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Payload vs. Range
Fuel on board
Cargo
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Range
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En route
Fuel burned
Direct cost
Fuel cost
Tanks run dry about past before at this burn.
Mission Profile
- Tailwheel
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Estimated Ownership Costs
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About the Piper PA-20 Pacer
Type certificated 1949
Overview
The Piper PA-20 Pacer is a four-seat, high-wing taildragger of welded steel tube and fabric, introduced in 1950 as the refined successor to the Clipper. Piper added flaps and control yokes (the Clipper had neither), offered more power (most Pacers carry the 135-horsepower Lycoming O-290, some the 125-horsepower variant), and kept the compact short-wing airframe and 36-gallon fuel. It cruises near 109 knots on about 8 gallons an hour, a useful light four-seater for its day. The Pacer was quickly overtaken in the showroom by its own tricycle-gear version, the Tri-Pacer, but it remains the tailwheel pilot’s choice in the family.
As an owner’s airplane the Pacer is an affordable classic with one demand: it is a real taildragger, short-coupled and brisk on the ground, requiring tailwheel proficiency. At roughly $98 an hour its direct cost sits near the top of the vintage short-wing ladder, mostly on fuel burn and the O-290’s shorter overhaul interval. It rewards the tailwheel pilot who wants four seats, flaps, and a 109-knot cruise in a light vintage airframe, and who prefers the ground handling and feel of conventional gear to the easier-to-land Tri-Pacer.
Key Features for GA Buyers
- Flaps and yokes. Unlike the flapless Clipper it replaced, the Pacer has wing flaps and control wheels, which make approaches and instrument flying more conventional.
- Useful light four-seater. Four seats, 109-knot cruise, and a 36-gallon tank give it real cross-country ability for a 135-horsepower classic.
- Tailwheel character. Conventional gear gives the Pacer its ground-handling character and qualifies the pilot toward the tailwheel endorsement.
- Active type support. The Short Wing Piper Club and an established fleet keep parts and knowledge available.
Trade-offs
- Demands tailwheel skill. Short-coupled conventional gear makes the Pacer less forgiving on the ground than its Tri-Pacer twin; a tailwheel endorsement and currency are needed.
- Top of the vintage cost ladder. At about $98 an hour it is among the costlier short-wing Pipers, on fuel and the O-290’s 1,500-hour overhaul interval.
- Fabric airframe. The covering needs periodic replacement; check its age at pre-buy.
- Snug cabin. Four seats, but tight in back with full seats and baggage.
See Also
- Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer – the same airplane on tricycle gear: easier to land, the showroom’s choice in period. Compare
- Piper PA-16 Clipper – the flapless predecessor it refined. Compare
- Stinson 108 Voyager – the contemporary four-seat taildragger rival, larger and more powerful. Compare
- Cessna 170 – the all-metal high-wing four-seat taildragger cross-shop. Compare
- Piper PA-18 Super Cub – the Piper-family bush taildragger, for buyers weighing classic Pipers. Compare
Technical Specifications
Dimensions & Weights
- Height
- 8 ft
- Length
- 20 ft
- Parking area (ft²2)
- 1,002 ft²
- Max Takeoff Weight
- 1,950 lbs
- Max Landing Weight
- 1,950 lbs
- Useful Load
- Source: third-party reference 935 lbs
- Fuel Capacity
- 36 gal
Performance
- Cruise Speed
- Source: third-party reference 109 KTAS
- Never-Exceed (VNE)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 137 KIAS
- Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
- Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 110 KIAS
- Approach Speed
- 55 KIAS
- Stall, Clean (VS1)
- 42 KIAS
- Range
- 430 NM
- Service Ceiling
- Source: third-party reference 15,000 ft
- Rate of Climb
- 620 fpm
Engine
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Sources
Where the figures on this page come from. Piper PA-20 Pacer specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.
Similar to the Piper PA-20 Pacer
Similar PistonsPiper PA-16 Clipper
Cessna 170
Stinson 108 Voyager
Maule MX-7
Piper 12 Supercruiser
Compare the Piper PA-20 Pacer to other aircraft