Piper Cheyenne 400

2 × Turboprop Pressurized Low Wing • Retractable

Range Map

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+ cargo

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.

Adjust payload

full tanks

Available Range / nm

Mission capable. This load flies with full fuel.

Fuel reduced by . left aboard for nm range.

Over max payload by . At this load it cannot lift a single occupant.

Trip Preview

Mission Profile

Used market

351

KTAS

Cruise Speed

2,176

Max Range

41,000

Service Ceiling

Occupants

751

lbs

Wet Payload

Endorsements & ratings:

High-Performance
Complex
High-Altitude
Pressurization
Multi-Engine
Instrument

Piper PA-42-720 Cheyenne IIIA, representative of the PA-42-1000 Cheyenne 400LS, which shares the T-tail airframe but flies four-blade TPE331 turboprops, at McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas, February 2012. Photo: Tomás Del Coro, CC BY-SA 2.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Piper Cheyenne 400

Type certificated 1984

Overview

The Piper Cheyenne 400LS (PA-42-1000) is the ultimate development of the Cheyenne family and is widely regarded as the “hot rod” of corporate turboprops. Designed to compete directly with light jets like the Cessna Citation I, it features Honeywell (Garrett) TPE331-14 engines flat-rated to 1,000 shp each from a 1,650 shp gas-generator capability, driving distinctive four-blade Dowty Rotol composite propellers.

Certified in 1984 and built through 1991, only 43 aircraft were produced, making the 400LS one of the rarest production turboprops in the secondary market. The combination of TPE331 power, transcontinental range, and 41,000 ft service ceiling positioned it as a turboprop alternative to entry-level jets that could still operate from short runways and remote airfields. The honest case against the 400LS is scarcity: only 43 were built, so type-experienced maintenance and TPE331 parts are harder to find than for any PT6A-powered Cheyenne, and operating cost runs $1,500 to $2,000 an hour. For the owner who can place a shop fluent in the single-shaft Garrett engine and wants near-jet speed without a jet’s acquisition and fuel bill, that scarcity is a price worth paying.

Key Features for GA Buyers

Jet-Like Speed: Cruise of 351 KTAS (over 400 mph) gives the 400LS speed in the realm of the light jets it was built to challenge.
Climb Performance: Sea-level initial climb above 3,200 fpm allows direct departure to FL410, getting above weather and traffic in minutes.
Range and Payload: Up to roughly 2,180 nm range with a useful load exceeding 4,500 lbs and pressurisation to 7.6 psi for a 10,000 ft cabin at FL410.
Single-Pilot Capable: Certified for single-pilot operations with autopilot, broadening the operator profile beyond corporate flight departments.

Trade-offs

Engine Management: TPE331 engines are highly efficient but operationally distinct from PT6A variants. The direct-drive single-shaft design demands precise temperature management and produces a louder ground signature.
Operating Costs: Variable cost runs $1,500 to $2,000 per hour depending on operator and engine reserve assumptions, well above the smaller PT6A-powered Cheyennes.
Cockpit: Avionics in un-upgraded airframes feel dated against modern glass cockpits, though Garmin and Avidyne retrofits are available.
Rarity: With only 43 built, parts and type-experienced maintenance are harder to source than for the broader Cheyenne family.

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Height: 17 ft
Length: 43 ft
Parking area (ft²²): 2,793 ft²

Max Takeoff Weight: 12,050 lbs
Max Landing Weight: 11,100 lbs
Useful Load: 4,570 lbs
Fuel Capacity: 570 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed: 351 KTAS
Never-Exceed (V_NE): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 244 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (V_NO): Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 244 KIAS
Approach Speed: 105 KIAS
Stall, Clean (V_S₁): Source: third-party reference 93 KIAS
Range: 2176 NM
Service Ceiling: 41,000 ft
Rate of Climb: 997 - 3242 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle: 2,325 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle: 2,317 ft

Engines

Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Piper Cheyenne 400 specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

2 × Turboprop Low Wing Used market

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