PA-31T Cheyenne
PA-31T1 Cheyenne in landing configuration
General information
Type	Turboprop
Manufacturer	Piper Aircraft
Number built	823
History
Manufactured	1974–1985[citation needed]
First flight	29 August 1969
Developed from	Piper PA-31 Navajo
Developed into	Piper PA-42 Cheyenne

The Piper PA-31T Cheyenne is a twin-engine turboprop development of the earlier PA-31P Pressurized Navajo.

Development

Originally, the aircraft was an upgraded version of the Pressurized Navajo equipped with two Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines. Later, the aircraft was further refined and developed, including aerodynamic improvements and fuselage extensions. The PA-31T led to the development of the PA-42 Cheyenne III and IV.

Operators

Variants

PA-31T Cheyenne

Initial production version, powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines

PA-31T-1

Original designation of the PT-31T Cheyenne I. Powered by 500-shp (373-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-II turboprop engines

PA-31T Cheyenne II

Improved version, renamed version of original powered by two 620-shp (462-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprop engines

PA-31T2 Cheyenne IIXL

Stretched version, powered by two 750-shp (559-kW) Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-135 turboprop engines

Accidents and incidents

• On April 17, 2017, a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne crashed in a parking lot of a Lidl supermarket in Tires, Portugal. The pilot and one person on the ground were killed in the crash.^[4]
• On October 22, 2025, a Piper PA-31T Cheyenne crashed shortly after takeoff from Paramillo Airport, Táchira, Venezuela. The two occupants died in the explosion. ^[5]

Specifications

Data from Jane's All the World's Aircraft 1976–77 ^[6]

General characteristics

• Crew: 2
• Capacity: 4–6 passengers
• Length: 34 ft 8 in (10.57 m)
• Wingspan: 42 ft 8+1⁄4 in (13.011 m) (over tip tanks)
• Height: 12 ft 9 in (3.89 m)
• Wing area: 229 sq ft (21.3 m²)
• Airfoil: NACA 63₂-415 at root, 63A212 at tip
• Empty weight: 4,870 lb (2,209 kg)
• Max takeoff weight: 9,000 lb (4,082 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 382 US gal (318 imp gal; 1,450 L) usable fuel
• Powerplant: 2 × Pratt & Whitney Canada PT6A-28 turboprops, 620 shp (460 kW) each
• Propellers: 3-bladed Hartzell HC-BTN-3B constant-speed propellers, 7 ft 9 in (2.36 m) diameter

Performance

• Maximum speed: 326 mph (525 km/h, 283 kn) at 11,000 ft (3,400 m)
• Cruise speed: 244 mph (393 km/h, 212 kn) at 25,000 ft (7,600 m) (econ. cruise)
• Stall speed: 88 mph (142 km/h, 76 kn) (flaps down)
• Range: 1,702 mi (2,739 km, 1,479 nmi) (econ. cruise, 45 min reserves)
• Service ceiling: 29,000 ft (8,800 m)
• Rate of climb: 2,800 ft/min (14 m/s)
• Takeoff run to 50 ft (15 m): 1,980 ft (600 m)
• Landing run from 50 ft (15 m): 1,860 ft (570 m)

See also

Related development

• Piper PA-31 Navajo
• Piper PA-42 Cheyenne

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Beechcraft King Air
• Cessna 425
• Cessna 441 Conquest II
• Mitsubishi Mu-2

References

External links

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Piper PA-31T Cheyenne.

• The Piper PA-31T Cheyenne history from Airliners.net