Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain vs Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040

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

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Dimensions & configuration

Representative planforms, drawn to shared scale.

Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain
41 ft × 35 ft ⭥ 13 ft
2× Piston Retractable Unpressurized
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040
41 ft × 37 ft ⭥ 13 ft
2× Turboprop 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 PA-31-350 ChieftainPiper PA-31T3-500 T-1040
Stall speed 74 kt86 kt
Approach speed 98 kt90 kt
Cruise speed 211 kt236 kt
Range 883 nm950 nm
Service ceiling 24000 ft24000 ft
Rate of climb 1120 fpm1600 fpm
Fuel burn 43.6 gph66.0 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 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.
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040 Jet A
66.0 gph
Baseline
950 nm range 3.6 nm/gal 260 gal usable $396 fuel/hr 3h 56m endurance
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040: 66.0 gph at cruise, 950 nautical mile published range, 3 hour 56 minute endurance, 3.6 nautical miles per gallon.
Avgas range Jet A 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 PA-31-350 Chieftain Avgas
$518 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain: $518 per flight hour — fuel $283, maintenance and reserve $235.
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040 Jet A
$1,096 /hr
Baseline
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040: $1,096 per flight hour — fuel $396, maintenance and reserve $700.
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.
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040 Turboprop
$12,082 /yr Baseline
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040: $12,082 per year — insurance withheld, hangar $9,582, annual inspection $2,500.

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 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
Piper PA-31T3-500 T-1040 Turboprop
11 / 11 seats cargo 260 gal / 260 gal fuel 2,058 lbs wet payload 3,800 lbs useful 9,000 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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