Admin: New aircraft page: history, US registrations (FAA), specifications, photos, sources

2026-11-01T22:26:32Z

New aircraft page: history, US registrations (FAA), specifications, photos, sources

New page

{{Aircraft infobox
| name = Piper PA-38 Tomahawk
| image = G-BLWP (16394415027).jpg
| caption = Piper PA-38 Tomahawk. Photo: wiltshirespotter, CC BY-SA 2.0, via [[commons:File:G-BLWP (16394415027).jpg|Wikimedia Commons]]
| make = Piper
| type = Light aircraft
| produced = 1978–1982
| number_built = 2,484
| faa_registered = 434 (FAA register, October 30, 2026)
| seats = one, one passenger
| engine = Avco Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 hp
| cruise = 115 mph (PA-38-112 Tomahawk II)
| range = 539 mi (PA-38-112 Tomahawk II)
| ceiling = 13,000 ft (PA-38-112 Tomahawk II)
| gross_weight = 1,670 lb (PA-38-112 Tomahawk II)
| category = Piston singles
}}

The '''Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk''' is a two-seat airplane designed and built by Piper specifically for flight training, also usable for touring and personal flying.<ref name="wp"/> In the U.S. there are 434 with a valid registration.<ref name="faa"/>

== History ==
The Tomahawk began in the mid-1970s with Piper's plan for an affordable two-seat trainer. Before designing it, Piper surveyed about 10,000 flight instructors about what the ideal trainer should look like and how it should fly. Many asked for an airplane that could be spun more readily, so students could learn spin recovery.<ref name="wp"/>

== Safety record ==
The Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association Air Safety Foundation published a Safety Highlight report on the Tomahawk, which found it has a one-third lower accident rate per flying hour than comparable trainers.<ref name="wp"/>

As of 2020 a handful of Tomahawks were training Australian Air Force Cadets at RAAF Base Amberley, where they have flown since the early 2000s.<ref name="wp"/>

== Registered in the United States ==
The FAA register lists '''434''' of these airplanes with a valid U.S. registration. Here they are by the model name the FAA uses.<ref name="faa"/>
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable sortable"
! FAA model name !! Registered
|-
| PA-38-112 || 434
|}
</div>

== Specifications (PA-38-112 Tomahawk II) ==
<div class="aw-wide">
{| class="wikitable"
! Item !! PA-38-112 Tomahawk II
|-
| Crew || one
|-
| Passengers / capacity || one passenger
|-
| Length || 23 ft 1+1/4 in
|-
| Wingspan || 34 ft
|-
| Height || 9 ft 0+3/4 in
|-
| Wing area || 124.7 sq ft
|-
| Empty weight || 1,128 lb
|-
| Maximum takeoff weight || 1,670 lb
|-
| Fuel || 30 USgal usable
|-
| Engine || Avco Lycoming O-235-L2C, 112 hp (air-cooled flat-four piston engine)
|-
| Propeller || Sensenich metal fixed-pitch propeller
|-
| Maximum speed || 126 mph
|-
| Cruise speed || 115 mph
|-
| Stall speed || 56 mph
|-
| Never-exceed speed || 159 mph
|-
| Range || 539 mi
|-
| Service ceiling || 13,000 ft
|-
| Rate of climb || 718 ft/min
|}
</div>
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.<ref name="wp"/>

{{Owner notes}}

== Photos ==
<gallery mode="packed" heights="170">
File:PiperPA-38-112TomahawkC-FBRL04.jpg|A Piper PA-38-112 Tomahawk (C-FBRL). Photo: Ahunt at English Wikipedia, Public domain
</gallery>
All photos are from [[commons:Main Page|Wikimedia Commons]]; click a photo for its full credit and license.

== Buying a Piper PA-38 Tomahawk ==
{{For sale soon}}

== Sources ==
<references>
<ref name="wp">Wikipedia, "[https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Piper_PA-38_Tomahawk Piper PA-38 Tomahawk]", read November 1, 2026. Airplane Wiki's text is written in its own words; facts are checked against this article and its sources.</ref>
<ref name="faa">Federal Aviation Administration, [https://www.faa.gov/licenses_certificates/aircraft_certification/aircraft_registry/releasable_aircraft_download 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.</ref>
</references>

Piper PA-38 Tomahawk - Revision history

Admin: New aircraft page: history, US registrations (FAA), specifications, photos, sources