Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche

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The Piper PA-30 and PA-39 Twin Comanche was a twin-engine development of the PA-24 Comanche single-engine aircraft produced by Piper. No engine options were available from Piper, which produced the aircraft with two 160hp Lycoming engines, but 200hp engines were available as a Miller modification. A version with turbocharged engines for higher altitude flight was also developed, and the PA-39 was a version with counter-rotating engines (to eliminate the critical engine) that replaced the PA-30 in the early 1970s. As the Twin Comanche was produced on the same production line as its single-engine cousin, production ceased when the production line was wiped out in a flood in the early 1960s, and Piper chose instead to focus on its equally popular 140/180 and Cherokee line, eventually giving birth to the twin-engine, highly popular Seneca. The PA-40 Arapaho had been scheduled to replace the PA-39 in the 1973-4 timeframe. Three were manufactured, and the aircraft was already fully certified when the rigs were destroyed in Hurricane Agnes. Two of the three Arapahos were destroyed by Piper. One remains flightworthy as of this writing but is not currently being flown.

Related Topics:
Piper - PA-24 Comanche

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The Twin Comanche is the most fuel efficient aircraft in its class. With tip tanks, the aircraft holds 120 gallons of fuel. Fuel burn at typical cruise settings is approximately 15.5gph with a cruise speed of 165kts. It easily climbs to 18,000' when desired (24,000' if turbocharged). When compared with the Seminole (in reality a Twin Arrow), the Twin Comanche goes faster, carries more, burns less fuel, climbs more rapidly and ultimately higher, is quieter, and is more difficult for a novice to land. When compared to the Seneca (in reality a Twin Cherokee Six), which is really quite a different aircraft, the more noticeable differences are in handling. The Seneca is like an SUV and the Comanche is like a sports car.

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Three versions of the PA30 were produced: the original, a B model, and a C model. The B and C models both carry six people and can be identified by the additional side windows. Since there was no accompanying power increase, the B/C models simply give owners a fuel/passenger tradeoff issue. The back two seats are quite small.

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