Piper PA-31 Navajo
_at_Essendon_Airport.jpg) Piper PA-31 Navajo. Photo: YSSYguy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Piper |
|---|---|
| Model | Piper PA-31 Navajo |
| Type | Utility aircraft |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 30 September 1964 |
| Built | 1967–1984 |
| Status | Active service |
| Number built | 3,942 |
| Registered in the US | 892 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1 or 2, 5 to 7 passengers |
| Engine | 2 × Lycoming TIO-540-A, 310 hp |
| Cruise speed | 238 mph (PA-31 Navajo) |
| Range | 1,165 mi (PA-31 Navajo) |
| Service ceiling | 26,300 ft (PA-31 Navajo) |
| Max weight | 6,500 lb (PA-31 Navajo)
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The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of twin-engine, low-wing utility airplanes built by Piper Aircraft from 1967 to 1984 for small cargo and feeder airlines and as a corporate airplane. It was also license-built in several Latin American countries.[1] In the U.S. there are 892 with a valid registration, the largest group being the PA-31-350 Navajo Chieftain.[2]
History
In 1962, at founder William T. Piper's request, Piper began a six- to eight-seat twin for corporate and commuter use under the project name "Inca". Looking like a scaled-up Twin Comanche, it first flew on September 30, 1964, with two 310 hp turbocharged Lycoming TIO-540 engines in "tiger shark" cowlings like the Twin Comanche's and the Aztec's.[1]
Named after the Navajo people, it was certified on February 24, 1966, and deliveries began in 1967. The only version without turbocharging, the 300 hp PA-31-300, was certified in June 1967; just 14 were built in 1968 and 1969.[1]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 892 of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.[2]
| FAA model name | Registered |
|---|---|
| PA-31-350 | 392 |
| PA-31-325 | 134 |
| PA-31-310 | 127 |
| PA-31T | 85 |
| PA-31T1 | 63 |
| PA-31P | 37 |
| PA-31 | 25 |
| PA-31T2 | 24 |
| PA-31-300 | 3 |
| PA-31T3 | 2 |
| Item | PA-31 Navajo |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 or 2 |
| Passengers / capacity | 5 to 7 passengers |
| Length | 32 ft 7+1/2 in |
| Wingspan | 40 ft 8 in |
| Height | 13 ft |
| Wing area | 229 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 3,930 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 6,500 lb |
| Fuel | 190 USgal total, 187 USgal useable |
| Engine | 2 × Lycoming TIO-540-A, 310 hp (air-cooled six-cylinder horizontally opposed piston engine) |
| Propeller | Hartzell metal, fully feathering propellers |
| Maximum speed | 261 mph |
| Cruise speed | 238 mph |
| Stall speed | 73 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 272 mph |
| Range | 1,165 mi |
| Service ceiling | 26,300 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,445 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Aerocardal Piper PA-31 Navajo at Comodoro Arturo Merino Benítez International Airport. Photo: Aerocardal Chile, CC BY-SA 2.0 -
Piper PA-31 Navajo. Photo: Pedro Aragão, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper PA-31 Navajo. Photo: Udi Brill (אודי בריל), CC BY-SA 4.0 -
Piper PA-31 Navajo. Photo: Jeroen Stroes Aviation Photography from Netherlands, CC BY 2.0
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All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Wikipedia, "Piper PA-31 Navajo", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Federal Aviation Administration, Releasable Aircraft Database, file dated October 30, 2026. Valid registrations of fixed-wing airplanes whose FAA maker and model names belong to this family. Airplane Wiki uses only counts from this file, never owner names or addresses.