The New Piper Aircraft
Encyclopedia
Piper Aircraft, Inc., is a manufacturer of general aviation
aircraft
, located at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport
in Vero Beach, Florida
. Along with Beechcraft
and Cessna
, it is considered one of the "Big Three" in the field of general aviation construction.
Between its founding in 1927 and the end of 2009 the company has produced 144,000 aircraft in 160 certified
models, of which 90,000 are still flying.
The company was originally founded as the Taylor Brothers Aircraft Manufacturing Company in September 1927 by Clarence Gilbert Taylor and Gordon A. Taylor in Rochester, New York
. The company was renamed Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation in April 1928, shortly before Gordon Taylor died in a plane crash on April 24, 1928. The company was enticed to move to Bradford, Pennsylvania
with the promise of larger facility and investment capital from local businessmen, including an initial investment of $400 from local oilman William T. Piper
. The move was completed in September 1929.
1930s
In late 1930 the company filed for bankruptcy and William T. Piper purchased the assets of the company for $761. Reorganized as the Taylor Aircraft Company, Piper effectively took control of the firm when he assumed the position of corporate secretary
-treasurer
, although he retained C. G. Taylor in the role of president
. Piper, often called the "Henry Ford
of Aviation
", firmly believed that a simple-to-operate low-cost private airplane would flourish, even in the darkest depths of the Great Depression
.
In December 1935, after a series of clashes, William Piper bought out C. G. Taylor, who left the company and went on to form the Taylorcraft Aircraft Company
. On March 16, 1937 a fire destroyed the Bradford factory and the company relocated to an abandoned silk mill in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
. By November 1937, it was renamed Piper Aircraft Corporation.
1940s
Piper continued operations in Lock Haven throughout World War II. In its business planning following the war, it became clear that the Lock Haven facility would not support larger manufacturing efforts, and in 1955, it acquired rights to property at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport. Initially, this location was limited to the design and production of the Piper Cherokee
series.
1960s
In 1969, The Piper family agreed to sell Piper Aircraft to Bangor Punta Corporation, which started an eight-year court battle with the losing bidder, Chris-Craft Industries, culminating in a Supreme Court decision in 1977. Piper remained a member of the Bangor Punta family through 1984, when B-P was acquired by Lear Siegler. Lear Siegler, in turn, was acquired by Forstmann Little in 1986. Forstmann Little then sold Piper to M. Stuart Millar in 1987. Piper filed for protection under the bankruptcy code in 1991 and was reorganized in 1994.
1970s
The Lock Haven facility was nearly destroyed in 1972 when torrential rains from Hurricane Agnes caused the great Susquehanna River flood of 1972. The manufacturing plant was flooded, destroying airframes, parts, and much of the tooling necessary for production of several designs; including the Aztec, Navajo, and Comanche. The company decided to end production of the Piper PA-24 Comanche
and Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, neither of which were selling particularly well (and were very expensive to produce), move the production of remaining models to Florida, and within 5 years close all operations in Pennsylvania. Piper opened a manufacturing division in Lakeland, Florida in 1972. Through the 1970s, the Piper PA-31 Navajo
, Chieftain, and Cheyenne III were manufactured at the more than 710,000 SqFt facility on the Lakeland municipal airport.
1980s
Piper opened it's T1000 Airline Division at the Lakeland, Florida
location, May 1981, with 20 people. Employment at both of Piper's Lakeland divisions peaked at 2,200 later that year. The Piper PA-42 Cheyenne IV and the Piper T-1020/ Piper T-1040 aircraft were manufactured in Lakeland during this time. Piper also maintained a fully staffed R&D center in Lakeland including "X" shop personnel. The Piper PA-48 Enforcer
was their responsibility. The Airline Division provided aircraft to commuter airlnes both in the US, Air New Orleans
, Desert Sun in Long Beach, Shasta Air and Sun West Airlines
in Phoenix, Arizona as well as internationally to, Vickers for corporate transport use in the UK, to Cameroons Avia Services in Africa and to Columbia's Aero Leaver. Manufacture of light aircraft was impacted in the mid 1980s when increasing insurance premiums made operation financially difficult for Piper Aircraft and other American sellers of light aircraft. Production of the larger commuter aircraft continued through this period. Limitation of liability was provided by new legislation in the early '90s. Also, the firm was re-branded The New Piper Aircraft at that time.
2000s
In July 2003, American Capital Strategies, Ltd. bought 94% of Piper's voting equity.
In August 2006 the firm dropped the "New" from its name, reverting to Piper Aircraft. Also in that month, a partnership with Honda
was announced to market the new HondaJet.
In response to the late 2000s recession
, the company announced in November 2008 that it was reducing its work-week to save money while avoiding lay-offs. Piper is party to an agreement with the state of Florida
that will see the company benefit from US$
32 million in incentives in exchange for increasing its work force to 1400 people and building the PiperJet in the state.
In December 2008, the company announced that it will defer the US$10 million incentive that would have required it to hire 400 new workers by 2012 for the PiperJet project and retain 1,417 employees through 2015. The company stated that the move was precautionary. Piper spokesman Mark Miller said: "While this year has been a good one for Piper, we have taken measures to keep the company healthy and to weather any future adversity."
In February 2009, the company announced that it was laying off an additional 300 workers without notice immediately and that the 650 remaining workers would be given unpaid weeks off in April and July to reduce unsold inventory. Piper spokesman Mark Miller stated that company regretted the pain caused by the layoffs and indicated that the employees would be rehired when the economy improves. He also said: "Even the willing buyers that we have find it incredibly difficult to get financing...We can't keep a full workforce on at this point when people aren't buying planes...If market conditions continue to deteriorate, it may be necessary for the company to take additional actions". On 24 February 2009, the company announced that it would add two more weeks of unpaid furlough for its employees in May and June, bringing the total to four weeks in 2009, citing a need to reduce inventory and cut expenses. In June 2010 the company announced it would shut down for a further week in August to save money. The lay-off affected all workers except those on the PiperJet program and some critical company business functions.
On 1 May 2009 American Capital Strategies sold the company to Singapore
-based investment strategy company Imprimis, making a profit of US$31M on the sale. Imprimis is funded by the Government of Brunei
and has offices in Bangkok
, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.
In June 2009 James Bass, CEO of Piper Aircraft since 2005, announced that he would step down effective that same month. He was succeeded by VP of operations Kevin Gould. During his four years at Piper, Bass oversaw development of the PiperJet
, the Meridian G1000 and the Matrix; and negotiated a new business partnership with Honda. He also negotiated $32 million in incentives from the state and county that retained Piper's factory in Vero Beach, Florida.
On 2 November 2009 another Piper executive resigned. Company president John Becker announced his resignation effective 1 December 2009 to "to pursue other career opportunities". Becker was replaced as President by CEO Kevin Gould.
2010s
On 4 January 2010 the company announced that Boeing
subsidiary Aviall would act as Piper's sole global parts distributor.
In July 2010 CEO Kevin Gould resigned for unspecified reasons, having served just over a year in the post. Gould was replaced on an interim basis by Geoffrey Berger, managing director of Imprimus in Brunei, on behalf of the government of Brunei. Also in July 2010 longtime Piper media spokesman Mark Miller left the company.
In September 2010, Piper announced the lay-off of an additional 60 production workers. Piper's interim CEO Geoffrey Berger stated: "Piper remains challenged by overall market weakness". The company hired 140 workers for the PiperJet program in 2009–10.
Piper started renovation of a 75000 sq ft (6,967.7 m²) factory in Vero Beach in October 2010, with a completion goal of 2011. The facility was intended to be used to build the PiperJet.
On 17 October 2011 the company announced that Simon Caldecott had replaced Geoff Berger as interim CEO. At the same time Executive Vice President Randy Groom also resigned from the company and it was announced that the Piper Altaire program was "under review". Only one week later, on 24 October 2011, Piper Aircraft announced that it had, “indefinitely suspended” all work on the Altaire project and would be laying-off 150 of its 850 employees, plus 55 contract workers, due to the program’s cancellation.
tug.
The PA-28 Cherokee
has been one of the company's most successful products with variants being manufactured almost every other year. Both this design and the twin-engined PA-34 Seneca are used for pilot training around the world. The PA-23 Apache was one of the first aircraft associated with the term "air taxi," although it was superseded in that role by faster and more spacious designs from the competitive Beechcraft
Corporation. In recent years, aircraft from SOCATA
, and more recently Cirrus Design
and Diamond Aircraft Industries
, have been strong competitors with the Cherokee and Cessna
designs that traditionally dominated flying schools.
Beginning production in 1965, the PA-32 series provided 6 or 7 seat single-engine designs based on the smaller Cherokee. Variously named Cherokee Six, Lance, and Saratoga, these were available as both fixed and retractable gear models and also with normally aspirated, fuel injected, and turbo-charged engines. The PA-32s proved popular with private owners, air taxi, and freight companies. Production of the Saratoga-II HP
s and Saratoga TC
s ended in 2009.
On 21 January 2010 the company announced they had licenced the CZAW SportCruiser
and intended to market it as the PiperSport. Piper CEO Kevin Gould said, "The PiperSport is an amazing entry-level aircraft that will bring new customers into Piper and lead the way for those customers to step up into more sophisticated and higher performance aircraft within our line over time." In January 2011, the licensing agreement with Piper was abruptly ended with Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger saying "the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft".
In October 2006, Piper Aircraft announced the first jet (that the company would work all the way from design to production) that they would be developing, a single-engined very light jet
(VLJ), known as the PA-47 PiperJet
, to compete with the twin-engined Eclipse 500
and Cessna Citation Mustang
and single-engine Diamond D-Jet
. The aircraft will carry six passengers, have a single, tail-mounted turbofan
, and be capable of cruising at 360 knots (705.5 km/h), at a maximum altitude of 35000 ft (10,668 m) Maximum range will be 1300 Nm, with a full-fuel payload of 800 lb (362.9 kg). A selling price of $2.199 m (2006 USD) is quoted. An Entry-into-Service date of 2012 is anticipated. On June 30, 2008 the Piper Jet made its maiden test flight at Vero Beach, Florida.
In September 2007, Piper announced the PA-46R-350T Matrix, an unpressurized, single-engine piston aircraft based on the Mirage. It will seat six and will be sold for a base price of US$
757,000 (2007), to be a third model in the Malibu family, along with the top-end, turboprop-powered Meridian and the Piper Mirage.
General aviation
General aviation is one of the two categories of civil aviation. It refers to all flights other than military and scheduled airline and regular cargo flights, both private and commercial. General aviation flights range from gliders and powered parachutes to large, non-scheduled cargo jet flights...
aircraft
Aircraft
An aircraft is a vehicle that is able to fly by gaining support from the air, or, in general, the atmosphere of a planet. An aircraft counters the force of gravity by using either static lift or by using the dynamic lift of an airfoil, or in a few cases the downward thrust from jet engines.Although...
, located at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport
Vero Beach Municipal Airport
Vero Beach Municipal Airport is a public-use airport located northwest of the central business district of the city of Vero Beach in Indian River County, Florida, United States. The airport is publicly owned...
in Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach, Florida
Vero Beach is a city in Indian River County, Florida, USA. According to the U.S. Census Bureau's 2006 estimates, the city had a population of 16,939. It is the county seat of Indian River County...
. Along with Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
and Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
, it is considered one of the "Big Three" in the field of general aviation construction.
Between its founding in 1927 and the end of 2009 the company has produced 144,000 aircraft in 160 certified
Type certificate
A Type Certificate, is awarded by aviation regulating bodies to aerospace manufacturers after it has been established that the particular design of a civil aircraft, engine, or propeller has fulfilled the regulating bodies' current prevailing airworthiness requirements for the safe conduct of...
models, of which 90,000 are still flying.
History
Rochester, New York
Rochester is a city in Monroe County, New York, south of Lake Ontario in the United States. Known as The World's Image Centre, it was also once known as The Flour City, and more recently as The Flower City...
. The company was renamed Taylor Brothers Aircraft Corporation in April 1928, shortly before Gordon Taylor died in a plane crash on April 24, 1928. The company was enticed to move to Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford, Pennsylvania
Bradford is a small city located in rural McKean County, Pennsylvania, in the United States 78 miles south of Buffalo, New York. Settled in 1823, Bradford was chartered as a city in 1879 and emerged as a wild oil boomtown in the Pennsylvanian oil rush in the late 19th century...
with the promise of larger facility and investment capital from local businessmen, including an initial investment of $400 from local oilman William T. Piper
William T. Piper
William Thomas Piper Sr. was an American airplane manufacturer, and founder, eponym, and 1st president of Piper Aircraft Corporation 1929-1970. He graduated from Harvard University in 1903, and became known as "the Henry Ford of Aviation". The William T...
. The move was completed in September 1929.
1930s
In late 1930 the company filed for bankruptcy and William T. Piper purchased the assets of the company for $761. Reorganized as the Taylor Aircraft Company, Piper effectively took control of the firm when he assumed the position of corporate secretary
Secretary
A secretary, or administrative assistant, is a person whose work consists of supporting management, including executives, using a variety of project management, communication & organizational skills. These functions may be entirely carried out to assist one other employee or may be for the benefit...
-treasurer
Treasurer
A treasurer is the person responsible for running the treasury of an organization. The adjective for a treasurer is normally "tresorial". The adjective "treasurial" normally means pertaining to a treasury, rather than the treasurer.-Government:...
, although he retained C. G. Taylor in the role of president
President
A president is a leader of an organization, company, trade union, university, or country.Etymologically, a president is one who presides, who sits in leadership...
. Piper, often called the "Henry Ford
Henry Ford
Henry Ford was an American industrialist, the founder of the Ford Motor Company, and sponsor of the development of the assembly line technique of mass production. His introduction of the Model T automobile revolutionized transportation and American industry...
of Aviation
Aviation
Aviation is the design, development, production, operation, and use of aircraft, especially heavier-than-air aircraft. Aviation is derived from avis, the Latin word for bird.-History:...
", firmly believed that a simple-to-operate low-cost private airplane would flourish, even in the darkest depths of the Great Depression
Great Depression
The Great Depression was a severe worldwide economic depression in the decade preceding World War II. The timing of the Great Depression varied across nations, but in most countries it started in about 1929 and lasted until the late 1930s or early 1940s...
.
In December 1935, after a series of clashes, William Piper bought out C. G. Taylor, who left the company and went on to form the Taylorcraft Aircraft Company
Taylorcraft Aircraft
-Bibliography:* Fromow, Lt-Col. D.L. Canada's Flying Gunners, Air Observation Post Pilot's Association, Ottawa, Canada. 2002. ISBN 0973005505* Simpson, R.W Airlife's General Aviation, Airlife Publishing, England, 1991. ISBN 1 85310 104 X-External links:...
. On March 16, 1937 a fire destroyed the Bradford factory and the company relocated to an abandoned silk mill in Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
Lock Haven, Pennsylvania
The city of Lock Haven is the county seat of Clinton County, in the U.S. state of Pennsylvania. Located near the confluence of the West Branch Susquehanna River and Bald Eagle Creek, it is the principal city of the Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, micropolitan statistical area, itself part of the...
. By November 1937, it was renamed Piper Aircraft Corporation.
1940s
Piper continued operations in Lock Haven throughout World War II. In its business planning following the war, it became clear that the Lock Haven facility would not support larger manufacturing efforts, and in 1955, it acquired rights to property at the Vero Beach Municipal Airport. Initially, this location was limited to the design and production of the Piper Cherokee
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
series.
1960s
In 1969, The Piper family agreed to sell Piper Aircraft to Bangor Punta Corporation, which started an eight-year court battle with the losing bidder, Chris-Craft Industries, culminating in a Supreme Court decision in 1977. Piper remained a member of the Bangor Punta family through 1984, when B-P was acquired by Lear Siegler. Lear Siegler, in turn, was acquired by Forstmann Little in 1986. Forstmann Little then sold Piper to M. Stuart Millar in 1987. Piper filed for protection under the bankruptcy code in 1991 and was reorganized in 1994.
1970s
The Lock Haven facility was nearly destroyed in 1972 when torrential rains from Hurricane Agnes caused the great Susquehanna River flood of 1972. The manufacturing plant was flooded, destroying airframes, parts, and much of the tooling necessary for production of several designs; including the Aztec, Navajo, and Comanche. The company decided to end production of the Piper PA-24 Comanche
Piper PA-24 Comanche
The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal, light aircraft of monocoque construction with retractable landing gear that was first flown in May 1956 according to a Piper Aircraft Company press release...
and Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche, neither of which were selling particularly well (and were very expensive to produce), move the production of remaining models to Florida, and within 5 years close all operations in Pennsylvania. Piper opened a manufacturing division in Lakeland, Florida in 1972. Through the 1970s, the Piper PA-31 Navajo
Piper PA-31 Navajo
The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and...
, Chieftain, and Cheyenne III were manufactured at the more than 710,000 SqFt facility on the Lakeland municipal airport.
1980s
Piper opened it's T1000 Airline Division at the Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland, Florida
Lakeland is a city in Polk County, Florida, United States, located approximately midway between Tampa and Orlando along Interstate 4. According to the 2008 U.S. Census Bureau estimate, the city had a population of 94,406...
location, May 1981, with 20 people. Employment at both of Piper's Lakeland divisions peaked at 2,200 later that year. The Piper PA-42 Cheyenne IV and the Piper T-1020/ Piper T-1040 aircraft were manufactured in Lakeland during this time. Piper also maintained a fully staffed R&D center in Lakeland including "X" shop personnel. The Piper PA-48 Enforcer
Piper PA-48 Enforcer
|-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Darling, Kev. P-51 Mustang . Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-357-1....
was their responsibility. The Airline Division provided aircraft to commuter airlnes both in the US, Air New Orleans
Air New Orleans
Air New Orleans was an airline based in Birmingham, Alabama that was conceived as a regional airline to provide service to cities throughout the Southeastern United States from Texas to Florida...
, Desert Sun in Long Beach, Shasta Air and Sun West Airlines
Sun West Airlines
Sun West Airlines was an airline that flew in the Southwestern U.S. from about 1980 - 1985. Its destinations included Bullhead City, Phoenix and Prescott, Arizona, Durango, Colorado, Las Vegas and Laughlin, Nevada, and Farmington and Gallup, New Mexico....
in Phoenix, Arizona as well as internationally to, Vickers for corporate transport use in the UK, to Cameroons Avia Services in Africa and to Columbia's Aero Leaver. Manufacture of light aircraft was impacted in the mid 1980s when increasing insurance premiums made operation financially difficult for Piper Aircraft and other American sellers of light aircraft. Production of the larger commuter aircraft continued through this period. Limitation of liability was provided by new legislation in the early '90s. Also, the firm was re-branded The New Piper Aircraft at that time.
2000s
In July 2003, American Capital Strategies, Ltd. bought 94% of Piper's voting equity.
In August 2006 the firm dropped the "New" from its name, reverting to Piper Aircraft. Also in that month, a partnership with Honda
Honda
is a Japanese public multinational corporation primarily known as a manufacturer of automobiles and motorcycles.Honda has been the world's largest motorcycle manufacturer since 1959, as well as the world's largest manufacturer of internal combustion engines measured by volume, producing more than...
was announced to market the new HondaJet.
In response to the late 2000s recession
Late 2000s recession
The late-2000s recession, sometimes referred to as the Great Recession or Lesser Depression or Long Recession, is a severe ongoing global economic problem that began in December 2007 and took a particularly sharp downward turn in September 2008. The Great Recession has affected the entire world...
, the company announced in November 2008 that it was reducing its work-week to save money while avoiding lay-offs. Piper is party to an agreement with the state of Florida
Florida
Florida is a state in the southeastern United States, located on the nation's Atlantic and Gulf coasts. It is bordered to the west by the Gulf of Mexico, to the north by Alabama and Georgia and to the east by the Atlantic Ocean. With a population of 18,801,310 as measured by the 2010 census, it...
that will see the company benefit from US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
32 million in incentives in exchange for increasing its work force to 1400 people and building the PiperJet in the state.
In December 2008, the company announced that it will defer the US$10 million incentive that would have required it to hire 400 new workers by 2012 for the PiperJet project and retain 1,417 employees through 2015. The company stated that the move was precautionary. Piper spokesman Mark Miller said: "While this year has been a good one for Piper, we have taken measures to keep the company healthy and to weather any future adversity."
In February 2009, the company announced that it was laying off an additional 300 workers without notice immediately and that the 650 remaining workers would be given unpaid weeks off in April and July to reduce unsold inventory. Piper spokesman Mark Miller stated that company regretted the pain caused by the layoffs and indicated that the employees would be rehired when the economy improves. He also said: "Even the willing buyers that we have find it incredibly difficult to get financing...We can't keep a full workforce on at this point when people aren't buying planes...If market conditions continue to deteriorate, it may be necessary for the company to take additional actions". On 24 February 2009, the company announced that it would add two more weeks of unpaid furlough for its employees in May and June, bringing the total to four weeks in 2009, citing a need to reduce inventory and cut expenses. In June 2010 the company announced it would shut down for a further week in August to save money. The lay-off affected all workers except those on the PiperJet program and some critical company business functions.
On 1 May 2009 American Capital Strategies sold the company to Singapore
Singapore
Singapore , officially the Republic of Singapore, is a Southeast Asian city-state off the southern tip of the Malay Peninsula, north of the equator. An island country made up of 63 islands, it is separated from Malaysia by the Straits of Johor to its north and from Indonesia's Riau Islands by the...
-based investment strategy company Imprimis, making a profit of US$31M on the sale. Imprimis is funded by the Government of Brunei
Politics of Brunei
The politics of Brunei take place in a framework of an absolute monarchy, whereby the Sultan of Brunei is both head of state and head of government. Executive power is exercised by the government...
and has offices in Bangkok
Bangkok
Bangkok is the capital and largest urban area city in Thailand. It is known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon or simply Krung Thep , meaning "city of angels." The full name of Bangkok is Krung Thep Mahanakhon Amon Rattanakosin Mahintharayutthaya Mahadilok Phop Noppharat Ratchathani Burirom...
, Singapore and Brunei Darussalam.
In June 2009 James Bass, CEO of Piper Aircraft since 2005, announced that he would step down effective that same month. He was succeeded by VP of operations Kevin Gould. During his four years at Piper, Bass oversaw development of the PiperJet
Piper PA-47 PiperJet
The Piper PA-47 PiperJet was a single-engined very light jet that was intended to be developed and built by Piper Aircraft. However, following a change of ownership at Piper, it was decided to redesign the aircraft into the PiperJet Altaire...
, the Meridian G1000 and the Matrix; and negotiated a new business partnership with Honda. He also negotiated $32 million in incentives from the state and county that retained Piper's factory in Vero Beach, Florida.
On 2 November 2009 another Piper executive resigned. Company president John Becker announced his resignation effective 1 December 2009 to "to pursue other career opportunities". Becker was replaced as President by CEO Kevin Gould.
2010s
On 4 January 2010 the company announced that Boeing
Boeing
The Boeing Company is an American multinational aerospace and defense corporation, founded in 1916 by William E. Boeing in Seattle, Washington. Boeing has expanded over the years, merging with McDonnell Douglas in 1997. Boeing Corporate headquarters has been in Chicago, Illinois since 2001...
subsidiary Aviall would act as Piper's sole global parts distributor.
In July 2010 CEO Kevin Gould resigned for unspecified reasons, having served just over a year in the post. Gould was replaced on an interim basis by Geoffrey Berger, managing director of Imprimus in Brunei, on behalf of the government of Brunei. Also in July 2010 longtime Piper media spokesman Mark Miller left the company.
In September 2010, Piper announced the lay-off of an additional 60 production workers. Piper's interim CEO Geoffrey Berger stated: "Piper remains challenged by overall market weakness". The company hired 140 workers for the PiperJet program in 2009–10.
Piper started renovation of a 75000 sq ft (6,967.7 m²) factory in Vero Beach in October 2010, with a completion goal of 2011. The facility was intended to be used to build the PiperJet.
On 17 October 2011 the company announced that Simon Caldecott had replaced Geoff Berger as interim CEO. At the same time Executive Vice President Randy Groom also resigned from the company and it was announced that the Piper Altaire program was "under review". Only one week later, on 24 October 2011, Piper Aircraft announced that it had, “indefinitely suspended” all work on the Altaire project and would be laying-off 150 of its 850 employees, plus 55 contract workers, due to the program’s cancellation.
Aircraft
Piper's J-3 Cub, a single-engine, high-wing two seater, was the first inexpensive training aircraft produced in large numbers. Many former military examples were sold to civilian owners over the 1950-1995 period and seem certain to see many more years in recreational use. The more powerful Super Cub is popular for use as a gliderGlider aircraft
Glider aircraft are heavier-than-air craft that are supported in flight by the dynamic reaction of the air against their lifting surfaces, and whose free flight does not depend on an engine. Mostly these types of aircraft are intended for routine operation without engines, though engine failure can...
tug.
The PA-28 Cherokee
Piper Cherokee
The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft....
has been one of the company's most successful products with variants being manufactured almost every other year. Both this design and the twin-engined PA-34 Seneca are used for pilot training around the world. The PA-23 Apache was one of the first aircraft associated with the term "air taxi," although it was superseded in that role by faster and more spacious designs from the competitive Beechcraft
Beechcraft
Beechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
Corporation. In recent years, aircraft from SOCATA
Socata
Socată is a traditional Romanian soft drink made from the flowers of the European elder shrub, Sambucus nigra . The European elderberry also grows spontaneously in North America....
, and more recently Cirrus Design
Cirrus Design
The Cirrus Aircraft Corporation is an aircraft manufacturer that was founded in 1984 by Alan and Dale Klapmeier to produce the VK-30 kit aircraft....
and Diamond Aircraft Industries
Diamond Aircraft Industries
Diamond Aircraft Industries is an Austrian-based manufacturer of general aviation aircraft and motor gliders, which also has a large manufacturing facility in London, Ontario, Canada...
, have been strong competitors with the Cherokee and Cessna
Cessna
The Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
designs that traditionally dominated flying schools.
Beginning production in 1965, the PA-32 series provided 6 or 7 seat single-engine designs based on the smaller Cherokee. Variously named Cherokee Six, Lance, and Saratoga, these were available as both fixed and retractable gear models and also with normally aspirated, fuel injected, and turbo-charged engines. The PA-32s proved popular with private owners, air taxi, and freight companies. Production of the Saratoga-II HP
Piper Cherokee Six
-External links:* *...
s and Saratoga TC
Piper Cherokee Six
-External links:* *...
s ended in 2009.
On 21 January 2010 the company announced they had licenced the CZAW SportCruiser
CZAW SportCruiser
The CZAW SportCruiser is a two seat, single engine, tricycle undercarriage, fixed-wing aircraft that was introduced in 2006 by Czech Aircraft Works , now named Czech Sport Aircraft...
and intended to market it as the PiperSport. Piper CEO Kevin Gould said, "The PiperSport is an amazing entry-level aircraft that will bring new customers into Piper and lead the way for those customers to step up into more sophisticated and higher performance aircraft within our line over time." In January 2011, the licensing agreement with Piper was abruptly ended with Piper CEO Geoffrey Berger saying "the company has a different business perspective and approach to the market than Czech Sport Aircraft".
Current projects
Very Light Jet
A very light jet, entry-level jet or personal jet, previously known as a microjet, is a category of small jet aircraft approved for single-pilot operation, seating 4-8 people, with a maximum take-off weight of under...
(VLJ), known as the PA-47 PiperJet
Piper PA-47 PiperJet
The Piper PA-47 PiperJet was a single-engined very light jet that was intended to be developed and built by Piper Aircraft. However, following a change of ownership at Piper, it was decided to redesign the aircraft into the PiperJet Altaire...
, to compete with the twin-engined Eclipse 500
Eclipse 500
The Eclipse 500 is a small six-seat business jet aircraft manufactured by Eclipse Aviation.Eclipse 500 became the first of a new class of Very Light Jet when it was delivered in late 2006...
and Cessna Citation Mustang
Cessna Citation Mustang
|-Operators:The aircraft is operated by private individuals, companies and executive charter operators. A number of companies also use the aircraft as part of fractional ownership programs.-See also:-External links:* * * * .* * * *...
and single-engine Diamond D-Jet
Diamond D-Jet
The Diamond D-JET is a composite, five-seat, single-engine jet aircraft produced by Diamond Aircraft Industries. The aircraft is undergoing flight testing...
. The aircraft will carry six passengers, have a single, tail-mounted turbofan
Turbofan
The turbofan is a type of airbreathing jet engine that is widely used for aircraft propulsion. A turbofan combines two types of engines, the turbo portion which is a conventional gas turbine engine, and the fan, a propeller-like ducted fan...
, and be capable of cruising at 360 knots (705.5 km/h), at a maximum altitude of 35000 ft (10,668 m) Maximum range will be 1300 Nm, with a full-fuel payload of 800 lb (362.9 kg). A selling price of $2.199 m (2006 USD) is quoted. An Entry-into-Service date of 2012 is anticipated. On June 30, 2008 the Piper Jet made its maiden test flight at Vero Beach, Florida.
In September 2007, Piper announced the PA-46R-350T Matrix, an unpressurized, single-engine piston aircraft based on the Mirage. It will seat six and will be sold for a base price of US$
United States dollar
The United States dollar , also referred to as the American dollar, is the official currency of the United States of America. It is divided into 100 smaller units called cents or pennies....
757,000 (2007), to be a third model in the Malibu family, along with the top-end, turboprop-powered Meridian and the Piper Mirage.
List of Piper aircraft
| Model name | First flight | Number built | Type |
|---|---|---|---|
| J-2 Cub Taylor J-2 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 18 to 22.... |
1936 | 1207 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| J-3 Cub Piper J-3 The Piper J-3 Cub is a small, simple, light aircraft that was built between 1937 and 1947 by Piper Aircraft. With tandem seating, it was intended for flight training but became one of the most popular and best-known light aircraft of all time... |
1938 | 19,888 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| J-4 Cub Coupe | 1939 | 1251 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| J-5 Cub Cruiser | 1940 | 1507 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| P-1 Applegate Duck | 1940 | 1 | Amphibian |
| P-2 Cub | 1941 | 1 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| P-3 | 1939 | 1 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane, also known as J-4RX |
| P-4 Cub | 1941 | 1 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| P-5 | 1944 | 1 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane, also known as J-3X |
| PT-1 Trainer Piper PT-1 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 47 and 50.... |
1942 | 1 | Two-seats in tandem, low-wing monoplane |
| PWA-1 Skycoupe Piper PA-7 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 47 and 50.... |
1943 | 1 | Two-seat low wing twin-boom monoplane, later became PA-7 |
| PWA-8 Cub Cycle Piper PA-8 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 51 and 53.... |
1944 | 1 | Single-seat, mid-wing single-engine monoplane |
| PA-6 Sky Sedan Piper PA-6 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 47 and 50.... |
1945 | 2 | Four-seat, low-wing retractable gear monoplane |
| PA-7 Skycoupe Piper PA-7 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 47 and 50.... |
1944 | 1 | Two-seat low wing twin-boom monoplane, was PWA-1, |
| PA-8 Skycycle Piper PA-8 -References:* Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain , ISBN 0 85130 149 5, Page 51 and 53.... |
1945 | 2 | Single-seat, mid-wing single-engine monoplane |
| PA-9 | 1945 | None | Single-engined high-wing observation and liaison |
| PA-10 | 1946 | None | Single-engined low-wing side-by-side two-seater |
| PA-11 Cub Special Piper PA-11 -References:NotesBibliography* Peperell, Roger. Piper Aircraft and Their Forerunners. Tunbridge Wells, Kent, UK: Air-Britain Ltd, 1987. ISBN 0-85130-149-5.... |
1947 | 1541 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-12 Super Cruiser Piper PA-12 -See also:-External links:*... |
1946 | 3760 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-13 | - | none | Designation not used |
| PA-14 Family Cruiser Piper PA-14 Family Cruiser -See also:-References:* Peperell, Roger, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, Air-Britain Ltd, 1987, ISBN 0-85130-149-5* Simpson, Rod, General Aviation Handbook, Midland Publishing, 2005, ISBN 1-85780-222-5-External references:*... |
1948 | 238 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-15 Vagabond Piper PA-15 Vagabond -Related content:Related development:*Piper PacerComparable aircraft:*RagWing RW11 Rag-A-Bond*Wag-Aero Wag-a-Bond... |
1948 | 387 | Side-by-side two-seat high-wing |
| PA-16 Clipper Piper PA-16 Clipper -Related Development:*PA-15/17 Vagabond*PA-20 Pacer, PA-22 Tri-Pacer/Caribbean, PA-22-108 Colt-References:*Piper's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Drina Welch Abel, and Paul Matt*The Pilot's Guide to Affordable Classics by Bill Clarke... |
1949 | 736 | Four-seat version of the PA-15 |
| PA-17 Vagabond Piper PA-15 Vagabond -Related content:Related development:*Piper PacerComparable aircraft:*RagWing RW11 Rag-A-Bond*Wag-Aero Wag-a-Bond... |
1948 | 214 | Dual-control variant of the PA-15 |
| PA-18 Super Cub | 1950 | 10,222 | Single-engined high-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-19 Super Cub | 1949 | 3 | Military variant of the PA-18 |
| PA-20 Pacer Piper PA-20 Pacer The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced, high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War II period.... |
1950 | 1120 | Re-designed PA-16 |
| PA-21 | 1949 | None | Production version of the Bauman Brigadier |
| PA-22 Tri-Pacer Piper PA-20 Pacer The PA-20 Pacer and PA-22 Tri-Pacer are a family of four-place, strut braced, high-wing light aircraft that were built by Piper Aircraft in the post-World War II period.... |
1951 | 9490 | Updated version of the PA-20 with nose wheel |
| PA-23 Apache Piper Aztec -Accidents and incidents:*On 18 April 1974, Aztec G-AYDE was involved in a ground collision with BAC One-Eleven G-AXMJ at London Luton Airport after the pilot of the Aztec entered the active runway without clearance. He was killed and his passenger was injured... |
1954 | 2047 | Twin-engined low-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-24 Comanche Piper PA-24 Comanche The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal, light aircraft of monocoque construction with retractable landing gear that was first flown in May 1956 according to a Piper Aircraft Company press release... |
1958 | 4717 | Single-engine four-seat low-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-24-400 Comanche Piper PA-24 Comanche The Piper PA-24 Comanche is a four-seat, low-wing, all-metal, light aircraft of monocoque construction with retractable landing gear that was first flown in May 1956 according to a Piper Aircraft Company press release... |
1964 | 148 | Re-engined PA-24 development |
| PA-25 Pawnee Piper PA-25 Pawnee The PA-25 Pawnee was an agricultural aircraft produced by Piper Aircraft between 1959 and 1982. It remains a widely used aircraft in agricultural spraying and is also used as a tow plane, or tug, for launching gliders or for towing banners. On April 15, 1998, The New Piper Aircraft, Inc.... |
1959 | 5167 | Single-engined agricultural monoplane |
| PA-26 | None | High-powered version of the PA-24 | |
| PA-27 Aztec Piper Aztec -Accidents and incidents:*On 18 April 1974, Aztec G-AYDE was involved in a ground collision with BAC One-Eleven G-AXMJ at London Luton Airport after the pilot of the Aztec entered the active runway without clearance. He was killed and his passenger was injured... |
1960 | 4929 | Improved version of the PA-23, kept PA-23 designation |
| PA-28 Cherokee Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1961 | 10,896 | Single-engined low-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-28-140 Cherokee Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1964 | 10,089 | Two-seat training variant |
| PA-28 Warrior Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1974 | 4842 | Improved PA-28 |
| PA-28-235 Cherokee/Dakota Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1964 | 2913 | Improved PA-28 |
| PA-28R Arrow Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1967 | 6694 | Improved PA-28 |
| PA-28R-300 Pillan Piper Cherokee The Piper PA-28 Cherokee is a family of light aircraft designed for flight training, air taxi, and personal use. It is built by Piper Aircraft.... |
1982 | 2 plus kits for Chile | Two-seat military trainer |
| PA-29 Papoose | 1962 | 1 | Small trainer of fiberglass construction |
| PA-30 Twin Comanche | 1963 | 2001 | Twin-engined low wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-31 Navajo Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and... |
1967 | 1785 | Twin-engined low wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-31-350 Chieftain Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and... |
1973 | 1825 | Stretched Navajo |
| PA-31P Navajo / Mojave Piper PA-31 Navajo The Piper PA-31 Navajo is a family of cabin-class, twin-engine aircraft designed and built by Piper Aircraft for the general aviation market, most using Lycoming engines. It was also licence-built in a number of Latin American countries. Targeted at small-scale cargo and feeder liner operations and... |
1970 | 309 | Pressurized Navajo |
| PA-31T Cheyenne Piper PA-31T Cheyenne -See also:-References:*Taylor, John W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1976-77. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1976, ISBN 0-354-00538-3.-External links:*... |
1974 | 847 | Turboprop powered Navajo |
| PA-32 Cherokee Six | 1966 | 4373 | Six-seat Cherokee |
| PA-32R Lance/Saratoga | 1976 | 2721 | Retractable landing gear variant of the PA-32 |
| PA-33 Comanche | 1966 | 1 | Pressurized Comanche |
| PA-34 Seneca Piper PA-34 Seneca The Piper PA-34 Seneca is an American twin-engined light aircraft, produced by Piper Aircraft since 1971 and still in production in 2011.The Seneca is primarily used for personal and business flying.-Development:... |
1972 | 4354 | Twin-engine low-wing cabin monoplane |
| PA-35 Pocono | 1968 | 1 | Twin-engined pressurized commuter airliner |
| PA-36 Pawnee Brave Piper PA-36 Pawnee Brave |-See also:... |
1973 | 938 | Single-engined agricultural monoplane |
| PA-37 | 1960s | None | Twin-engined PA-33 |
| PA-38 Tomahawk Piper PA-38 Tomahawk |-References:*Taylor, John W.R. Jane's All The World's Aircraft 1982-83. London:Jane's Yearbooks, 1982. ISBN 0-7106-0748-2.-External links:**-Related content:Comparable aircraft:* Aerotec Tangará* Alpha 2000 * Beechcraft Skipper... |
1978 | 2519 | Two-seat basic trainer |
| PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R | 1970 | 155 | Improved PA-30 |
| PA-40 Arapaho Piper PA-40 Arapaho The Piper PA-40 Arapaho was an American twin-engined cabin monoplane designed by Piper as a replacement for the PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R.Like most Piper products at this time, the PA-40 was named for a North American native tribe, in this case the Arapaho.... |
1973 | 3 built, 5 not completed |
PA-30 replacement |
| PA-41P | 1974 | 1 | Pressurized Aztec |
| Piper PA-42 Cheyenne | 1980 | 175 | T-tail pressurized twin |
| PA-43 | 1979 | None | Piston-engined PA-42 |
| PA-44 Seminole Piper PA-44 Seminole |-Related content:Related development* Piper CherokeeComparable aircraft* Beechcraft Duchess* Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar-External links:*... |
1979 | 469 | Twin-engined Arrow |
| PA-45 | 1970s | None | Six-seat T-tailed aircraft family |
| PA-46 Malibu | 1984 | 344 | Six-seat pressurized single |
| PA-47 Piperjet Piper PA-47 PiperJet The Piper PA-47 PiperJet was a single-engined very light jet that was intended to be developed and built by Piper Aircraft. However, following a change of ownership at Piper, it was decided to redesign the aircraft into the PiperJet Altaire... |
2008 | 1 prototype only | seating for 6 or 7 based on configuration |
| PA-48 Enforcer Piper PA-48 Enforcer |-See also:-References:NotesBibliography* Darling, Kev. P-51 Mustang . Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-357-1.... |
1971 | 4 prototypes | Single-seat counter-insurgency aircraft based on the Cavalier Mustang Cavalier Mustang |-See also:-Bibliography:* Darling, Kev. P-51 Mustang . Shrewsbury, UK: Airlife, 2002. ISBN 1-84037-357-1.* O'Leary, Michael. Mustangs: North American Aviation's P-51: Past, Present & Future, Warbirds International, Summer 2007.... /P-51 Mustang P-51 Mustang The North American Aviation P-51 Mustang was an American long-range, single-seat fighter and fighter-bomber used during World War II, the Korean War and in several other conflicts... |
| PA-60 Aerostar | 1967 | 1010 | Six-seat pressurized twin, Piper purchased the design from Ted R. Smith Ted R. Smith Ted R. Smith was an American aircraft designer. He worked for the Douglas Aircraft Company, Aero Design and Engineering Company, and Rockwell Standard Corporation. In 40 years, his designs included the Douglas A-26 Invader , and the first all metal small twin engine business aircraft for Aero... |
| PiperSport CZAW SportCruiser The CZAW SportCruiser is a two seat, single engine, tricycle undercarriage, fixed-wing aircraft that was introduced in 2006 by Czech Aircraft Works , now named Czech Sport Aircraft... |
2010 | 40 | Two-seat light-sport aircraft Light-sport Aircraft A Light-sport aircraft, also known as light sport aircraft or LSA, is a small aircraft that is simple to fly and which meets certain regulations set by a National aviation authority restricting weight and performance... Piper marketed the aircraft between Jan 2010 and Jan 2011. It was produced by Czech Sport Aircraft and previously known as the SportCruiser |
See also
- BeechcraftBeechcraftBeechcraft is an American manufacturer of general aviation and military aircraft, ranging from light single engine aircraft to business jets and light military transports. Previously a division of Raytheon, it has been a brand of Hawker Beechcraft since 2006....
- CessnaCessnaThe Cessna Aircraft Company is an airplane manufacturing corporation headquartered in Wichita, Kansas, USA. Their main products are general aviation aircraft. Although they are the most well known for their small, piston-powered aircraft, they also produce business jets. The company is a subsidiary...
- Cirrus DesignCirrus DesignThe Cirrus Aircraft Corporation is an aircraft manufacturer that was founded in 1984 by Alan and Dale Klapmeier to produce the VK-30 kit aircraft....
- Diamond Aircraft IndustriesDiamond Aircraft IndustriesDiamond Aircraft Industries is an Austrian-based manufacturer of general aviation aircraft and motor gliders, which also has a large manufacturing facility in London, Ontario, Canada...
- Mooney Airplane CompanyMooney Airplane CompanyThe Mooney Aviation Company, Inc. is a U.S. manufacturer of single-engined general aviation aircraft. Mooney has been a leader in civil aviation even though the company has gone bankrupt and changed ownership several times...
- Piper Aircraft Co. v. ReynoPiper Aircraft Co. v. ReynoPiper Aircraft Co. v. Reyno, was a case decided by the United States Supreme Court, in which the court considered the lower court's application of its power of forum non conveniens.-Facts:...
Sources
- Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, R.W.Peperell & Colin M.Smith, Air-Britain, Tonbridge Kent, 1987, ISBN 0-85130-149-5
- The New Piper Aircraft: Soaring High