Piper PA-34 Seneca

Piper PA-34 Seneca sur Wikipedia.en Thanks !

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir ce lien]

------------------------------------------------------------------------------ "

The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2012.

The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.

Development

The Seneca was developed as a twin-engine version of the Piper Cherokee Six.

The prototype was a Cherokee Six that had wing-mounted engines installed, retaining its nose engine.

The prototype was flown as a tri-motor aircraft in the initial stages of the test-flying program.

PA-34-180 Twin Six

With the decision to abandon the three-engined design tested on the PA-32-3M the PA-34 was developed as a twin-engined design.

The prototype PA-34-180 Twin Six, registered N3401K first flew on 25 April 1967.

The prototype had two 180 hp (134 kW) Lycoming O-360 engines, a fixed nosewheel landing gear and a Cherokee Six vertical tail.

The second prototype flew on 30 August 1968, still with the 180 hp (134 kW) Lycomings but had retractable landing gear and a taller vertical tail.

During development flying the wingspan was increased by two feet. The third prototype was closer to the production standard and flew on 20 October 1969; it was fitted with 200 hp (149 kW) Lycoming IO-360-A1A engines.

PA-34-200 Seneca I

Certified on 7 May 1971 and introduced in late 1971 as a 1972 model, the PA-34-200 Seneca I, is powered by pair of Lycoming IO-360-C1E6 engines.

The righthand engine is a Lycoming LIO-360-C1E6 engine variant, the "L" in its designation indicating that the crankshaft turns in the opposite direction, giving the Seneca I counter-rotating engines.

The counter-rotating engines eliminate the critical engine limitations of other light twins and make the aircraft more controllable in the event of a shut down or failure of either engine.

A total of 934 Seneca Is were built, including one prototype.

The early Seneca Is have a maximum gross weight of 4,000 lb (1,810 kg), while later serial numbers allowed a take-off weight of 4,200 lb (1,910 kg).

Piper PA-34-200 Seneca

[Vous devez être inscrit et connecté pour voir cette image]

PA-34-200T Seneca II

Responding to complaints about the aircraft's handling qualities, Piper introduced the PA-34-200T Seneca II.

The aircraft was certified on 18 July 1974 and introduced as a 1975 model.

The new model incorporated changes to the aircraft's control surfaces, including enlarged and balanced ailerons, the addition of a rudder anti-servo tab, and a stabilator bobweight.

The "T" in the new model designation reflected a change to turbocharged, six cylinder Continental TSIO-360E or EB engines for improved performance, particularly at higher altitudes.

The Seneca II retained the counter-rotating engine arrangement of the earlier Seneca I.

The Seneca II also introduced optional "club seating" whereby the two center-row seats face rearwards and the two back seats face forward allowing more legroom in the passenger cabin.

A total of 2,588 Seneca IIs were built.

Gross weights are 4,570 lb (2,070 kg) for takeoff and 4,342 lb (1,969 kg) for landing, with all weight in excess of 4,000 lb (1,800 kg) required to be fuel.