Range Map

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+ cargo
×
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.

Trip Preview

Mission Profile

Used market Only available used
211
KTAS
Cruise Speed
883
nm
Max Range
24,000
ft
Service Ceiling
10
Occupants
1,589
lbs
Wet Payload
Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Complex
  • Multi-Engine
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (VH-OCF) at Cairns Airport, Australia, October 2016. Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0.
Piper PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain (VH-OCF) at Cairns Airport, Australia, October 2016. Photo: Ank Kumar, CC BY-SA 4.0.

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain

Type certificated 1972 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain is a ten-seat piston-twin commuter, with 1,825 airframes produced from 1973 through 1984. Stretched two feet from the parent Navajo and uprated to 350 hp Lycoming TIO-540 / LTIO-540 counter-rotating engines, the Chieftain became the standard piston commuter twin during the deregulation era and remains in active freight and Part 135 operation worldwide.

The counter-rotating powerplant arrangement was the key engineering decision. The original Navajo’s conventional rotation produced a difficult critical-engine handling problem on engine-out, and the Chieftain’s mirrored propellers cured it. Combined with the 7,000 lb gross weight and 2,600+ lb useful load, the airframe set the template for high-density commuter and cargo operations that single-engine and lighter twins could not match. That history still describes its owner: the Chieftain is an operator’s airplane, flown today mainly by the Part 135 charter, light-freight, and regional commuter outfits that need to move up to ten seats or roughly 1,500 lb of cargo on a piston budget, and that accept the fuel burn and twin-engine upkeep as the price of that capability.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Heavy Hauler: Useful load above 2,600 lb supports a full passenger load with baggage, or roughly 1,500 lb of cargo at typical IFR fuel reserves.
  • Counter-Rotating Engines: Mirrored TIO-540 / LTIO-540 propellers eliminate the critical-engine handling problem that plagued the earlier Navajo, reducing single-engine accident severity and simplifying training.
  • Cabin Volume: The 12.5 ft long, 4 ft wide cabin seats up to ten in commuter configuration, with a true cabin-class entry door and headroom that piston-twin owners often rate above pressurised competitors.
  • Operator Support: Nearly 1,825 built and decades of Part 135 service mean parts, mechanics, and type-experienced instructors are widely available, an advantage over rarer cabin-class twins.

Trade-offs

  • Fuel Thirst: Cruise burn of approximately 43.6 GPH at 75% power is roughly double a piston single and well above the 310 hp Navajo. Charter and freight economics depend on filling seats or cargo to keep the per-mile cost reasonable.
  • Engine Costs: Lycoming TIO-540 / LTIO-540 overhauls run approximately $67,500 per side on the catalogue’s Gann Aviation TIO-540 spine, roughly $135,000 for the counter-rotating pair, and the J2BD-series cylinders are historically prone to shock-cooling damage. Disciplined power management is critical to reaching the 1,800 hr published TBO.
  • Unpressurised: Service ceiling is 24,000 ft, but most operations cruise FL120 to FL180. Long-haul comfort suffers compared to the pressurised Mojave or Cheyenne siblings.
  • Maintenance Complexity: Turbocharged engines plus hydraulic gear and flap systems generate higher annual costs than owner-flown light twins, and the type’s heavy commercial utilization shows up in fleet maintenance costs well above lighter cabin twins. Budget commercially even for private operation.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 41 ft
Height
13 ft
Length
35 ft
Parking area (ft²2)
2,010 ft²
Max Takeoff Weight
7,000 lbs
Max Landing Weight
7,000 lbs
Useful Load
2,681 lbs
Fuel Capacity
182 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
211 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 236 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 187 KIAS
Approach Speed
98 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
74 KIAS
Range
883 NM
Service Ceiling
24,000 ft
Rate of Climb
230 - 1120 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
2,510 ft
Landing over 50 ft obstacle
2,291 ft

Engines

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Sources

Where the figures on this page come from. Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain specifications are traced to published references; estimated values are flagged inline next to the figure.

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