitioning to Trans- port category equipment, realize signifi- cant savings by buying American. Thanks to gross exchange-rate imbal- ances, foreigners can buy new airplanes at what often amounts to a fraction of AOPA PILOT • 37 Piper PA-42-720 Cheyenne IlIA Base price $1,898,500 AOPA Pilot Operations/Equipment Category:" Global $2,081,715 to $2,158,535 (est.) Specifications 2 Pratt & Whitney PT6A-61 720 shp each (flat rated) 3,000 hr 2 Hartzell, three-blade, full-feathering, reversible pitch, 7 ft 11 in diameter Length 43 ft 4'1<in Height 14 ft 9 in Wingspan 47 ft 8 in Wing area 293 sq ft Max wing loading 38.22 Ib/sq ft Max power loading 7.78Ib/shp Seats 6-11 Cabin length 22 ft 11 in Cabin height 4 ft 4 in Cabin width 4 ft 3 in Max ramp weight 11,2851b Max takeoff weight 11,200 lb Max landing weight 10,330 lb Max zero-fuel weight 9,350 lb Basic empty weight 6,8371b Max useful load 4,363 lb Max payload w/full fuel 610 lb Fuel capacity, std 3,820 lb (3,753 lb usable) 570 gal (560 usable) 6.5 gal 300 lb, 16.2 cu ft 300 lb, 31 cu ft 100 lb, 5.6 cu ft each Performance Takeoff distance, ground roll Takeoff distance, over 50-ft obstacle Accelerate/stop distance Max demonstrated crosswind component takeoff 22 KlAS landing 25 KlAS Rate of climb, sea level 2,380 fpm Single-engine ROC, sea level 625 fpm 173 KIAS 140 KIAS 96 KlAS 100 KlAS 91 KlAS 92 KIAS 128 KIAS 118 KIAS 118 KIAS 118 KlAS 150 KIAS 194 KIAS 172 KIAS 172 KIAS Cruise speed/endurance w/45-min reserve (total fuel consumption) @ max cruise, 25,000 ft 310 KTAS/4.9 hr (685 pph/102 gph) @ long-range cruise, 35,000 ft 235 KTAS/9 hr (287 pph/43 gph) Max operating altitude 35,840 ft Single-engine service ceiling 23,200 ft Landing distance, over 50-ft obstacle 3,043 ft with propeller reversing 2,586 ft Landing distance, ground roll 1,914 ft with propeller reversing 1,457 ft Limiting and Recommended Airspeeds Vmc (min control w/one engine inop) 0° flaps 10° flaps, prop windmilling 10° flaps, prop feathered Vx (best angle of climb) Vy (best rate of climb) 0° flaps 10° flaps Vyse (best single-engine rate of climb) Vsse (min safe single-engine speed) Va (design maneuvering) 11,200 lb 6,662 lb Vfe (max flap extended) full approach Vie (max gear extended) Vlo (max gear operating), extension Vmo (max operating) Vne (never exceed) 244 KlAS Vr (rotation) 95 KIAS Vs1 (stalL clean) 100 KIAS VsO (stall in landing configuration) 89 KIAS All specifications are based on the manufacturer's cal- culations. All performance figures are based on stan- dard-day, standard-atmosphere, gross-weight, sea- level conditions unless otherwise noted. "Operations/Equipment Categories are defined on page 98. The prices refiect the costs for equipment rec- ommended to operate in the listed categories. 1,465 ft 2,280 ft 3,363 ft Powerplants Recommended TBO Propellers Oil capacity, each engine Baggage capacity, forward aft wing lockers the list prices purchasers in the United States have to pay. A weak dollar auto- matically grants a discount to holders of stronger currencies. At this writing, five Cheyenne IIIAs remain in inventory. Most of them, like N4117V, featured in these pages, are serving as demonstrators and are equipped with the standard avionics package, which includes a choice of ei- ther King/Bendix or Collins equipment and features radar, full copilot instru- mentation, radar altimeter, RMI and ffight control systems. Three-tube elec- tronic flight instrumentation systems and much, much more are available as options. The King/Bendix EFIS sells for $121,460, while the Collins system goes for $106,800. It is a paradox that Piper's current pro- duction airplanes have been developed and manufactured in such trying times. Now that their product line-what re- mains of it-has had its kinks worked out and been technologically refined, the company seems prepared to make its exit. Lear Siegler and Forstrnann Uttle care more for the bottom line than for perpetuating the manufacture of air- planes, be they large or small. Bean- counters have poor marketing skills and make lousy visionaries, but at Piper they are in sway. 0 CHEYENNE IlIA CHEYENNE SPOTTER'S GUIDE 'II III II I The Cheyenne prototype first flew on August 20, 1969. Certification was granted on May 3, 1972. The original Cheyenne (PA-31T-620), produced from 1974 to 1977, &d not carry a Roman numeral suffix designation. Powered by two Pratt and Whitney PT6A-28 turboprops rated at 620 shp each. Because of difficulties complying with certifica- tion standards for longitu&nal stability, the Cheyenne and later Chey- enne 1/ are equipped with a stability augmentation system (SAS) consisting of an elevator-downs pring system (actuated by an angle-of- attack sensor) designed to provide the pilot with the appropriate stick force gra&ent-and to keep the airplane at its trim airspeed-when flying near aft center of gravity loadings, high power settings, low airspeeds and high angles of attack. Without the SAS, the aircraft demonstrated neutral static stability in this flight regime. Maximum operating altitude, 31,000 feet; 5.5-psi pressurization system. Max cruise speed at 20,000 feet, 265 KTAS. Empty weight, 5,025 It; max takeoff weight, 9,000 lb. Tip tanks standard; fuel capadty, 390 (382 usable) gallons. Price new, approximately $536,700 (1974) to $665,000 (1977); current market value, $235,000 to $320,000. 38. JUNE 1987 I • In 1978 the Cheyenne I (PA-31T-I-500) was added to the product line, and the 620-shp Cheyenne was redesignated as the Cheyenne II (PA-31T-2- 620). Powered by two 500-shp Pratt and Whitney PT6A-ll engines, the Cheyenne I was marketed as a low-cost, step-up turboprop for Piper loyaJjsts. Due to its reduced power, this airplane does not require a stability augmentation system. MaJd- mum operating altitude, 29,000 feet. Max cruise at 20,000 feet, 244 KTAS. Empty weight, 4,904Ib; max takeoff weight, 8,700 lb. Stan- dard fuel capacity, 308 (300 usable) gallons. Most airplanes were ordered with tip tanks-a $4,200 option that boosts fuel capacity by 82 gallons. The Cheyenne I was built through 1983. Price new, approJdmately $623,200 (1978) to $996,200 (1983); current market value, $310,000 to $525,000. The Cheyenne IIXL (PA-31T-2-620XL) is a stretched (by two feet) version of the Cheyenne II. Certificated in February 1981 and built from 1981 to 1984, the IIXL is equipped with 750-shp Pratt and Whitney PT6A-135 engines flat-rated to 620 shp. It, too, has an SAS. MaJdmum operating altitude, 31,000 feet. Max cruise at 20,000 feet, 270 KTAS. Empty weight, 5,164 lb; max takeoff weight, 9,474 lb. Average price new, $1,224,000 (1981) to $1,562,500 (1984); current market value, approximately $605,000 to $1,050,000. The Cheyenne IA (PA-31T-IA-500), certificated in May 1983 and produced in 1984 and 1985, brought several design improvements to the basic Cheyenne I. Redesigned cowlings allow more air to flow into the engine; situating the propeller closer to the engine airscoop allows greater recovery of high-velocity ram air. New, streamJjned exhaust stubs yield more jet thrust than previous models and keep nacelle soot accumulations to a minimum. Together, these changes alIow higher interturbine temperature (lIT) limits and 4.4-percent higher cruise speeds than the Cheyenne I. Other improvements to the standard airplane include an auto-ignition system, automatic starter disengage for simplified starting procedures and a larger windshield. MaJdmum operating altitude, 29,000 feet. Max cruise at 20,000 feet, 257 KTAS. Empty weight, 5,110 lb; max takeoff weight, 8,700 lb. Average new price was from $1,136,900 to $1,144,200. Current market value ranges from approJdmately $700,000 to $850,000. The Cheyenne III (PA-42-720), with its larger dimensions, T-tail and more powerful 720-shp PT6A-41 engines, marked the most signifi- cant change to the series. In production from 1980 to 1983, the stan- dard Cheyenne III has a fulI complement of deicing equipment, Q-tip propelIers, more powerful 250-ampere/hour starter-generators (ear- lier Cheyennes have 200-ampere/hour starter-generators) and a 6.3- psi pressurization system backed up by an emergency system oper- ated by the right engine's bleed air. Standard fuel capacity, 408 galIons; optional, 578 galIons. MaJdmum operating altitude, 33,000 feet. Max cruise at 20,000 feet, 290 KTAS. Empty weight, 6,389 lb; max takeoff weight, 11,000 lb (standard fuel), 11,200 lb (optional fuel). Average new price: from $1,296,400 (1980) to $1,655,900 (1983). Current market value: from approJdmately $600,000 to $850,000. The Cheyenne IIIA (pA-42-720) superseded the Cheyenne III after 88 of the latter aircraft had been deJjvered. The IIIA is similar in appearance to the III but has more powerful PT6A-61 engines and 300 ampere/hour starter-generators. The IIIA also features an im- proved air conditioning system. The IIIAs ordered by Lufthansa feature flight decks configured to resemble that airline's Airbus A310 jet transports. Fuel capacity, 570 gallons. Maximum operating altitude, 35,000 feet. Max cruise at 25,000 feet, 310 KTAS. Empty weight, 6,837Ib; max takeoff weight, 11,200 lb. The average new price has ranged from $1,656,000 (1983) to $2,327,000 (1986). The current market value ranges from $860,000 to $2,200,000. The Cheyenne 400LS (PA-42-1000), originally designated the Chey- enne Iv, is the hot-rod of the line. In production since 1984, it is designed to compete with the performance of smalIer fanjets. The 400LS (the LS stands for Lear Siegler, Piper's former parent company) has two 1,000-shp Garrett TPE331-14 engines and four-blade, 106- inch diameter, composite-construction Dowty Rotol propelIers. Fuel capacity, 570 gallons. Pressurization system, 7.6 psi. MaJdmum op- erating altitude, 41,000 feet. Maximum cruise speed at 24,000 feet, 351 KTAS. Empty weight, 7,565Ib; max takeoff weight, 12,050 lb. Aver- age new price: from $2,266,000 (1984) to $2,731,250 (1987). Current market value: from $1,800,000 to $2,822,000. AOPA PilOT • 39