Range Map

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1

Tank-dry, where fuel runs out at catalogue's stored cruise burn.

Excludes reserves: range beyond the dashed circle requires a leaner cruise than what we store. Great-circle, still air, book cruise. Estimates only: always verify against the POH.

Payload vs. Range

Occupants:

Fuel on board

Cargo

nm

Range

Cargo is additional payload after occupants and baggage.
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.

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Mission Profile

Used market Only available used
283
KTAS
Cruise Speed
1,350
nm
Max Range
31,000
ft
Service Ceiling
7
Occupants
1,041
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Complex
  • High-Altitude
  • Pressurization
  • Multi-Engine
  • Instrument
Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II (N777LE) at Chino Airport, California, October 2013. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0.
Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II (N777LE) at Chino Airport, California, October 2013. Photo: Don Ramey Logan, CC BY-SA 3.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Piper Cheyenne II

Type certificated 1972 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Piper PA-31T Cheyenne II is the first of Piper’s PT6-powered turboprops and the variant that established the family. Powered by two 620 shp Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 engines on a short-coupled airframe derived from the Navajo, it delivers exceptional climb performance and a 283 knot cruise that put it in direct contention with the Beechcraft King Air 90 of the same era.

The trade for that performance is handling. The combination of high power and short fuselage produced longitudinal stability concerns at high angles of attack and aft CG, leading Piper to certify the Cheyenne II with a mandatory Stability Augmentation System. The SAS is part of the type, not optional, and a buyer’s preflight diligence on the system’s condition is non-negotiable.

In the used market the Cheyenne II typically sits below the Cheyenne I and the stretched IIXL on price, largely on its SAS-driven handling reputation. Within the cabin-class turboprop field, the Cheyenne II is the speed-per-purchase-dollar play: it cruises at 283 knots, 34 knots faster than the gentler Cheyenne I, yet typically trades below it on the used market. That bargain holds only for a pilot with the type training to manage the SAS and the short-coupled pitch; without that currency, a King Air 90 is the safer choice.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Power-to-weight. 620 shp per side at 9,000 lb MTOW yields a sea-level climb rate above 2,800 fpm and direct ascent to the flight levels.
  • Range with tip tanks. Standard tip tanks bring total fuel to 382 gallons, supporting a published range of roughly 1,350 nm at long-range cruise.
  • Pricing. Lower acquisition cost than Cheyenne I or IIXL on the used market, and frequently described as one of the lowest-cost twin turboprops to operate when maintained well.
  • Pressurised cabin. Seating for up to seven in a pressurised cabin with cruise altitudes to FL310.

Trade-offs

  • Mandatory Stability Augmentation System. The SAS is required equipment, certified to address longitudinal stability behavior at high AoA. SAS health is a primary diligence item on any pre-purchase inspection.
  • Pitch handling. Short-coupled airframe makes pitch control more sensitive than the stretched IIXL or competing King Air 90, particularly during takeoff and landing.
  • Cabin noise. Engines mounted close to the fuselage produce a louder cabin than the IIXL or King Air series of the same vintage.
  • Pilot transition. Not an aircraft for first-time turboprop pilots without proper type-specific training.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 43 ft
Height
13 ft
Length
35 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
2,089 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
9,000 lbs
Max Landing Weight
9,000 lbs
Useful Load
3,600 lbs
Fuel Capacity
382 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
283 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 246 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 246 KIAS
Approach Speed
91 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
86 KIAS
Range
1350 NM
Service Ceiling
31,000 ft
Rate of Climb
660 - 2800 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
1,980 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle
2,500 ft

Engines

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Sources

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

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