Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec
 Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons
| |
| Make | Piper |
|---|---|
| Model | Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec |
| Type | Twin-engined light piston utility |
| Country |  United States
|
| First flight | 2 March 1952 |
| Built | 1952–1981 |
| Number built | 6,976 |
| Registered in the US | 1,290 (FAA register, October 30, 2026) |
| Seats | 1, 5 passengers |
| Engine | 2 × Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 hp |
| Cruise speed | 172 mph (PA-23-250F, normally aspirated) |
| Range | 1,519 mi (PA-23-250F, normally aspirated) |
| Service ceiling | 18,950 ft (PA-23-250F, normally aspirated) |
| Max weight | 5,200 lb (PA-23-250F, normally aspirated)
|
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The Piper PA-23, named the Apache and later the Aztec, is a four- to six-seat, twin-engine light airplane, also used in small numbers by the U.S. Navy and other military forces. It began in the 1950s as the Twin Stinson, designed by the Stinson Aircraft Company, and Piper built it as the Apache and the more powerful Aztec from the 1950s to the 1980s.[1] In the U.S. there are 1,290 with a valid registration.[2]
History
The PA-23 was Piper's first twin. Piper inherited the "Twin Stinson" design when it bought the Stinson Division of Consolidated Vultee. The prototype, a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal airplane with a twin tail and two 125 hp Lycoming O-290-D engines, first flew on March 2, 1952. It flew poorly, so Piper redesigned it with a single tail fin, an all-metal rear fuselage and 150 hp Lycoming O-320 engines.[1]
Piper built 2,047 Apaches, including the 160 hp Apache E, G and H; the five-seat Apache 235 had 235 hp O-540 engines.[1] The Aztec followed with more power, and the 250 hp PA-23-250 is the most common PA-23 on the U.S. register today.[1][2]
Registered in the United States
The FAA register lists 1,290 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-23-250 | 879 |
| PA-23-160 | 186 |
| PA-23 | 151 |
| PA-23-150 | 43 |
| PA-23-235 | 25 |
| PA-23-250 (6PCLM) | 4 |
| PA-23-180 | 2 |
Specifications (PA-23-250F, normally aspirated)
| Item | PA-23-250F, normally aspirated |
|---|---|
| Crew | 1 |
| Passengers / capacity | 5 passengers |
| Length | 31 ft 2+3/4 in |
| Wingspan | 37 ft 2+1/2 in |
| Height | 10 ft 4 in |
| Wing area | 207.56 sq ft |
| Empty weight | 3,180 lb |
| Maximum takeoff weight | 5,200 lb |
| Fuel | 140 USgal usable fuel (normal), optional extra tanks with 40 USgal |
| Engine | 2 × Lycoming IO-540-C4B5, 250 hp (normally aspirated air-cooled flat-six piston engines) |
| Propeller | Hartzell HC-E2YK-2RB constant-speed propellers |
| Maximum speed | 215 mph |
| Cruise speed | 172 mph |
| Stall speed | 68 mph |
| Never-exceed speed | 277 mph |
| Range | 1,519 mi |
| Service ceiling | 18,950 ft |
| Rate of climb | 1,400 ft/min |
Figures as given in the Wikipedia article and its sources.[1]
Photos
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Piper PA-23 Apache. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Apache on floats. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec. Photo: YSSYguy at English Wikipedia, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper Apache with Geronimo Tail. Photo: FlugKerl2, CC BY-SA 3.0 -
Piper PA-23 Apache 235 G-ASFF at Liverpool (Speke) Airport in 1967. Photo: RuthAS, CC BY 3.0 -
N6795Y PA-23-250 Piper Aztec aircraft. Photo: KOMRADE DIMITRI, CC BY-SA 4.0
All photos are from Wikimedia Commons; click a photo for its full credit and license.
Buying a Piper PA-23 Apache and Aztec
Sources
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 Wikipedia, "Piper PA-23", 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 2.2 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.