Piper Turbo Saratoga SP

Piston single engine • Low Wing • Retractable gear

Range Map

Origin:

• nm at current load

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Payload vs. Range

Configure weights

Default: 190 lbs

Default: 30 lbs

Occupants
lb + lbs / pax

gal

Fuel on board

lbs

Extra weight

nm

Range

Available Range / nm
Mission capable. Aircraft can handle the current load with full fuel tanks.
Fuel tradeoff required. You'll need to leave gallons of fuel behind ( gal usable for nm range).
Over max gross weight. Reduce payload by lbs to safely operate this aircraft.
Extra weight is the additional payload available with your selected passengers.

Mission Profile

Endorsements & ratings:
  • High-Performance
  • Complex
177
KTAS
Cruise Speed
875
nm
Max Range
20,000
ft
Service Ceiling
7
Occupants
858
lbs
Wet Payload
Used market Only available used

Estimated Ownership Costs

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About the Piper Turbo Saratoga SP

Type certificated 1979 Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet

Overview

The Piper PA-32R-301T Turbo Saratoga SP is the retractable-gear, turbocharged member of Piper’s six-seat PA-32 family, type-certificated in 1979 on FAA TCDS A3SO and built through the late 1980s. It mates the roomy “station wagon” Saratoga cabin to retractable landing gear and a turbocharged 300 hp Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD that holds full rated power to 16,000 feet, giving the airframe genuine high-altitude and high/hot capability the naturally aspirated and fixed-gear PA-32s lack.

For a buyer who needs to move four to six people and their baggage over long distances, often across high terrain, the Turbo Saratoga SP sits a clear step above the fixed-gear Cherokee Six and the naturally aspirated Saratoga: the turbocharger restores climb and cruise where they would otherwise fade with altitude, and the retractable gear adds a few knots for the same fuel. Its modern descendant is the round-cowl Piper Saratoga II TC, which carries the later automatic-wastegate -AH1A engine and a 28-volt system. Choose the Turbo Saratoga SP when you want a six-seat cabin-class single with turbocharged mountain performance and retractable efficiency, and you prefer the value of a well-sorted 1980s airframe to the cost of the late-model II TC.

Key Features for GA Buyers

  • Six-seat cabin-class room. The wide PA-32 cabin seats up to seven and is most often arranged for six in conference-style club seating, with a load-flexibility rare in a single-engine airplane.
  • Turbocharged high-altitude power. The TIO-540-S1AD holds its 300 hp to 16,000 feet, so high and hot airports and mountain crossings do not erode climb rate, payload, or safety margin the way they do in a normally aspirated six-seater.
  • Retractable-gear efficiency. Gear-up cruise recovers several knots over the fixed-gear Saratoga and Cherokee Six on the same fuel burn.
  • Easy loading and weight-and-balance. A large rear double door plus a forward baggage compartment between the firewall and the cockpit make bulky loads simple to carry and the center of gravity straightforward to manage.

Trade-offs

  • Complex, high-performance ownership. The turbocharger, retractable gear, and constant-speed propeller mean higher insurance premiums, more involved annual inspections, and required high-performance and complex endorsements.
  • Fuel burn for the speed. Expect roughly 16 to 18 gph to see the 170-knot cruise numbers the turbo makes possible at altitude.
  • A heavy single on short fields. At 3,600 lb gross the Saratoga rewards disciplined approach-speed control and asks for more runway and careful speed management than a simpler fixed-gear single; it is a cross-country machine first.

See Also

Technical Specifications

Dimensions & Weights

Wingspan 36.2 ft
Height
8.5 ft
Length
28.3 ft
Parking area (ft2)
1538.46 ft2
Max Takeoff Weight
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 3,600 lbs
Max Landing Weight
3,600 lbs
Useful Load
1,500 lbs
Fuel Capacity
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 107 gal

Performance

Cruise Speed
177 KTAS
Never-Exceed (VNE)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 197 KIAS
Max Structural Cruise (VNO)
Source: FAA Type Certificate Data Sheet 154 KIAS
Approach Speed
80 KIAS
Stall, Clean (VS1)
67 KIAS
Range
875 NM
Service Ceiling
20,000 ft
Rate of Climb
1050 fpm
Takeoff over 50 ft obstacle
1,710 ft
Landing ground roll
1,612 ft

Engine

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Sources

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

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