Swiss Registered Piper PA-31T2-620 Cheyenne IIXL (HB-LNX) at Inverness Airport. SCO 10,062.
The Piper Cheyenne family of turboprop corporate aircraft is based on the popular Navajo and Chieftain piston twins. Although the first Cheyenne was not delivered until mid 1974, work on a turboprop version of the Pressurized Navajo dates back almost a decade earlier to the mid 1960s. The prototype of the Cheyenne flew for the first time on August 29 1969, but Piper had to redesign the flight controls to handle the increased loads on the airframe due to the higher speeds. Production deliveries were further delayed due to flooding at Piper's Lock Haven plant in June 1972. Certification had been granted on May 3 1972, while the first production aircraft (powered by 462kW/620shp PT6A-28s) first flew on October 22 1973. Piper introduced the lower powered (373kW/500shp PT6A-11s) and less expensive Cheyenne I in 1978, and renamed the original Cheyenne the Cheyenne II. Refinements to the Cheyenne I made in 1983, including more power at altitude, revised cowlings and interior, resulted in the Cheyenne IA. Meanwhile the stretched Cheyenne IIXL had been introduced in 1979. Compared with the standard length Cheyennes, the IIXL was 61cm (2ft) longer, featured an extra cabin window on the left side, 180kg (400lb) increased max takeoff weight and 560kW (750shp) PT6A-135s. An improved IIXLa was planned, but did not enter production. The further stretched and T-tail PA-42 Cheyenne III was also introduced in 1978.
Size: 5688px × 4303px
Location: Inverness Dalcross Airport, Highland Region, Scotland. UK.
Photo credit: © David Gowans / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 750-shp, cheyenne, development, earlier, iixl, navajo., pa-31p, pa-31t, pa-31t2, piper, powered, pressurized, stretched, turboprop, version
