Piper PA-16 Clipper

infobox Aircraft
name = PA-16 Clipper
type = PA-16 Clipper

manufacturer = Piper Aircraft

---

caption = Piper PA-16 Clipper at the Short Wing Piper Convention in Kingston, Ontario on 06 July 2006
designer =
first flight = 1947
introduction = 1949
retired =
status =
primary user =
more users =
produced = only in 1949
number built = <800
program cost=
unit cost = USD$2995 (in 1949)
developed from =
variants with their own articles = Piper PA-20 Pacer

The Piper PA-16 Clipper is an extended fuselage model of the PA-15 Vagabond.Plane and Pilot: "1978 Aircraft Directory", page 59. Werner & Werner Corp Publishing, 1978. ISBN 0-918312-00-0] Both models were designed in 1947 for the same reason - Piper Aircraft found itself in dire financial straits and needed to create new, competitive models using existing parts and tooling. The result was the Vagabond, essentially a side-by-side version of the tandem J-3 Cub that is credited with saving the company!cite web|url = http://www.flymuseum.dk/sprog/engelsk/UKfly/PA-16.html|title = Piper PA-16 Clipper|accessdate = 2007-12-10|last = Fonden Danmarks Flymuseum|authorlink = |year = undated]

Development

The PA-16 Clipper is a stretched and refined version of the Vagabond intended to seat four people (or "two-and-a-half to three" as often told by Clipper pilots). It is equipped with an extra wing tank, added doors to accommodate the new seating, and a Lycoming O-235, the same engine that would later power the Cessna 152 and the PA-22-108 Colt, itself essentially a Vagabond with a nosewheel. The PA-16 Clipper retained the control sticks that had up to that point been common in aircraft derived from the "Cub" family.

Cost

In 1949, the Clipper sold for $2995. The average four place airplane on the market at that time cost over $5000. Fewer than 800 Clippers were built in the one year of production before Piper changed to the Piper PA-20 Pacer.

Nomenclature

Pan Am Airlines, who traditionally called its famous luxury airliners "Clippers", took offense at Piper using the name for their light aircraft. As a result of this pressure Piper further refined the model, adding wing flaps, further fuel tanks and replaced the control sticks with yokes. A more powerful Lycoming O-290 125 hp engine was installed and this model became the Piper PA-20 Pacer.

Aircraft type club

The PA-16 is supported by an active aircraft type club, the Short Wing Piper Club. [ cite web|url = http://www.shortwing.org/TestSite/index.php|title = Short Wing Piper Club|accessdate = 2007-12-13|last = Short Wing Piper Club|authorlink = |year = undated]

=Specifications (PA-16)=

aircraft specifications

plane or copter?=plane
jet or prop?=prop

ref=Plane and Pilot: "1978 Aircraft Directory" & Fonden Danmarks Flymuseum

crew=one
capacity=three passengers
payload main=
payload alt=
length main= 20 ft 1 in
length alt=6.12 m
span main=29 ft 3 in
span alt=8.92 m
height main=6 ft 2 in
height alt=1.88 m
area main=
area alt=
airfoil=
empty weight main= 850 lb
empty weight alt= 385 kg
loaded weight main= 1,650 lb
loaded weight alt= 750 kg
useful load main= 800 lb
useful load alt= 362 kg
max takeoff weight main= 1,650 lb
max takeoff weight alt= 748 kg
more general=

engine (jet)=
type of jet=
number of jets=
thrust main=
thrust alt=
thrust original=
afterburning thrust main=
afterburning thrust alt=

engine (prop)=Lycoming O-235
type of prop=with cruise pitch propeller
number of props=1
power main= 115 hp
power alt=86 kW
power original=

propeller or rotor?=
propellers=
number of propellers per engine=
propeller diameter main=
propeller diameter alt=

max speed main= 125 mph
max speed alt= 203 km/h
cruise speed main= 117 mph
cruise speed alt= 188 km/h
stall speed main= 50 mph
stall speed alt= 80 km/h
never exceed speed main= 140 mph
never exceed speed alt=225 km/h
range main= 480 sm
range alt=778 km
range more=
combat radius main=
combat radius alt=
combat radius more=
ferry range main=
ferry range alt=
ferry range more=
ceiling main= 11,000 feet
ceiling alt= 3385 m
climb rate main= 580 ft/min
climb rate alt= 177 m/min
loading main=
loading alt=
thrust/weight=
power/mass main=14.34 lb/hp
power/mass alt=0.115 kW/kg
more performance=

armament=
guns=
bombs=
rockets=
missiles=
hardpoints=
hardpoint capacity=

avionics=Originally none were fitted. Many now have VHF Nav-com radios, GPS and transponders installed.

Related Content

Related Development

*PA-15/17 Vagabond
*PA-20 Pacer, PA-22 Tri-Pacer/Caribbean, PA-22-108 Colt

imilar Aircraft

*Cessna 170

References

*Piper's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Drina Welch Abel, and Paul Matt
*The Pilot's Guide to Affordable Classics by Bill Clarke

External links

* [http://www.shortwing.org Short Wing Piper Club] aircraft type club