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Aviation History
1955
1955 - 0052.PDF
52 FLIGHT, 14 January 1955 TWINS MEAN BUSINESS . . . successively by a number of companies, the latest of which isTemco. This concern has developed a production-line conver- sion system for which the customer furnishes a Navion airframeand Temco convert it to the full Riley '55 standard. Under an agreement concluded this year, the Temco-converted Navion ismarketed by the Riley Twin Aircraft Sales Corporation; hence the name. Conversion was originally suggested by a Los Angelesbusinessman in 1951. Riley took up the idea, convened a Navion, and obtained a C. of A. The actual conversion workwas then delegated to Temco, who redesigned it in August 1953, incorporating 150-h.p. Lycomings. The Riley '55 is thenew model of this aircraft. If the engines become available in time, the '55 is to be powered with newly developed 170 h.p.Lycoming 0340s, which will give it a top speed of 180 m.p.h. and allow an increase of gross weight to 3,600 lb. The fuel systemis improved, and the addition of wing tanks will allow a range of up to 1,200 miles. In view of the longer endurance the frontseats have been redesigned for greater comfort. The instrument panel, almost inevitably for a new model, has also been re-designed. Take-off and landing distance in standard atmosphere over 50ft obstacles are respectively 1,150ft and 1,050ft. Rate ofclimb is 1,400 ft/min and range on internal tanks at 70 per cent power 900 miles. Fuel consumption is 8-10 gal/hr/engine, andthe single engine ceiling is 6,0Q0-8,000ft. One of the latest producers of light twins in the U.S.A. isPiper Aircraft Corp., whose factory is at Lock Haven, Pennsyl- Beech Twin-Bonanza C50 (left) Span Length Height ... Aero Commander 560 (right) Span .;. ... 44ft Length 34ft 2Viin Height 14ft 9in With one airscrew feathered (note also large rudder-trim tab) the Piper Apache, fully loaded, has a 5,000ft plus ceiling. vania. Pipers have, of course, built a long series of successful light aircraft of the Cub type, leading up to the Tri-Pacer and the Cruiser series. Their venture in the light-twin field is called the Apache, and it is the lightest and most compact of all the twins here described. Incidentally, the company recently held a convention of theirown, attended by over 200 distributors, at which the work of the company was reviewed. From a series of customer surveys,carried out in the last four years, they have been able to draw some interesting conclusions; for instance, that the percentageof buyers who had never owned Pipers before is steadily increasing and that, whereas in 1951 90 per cent of Piper air-craft sold were used for business purposes, in 1954 the figure is 97 per cent. Each owner flies an average 320 hours per year.The block-to-block speed of the aircraft in service has increased from 114.9 to 119 m.p.h., while fuel consumption in gallonsper hour has decreased from 8.9 to 8.1. The company have even established that the average r.p.m. used by their customershas decreased from 2,410 to 2,375. The most significant figures, however, are those concernedwith navigation aids and blind-flying instruments. For instance, in 1951, 46 per cent of Piper aircraft owners used standardinstrument-panels, and only 8 per cent full blind-flying panels. In 1954, only 14 per cent retained standard panels, 74 per centordering full panels. Similarly, radio navigation equipment of the compound "omni" type was fitted by only 17 per cent in1951, and is now used by 85 per cent. On the other hand, use of A.D.F. has remained constant at approximately 8.3 per cent.From this can be gained some idea of the increasingly efficient use of business aircraft. The navigation-aid coverage is there;the airborne equipment is available in quantity at prices owners are prepared to pay; and the installation of both this equipmentand full blind-flying panels shows that more and more of these light aircraft are being used, airliner-fashion, for journeys inI.F.R. conditions which were previously the prerogative of the fully equipped scheduled airliner.Further surveys have shown that, of the types of people using Piper aircraft for business purposes in 1954, 18.2 per cent werefarmers or ranchers, 27.5 per cent manufacturers, 12.2 per cent construction companies, 9.2 per cent physicians, 15.8 per centwholesalers and distributors, and 6.2 per cent engineers and architects (the remainder are classed as "miscellaneous"). Theseproportions fluctuate slightly from year to year but remain sub- stantially constant. To support their figures, Pipers announcedat the convention that they had a backlog of orders—for Apaches, Tri-Pacers, Super Cubs and PA-18-A agriculturalmachines—worth $6 million, with firm deposits on hand. The Piper Apache was described in Flight on May 7th lastyear. It has a cruising speed of 160 m.p.h., an all-up weight of 3,500 lb and is powered* by twoLycoming 0-320 engines with Hartzell constant-speed, fullyfeathering, two-bladed airscrews. It seats four and can, of course,be equipped for night and instru- ment flying. More than 100 havebeen delivered since production began last May. Pipers found that it wascheaper to fly their aircraft to foreign customers than to cratethem and ship them, and the most remarkable venture in thisrespect has been Max Conrad's delivery flight of an Apache directfrom New York to Paris last November. The aircraft was des-tined as a sales representative's demonstrator for the Europeanarea. It was a standard airframe with its two 36-gallon wing tankssupplemented by three tanks in the cabin, bringing the total fuelload up to 360 gallons. Max Conrad also installed his ownsystem for adding engine oil in flight. Endurance was reckonedat 25 to 26 hours. Radio equip- ment consisted of the standard The largest of the light twins approximately to scale with each other and with those on the opposite page. 45ft 31/2 in 31ft 6i/2in lift 4in
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