The Piper PA-32 Cherokee Six is a series of single-engine, fixed landing gear, light aircraft manufactured in the United States by Piper Aircraft between 1965 and 2007. The PA-32 is used around the world for private transportation, air taxi services, bush support, and medevac flights.

Development

The PA-32 series was developed to meet a requirement for a larger aircraft than the four-seat Piper PA-28 Cherokee. The first prototype PA-32 made its initial flight on December 6, 1963, with the type being publicly announced in October 1964, with Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) aircraft type certification following on March 4, 1965. The first production aircraft was the 260 hp PA32-260 Cherokee Six, a significantly modified six-seat (or seven-seat) development of the PA-28 Cherokee. The Cherokee Six and its successors feature a baggage compartment in the nose between the cockpit and the engine compartment and a large double door in the back for easy loading of passengers and cargo.

PA-32-300

On 27 May 1966, Piper obtained FAA type certification for a 300 hp version, designated as the PA-32-300. It was offered by the company as a 1967 model.

PA-32R

The 1975 addition of retractable landing gear resulted in the first of the PA-32R series, the Piper Lance. This was the earliest aircraft in the Piper Saratoga family, Piper's luxury, high-performance single line. Piper's transition to tapered wings for the Cherokee series resulted in a new wing for the PA-32 series, as well. The tapered-wing version of the Cherokee Six was named the Saratoga and debuted in 1980.

Piper 6X

After the General Aviation Revitalization Act of 1994, production of the retractable-gear Saratoga resumed in 1995. A fixed-gear PA-32 was reintroduced in 2003 as the Piper 6X and the turbocharged 6XT. Sales of the 6X and 6XT models did not meet expectations and production ceased in late 2007.

PA-34 prototype

Piper built a prototype PA-32-260 with IO-360 engines mounted on the wings. The trimotor aircraft was the proof-of-concept aircraft for the twin-engined, retractable-gear version of the Cherokee Six, the PA-34 Seneca.

Variants

Specifications (1972 model PA-32-300)