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En route
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Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
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About the Piper 22 Tri-Pacer
Type certificated 1950
Overview
The Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer is a four-seat, high-wing classic: the Pacer airframe fitted with tricycle landing gear, introduced in 1951. By moving the third wheel to the nose, Piper made the short-wing four-seater far easier to land and taxi, and the Tri-Pacer became one of the best-selling light airplanes of the 1950s. Its tall, narrow stance earned it the nickname “the flying milkstool.” Most carry the 150-horsepower Lycoming O-320 (a 160 was also offered), cruise near 113 knots, and seat four on a 2,000-pound gross.
As an owner’s airplane the Tri-Pacer is the approachable member of the short-wing family: tricycle gear means no tailwheel endorsement and a gentler learning curve than the Pacer, while keeping the same light steel-tube-and-fabric airframe and four-seat cabin. At roughly $102 an hour it is the costliest of the vintage short-wing Pipers, on the largest engine and highest fuel burn of the group. Its natural buyer wants a vintage four-seat classic without the tailwheel commitment, an affordable alternative to the metal tricycle trainers, the Cherokee and Cessna 172, that ultimately replaced it.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Tricycle gear, no tailwheel endorsement. The nosewheel makes the Tri-Pacer markedly easier to land and taxi than the Pacer, opening the short-wing four-seater to lower-time pilots.
- Best-selling short-wing. Built in large numbers through the 1950s, it has the deepest parts supply and type support of the family.
- Four-seat tourer. Four seats, 113-knot cruise, and a 36-gallon tank on 150 horsepower make it a light tourer, not just a trainer.
- Affordable classic. A vintage four-seater that trades modern avionics and metal skins for a low price of entry.
Trade-offs
- Top of the vintage cost ladder. At about $102 an hour it is the costliest short-wing Piper, on the 150-horsepower O-320 and 9-gallon-an-hour burn.
- Tall, narrow stance. The “milkstool” gear geometry makes it more sensitive in crosswinds than a wider-track modern trainer.
- Fabric airframe. The covering needs periodic replacement; check its age and condition at pre-buy.
- Dated cabin and avionics. Most examples are steam-gauge classics; a glass panel or modern radios are an added cost.
See Also
- Piper PA-20 Pacer – the tailwheel original: the same airframe, harder to land. Compare
- Piper PA-16 Clipper – the earlier flapless four-seat short-wing. Compare
- Piper Cherokee – the all-metal low-wing tricycle Piper that succeeded it in the trainer and personal role. Compare
- Cessna 172 Skyhawk – the high-wing metal tricycle four-seater that came to dominate the market the Tri-Pacer opened. Compare
- Stinson 108 Voyager – a contemporary four-seat classic cross-shop. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- 20 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,002 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 2,000 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 2,000 lbs
- Useful Load
- Source: third-party reference 890 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 36 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: third-party reference 113 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 148 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 117 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 56 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 43 KIAS
- Range
- 430 NM
- Service Ceiling
- Source: third-party reference 16,000 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 750 fpm
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Piper 22 Tri-Pacer specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
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