![]() Piper PA-38 Tomahawk – For Training Later Generations of Pilots Many Cubs are still flying today, and owners speak extremely highly of them. Its popularity continued, and it gradually attained almost cult status. Like most aircraft of that period, it was a ‘taildragger,’ ie it had a tailwheel rather than a nosewheel. It was a two-seater and was designed primarily for student training and as a general aviation aircraft. Unusually for Piper, which generally produced low-wing airplanes, it was a high-wing aircraft. It really put the company on the map, as far as aviation was concerned, quickly becoming very popular both as a trainer and personal aircraft. The Piper J3 Cub was Piper’s most popular and produced aircraft, with 20,000 built between 19. Piper J3 Cub – Early and Much Loved Trainer We will take a brief look at a few of these models in more detail as examples of the variety of Piper single-engined planes which are on offer. We will now take a more detailed look at a selection of Piper aircraft, covering each of these three categories. ![]() Most of their planes are for training and personal use, although more recently, they have also concentrated on the business market. Indeed, on the whole, they concentrated on single-engined aircraft and still do so to this day. These types can be roughly divided into single-engined aircraft, twin-engined airplanes, and jets – although it must be said that Piper made very few jets. So here is a list, in no particular order, of all the main models of Piper Aircraft, most of which are still in use today. That being the case, it is virtually impossible to produce an absolutely comprehensive list of every type of airplane the company made, and even if it were to be attempted, this would simply be confusing, as many of them were very similar to each other. They made 144,000 individual aircraft, and an incredible 90,000 of them are still in use and flying to this day. ![]() In less than 100 years of operation, Piper produced 160 different certified models of aircraft. In terms of the general aviation industry, they’ll carry on being extremely popular. Looking to the future, it seems as though Piper will continue to be a highly successful company, one that remains committed to William Piper’s original vision of simple, user-friendly airplanes. In 2018, the company announced an order of more than 150 trainer aircraft, and in 2019 brought an order for 240 new Piper Archers and Seminoles. Then in 2009, it was purchased by the government of Brunei, and since then, Piper has bounced right back. But on balance, the company did well until the recession of 2007, when it seemed unlikely that it would survive. Since then, ownership has changed several times. In 1970 William Piper died, leaving a very successful aircraft manufacturing company behind him. The company also went on to create other popular models like the Cheyenne, Navajo, and Comanche. After that finished, general aviation thrived overall, and in 1954 Piper moved on from building single-engined planes and produced their first twin-engined all-metal aircraft, the Piper Apache.Ī new facility opened in Florida in the 1960s for the production of the Piper Cherokee, soon to be made in several different variants and become extremely popular worldwide. Some of these early Cubs are still being flown today.īy 1940 Piper had cornered the general aviation market, and the company took on aircraft production for the coming war effort. ![]() He sold a large number of the very successful Piper Cubs, a Taylor-designed aircraft. After the stock market crash of 1929, William Piper bought the company. However, after Gordon died in the following year, Clarence was persuaded by entrepreneur William Piper to move to Pennsylvania. In 1927 when it was founded, the company was known as the Taylor Aircraft Manufacturing Company, after its original owners, Clarence, and Gordon Taylor. A huge number of pilots have learned to fly on Piper aircraft, and it would be almost impossible to find anyone involved in aviation who has not heard of the company. Throughout much of the 20th century Piper, along with Beechcraft and Cessna, was considered to be one of the ‘Big Three’ manufacturers in general aviation. The company is located at the Vero Beach Regional Airport in Florida and has been owned since 2009 by the Government of Brunei.įrom its inception in 1927 until the end of 2009, Piper produced 144,000 individual aircraft of 160 different types, and around 90,000 of these are still flying. Piper Aircraft is a manufacturer specializing primarily in general aviation aircraft, that is, those used for private flying, business flying, and flight training.
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