Piper Navajo PA-31 vs Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain

Side-by-side specs, range, and operating costs.

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Piper Navajo PA-31
41 ft × 33 ft ⭥ 13 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
41 ft × 35 ft ⭥ 13 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized

Flight Profile

Service ceiling, range, and climb rate.

Tap legend to isolate

Arc represents the climb-cruise-descent profile based on published service ceiling and range. Climb rate annotated on ascent. FL180 (18,000 ft) shown for reference.

Mission Performance

Stall, approach, cruise, range, ceiling and climb: best values are at the top.

Mission performance specifications
Specification Piper Navajo PA-31Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
Stall speed 70 kt74 kt
Approach speed 95 kt98 kt
Cruise speed 215 kt211 kt
Range 1011 nm883 nm
Service ceiling 26300 ft24000 ft
Rate of climb 1445 fpm1120 fpm
Fuel burn 36.5 gph43.6 gph

Each axis is scaled independently across the compared aircraft and printed in its own units; every vertex sits at the published figure. Higher is better on all axes: Stall, Approach and Fuel Burn are inverted (lower = higher). A missing figure breaks the line at that axis.

Fuel Burn & Range

Range, endurance, and what the fuel costs by the hour.

Piper Navajo PA-31 Avgas
36.5 gph
Baseline
1,011 nm range 5.9 nm/gal 192 gal usable $237 fuel/hr 5h 15m endurance
Piper Navajo PA-31: 36.5 gph at cruise, 1,011 nautical mile published range, 5 hour 15 minute endurance, 5.9 nautical miles per gallon.
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain Avgas
43.6 gph
Baseline
883 nm range 4.8 nm/gal 182 gal usable $283 fuel/hr 4h 10m endurance
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain: 43.6 gph at cruise, 883 nautical mile published range, 4 hour 10 minute endurance, 4.8 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range each cell = 1 hr of cruise · width scales with speed tank-dry · at this cruise burn

Bars show published still-air range: select a cell to view cruise-hours and fuel usage. Endurance is full tank at the displayed cruise burn rate; the extra is reserve and economy margin. Estimates only. Always verify against the POH.

Runway Performance

Density altitude adjusted estimates

Outside Air Temp
0°F57°F115°F
Field Elevation
SL4,0008,000 ft

Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle

Landing over 50 ft obstacle

Density Altitude

Monte cristo

Base distance DA penalty
Scale: 6,000 ft

FAA 10%/1,000 ft DA rule of thumb (FAA-H-8083-25B). Turboprops and jets are less sensitive in practice. Always verify against the POH.

Estimated Operating Costs

Hourly direct and annual fixed costs

Scale:
Piper Navajo PA-31 Avgas
$364 /hr
Baseline
Piper Navajo PA-31: $364 per flight hour — fuel $237, maintenance and reserve $127.
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain Avgas
$518 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain: $518 per flight hour — fuel $283, maintenance and reserve $235.
Piper Navajo PA-31 Piston
$12,997 /yr Baseline
Piper Navajo PA-31: $12,997 per year — insurance $3,942, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $3,055.
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain Piston
$13,435 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain: $13,435 per year — insurance $4,380, hangar $6,000, annual inspection $3,055.

Estimates only. Hourly direct operating cost, based on fuel price and reserves; Annual fixed costs (insurance, hangar, and inspection). Costs vary by location, pilot profile, and market conditions. See individual aircraft pages for source notes.

Capability & limits

Payload vs useful load limit

+ cargo
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Piper Navajo PA-31 Piston
8 / 8 seats cargo 192 gal / 192 gal fuel 1,418 lbs wet payload 2,570 lbs useful 6,500 lbs MTOW
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain Piston
10 / 10 seats cargo 182 gal / 182 gal fuel 1,589 lbs wet payload 2,681 lbs useful 7,000 lbs MTOW

Shows selected occupants against full fuel, within the aircraft's useful-load limit. Fuel weight at 6.7 lb/gal jet-A, 6.0 lb/gal avgas; pax and luggage are 190 + 30 . Change payload weights in global settings.

Payload-Range Map

Origin: → · two fingers to move map

+ cargo
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