Piper PA-31P-350 Mojave

Overview

The Piper PA-31P-350 Mojave is the rare final pressurized piston twin in the PA-31 family. Built only between 1983 and June 1984 with just 50 airframes produced, the Mojave grafts the 350 hp Lycoming TIO-540-V2AD piston pair onto the pressurized fuselage of the turboprop Cheyenne I, with a strengthened and span-extended Chieftain wing and Chieftain tail. The result is what owners and the contemporary aviation press called the piston Cheyenne.

The design rationale was specific. By the early 1980s owners wanted high-altitude pressurized comfort but were priced out of new turboprops. Piper’s response was to take the airframe already certified for the Cheyenne I, fit it with a modified Chieftain wing and tail, and substitute upgraded piston engines optimized for high-altitude operation. The result delivers FIKI certification, a 26,500 ft service ceiling, and roughly 1,190 nm range at a fraction of a Cheyenne’s acquisition cost, at the price of the higher operating complexity of any pressurized piston twin.

The Mojave was the last twin Piper built in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania before the line closed. Its single-year production run, the narrow buyer pool the type attracted, and the difficult economics of new pressurized piston twins by 1984 explain the small fleet and its current rarity in the resale market.

Key Features for GA Buyers

• Pressurized Cabin from the Cheyenne I: The Mojave inherits the pressurized fuselage certified for the turboprop PA-31T, including its 5.5 psi differential. That maintains a sea-level cabin to roughly 12,000 ft and a 10,000 ft cabin at FL250, making long cross-country legs significantly more comfortable than any unpressurized PA-31.
• Cheyenne-Class Airframe: Sharing structure with the Cheyenne I gives the Mojave thicker fuselage skins, a dual-bus electrical system, and overbuilt landing gear by piston-twin standards. The Chieftain wing is strengthened and the span is extended 4 ft over the Chieftain, with fuel capacity enlarged to support transcontinental missions.
• Range and Fuel: 238 gallon fuel capacity yields about 1,190 nm range, supporting non-stop legs that piston twins of similar power cannot match.
• High-Altitude Engines: The Lycoming TIO-540-V2AD pair was specified for high-altitude operation with intercoolers and pressurized magnetos from the factory, and carries a 2,000 hour published TBO. Counter-rotating propellers eliminate the critical-engine penalty on a balked single-engine departure.

Trade-offs

• Sluggish Takeoff: 7,200 lb MTOW on 700 total horsepower yields a 3,035 ft takeoff distance over a 50 ft obstacle, materially longer than the Chieftain. Hot and high operations are limited and the single-engine service ceiling is roughly 14,300 ft.
• Engine Complexity and Cost: The TIO-540-V2AD’s intercoolers, pressurized magnetos, and high-altitude tuning add maintenance complexity and overhaul cost relative to the Chieftain’s J2BD. Engine reserve runs about $65 per hour against $41 per hour for the Chieftain in the PlanePhD spec table.
• Rarity and Parts: With only 50 built and roughly half that number active in the FAA registry today, model-specific airframe parts unique to the Mojave hybrid (not shared with Cheyenne I or Chieftain) can be difficult to source. Type-experienced maintenance is concentrated in a few shops.
• Single-Year Production: Built only 1983 to mid-1984 before Piper shut down the pressurized piston program. The narrow vintage band keeps both the buyer pool and the sale comparison set small, which both supports residual value and complicates appraisal.

See Also

• Piper PA-31-350 Chieftain – Unpressurized piston sibling at lower acquisition cost; the Mojave inherits its wing and tail in strengthened, span-extended form. Compare
• Piper Cheyenne I – Turboprop sibling sharing the pressurized fuselage; the Mojave is its piston counterpart at materially lower acquisition cost. Compare
• Cessna 421C Golden Eagle – The dominant pressurized piston twin from Wichita and the Mojave’s direct period rival in the cabin-class market. Compare
• Cessna Chancellor 414 – A slightly smaller and less ambitious pressurized piston twin alternative from Cessna. Compare
• Beech 60 Duke – The high-performance pressurized piston twin from Beechcraft, distinct in size, mission, and operating economics. Compare