Piper PA-16 Clipper

The PA-16 Clipper is a stretched and refined version of the Vagabond intended to seat four people (or "two-and-a-half to three" as often told by Clipper pilots). It is equipped with an extra wing tank, added doors to accommodate the new seating, and a Lycoming O-235, the same engine that would later power the Cessna 152. The PA-16 Clipper retained the control sticks that had up to that point been common in aircraft derived from the "Cub" family.

In 1949, the Clipper sold for $2995. The average four-place airplane on the market at that time cost over $5000. Only 736 Clippers were built in the one year of production before Piper changed to the Piper PA-20 Pacer.

Pan Am Airlines, which traditionally called its famous luxury airliners "Clippers", took offense at Piper using the name for its light aircraft. As a result of this pressure Piper further refined the model, adding wing flaps, further fuel tanks and replaced the control sticks with yokes. A more powerful Lycoming O-290 125 hp engine was installed and this model became the Piper PA-20 Pacer.

Despite the low number of aircraft built, according to the Federal Aviation Administration, in April 2018 there were still 303 examples in service in the United States.{{cite web |url=http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=PIPER&Modeltxt=PA-16&PageNo=1 |title=FAA Registry – Piper PA-16 |work=Federal Aviation Administration |access-date=21 April 2018 |archive-date=21 April 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180421094623/http://registry.faa.gov/aircraftinquiry/AcftRef_Results.aspx?Mfrtxt=PIPER&Modeltxt=PA-16&PageNo=1 |url-status=dead }}

File:PiperPA-16ClipperC-FOHC01.jpg on 6 July 2006]]

File:PiperPA-16Clipper01A.jpg 2006]]

{{Aircraft specs

|prime units?=kts

|ref=Plane and Pilot:1978 Aircraft Directory and Fonden Danmarks Flymuseum.

|crew=one

|capacity=three passengers ({{cvt|362|kg|lb|order=flip}} useful load)

|length ft= 20

|length in= 1

|length m=6.12

|span ft=29

|span in=3

|span m=8.92

|height ft=6

|height in=2

|height m=1.88

|empty weight lb= 850

|empty weight kg= 385

|gross weight lb= 1650

|gross weight kg= 750

|max takeoff weight lb= 1,650

|max takeoff weight kg= 748

|eng1 name=Lycoming O-235

|eng1 type=with cruise pitch propeller

|eng1 number=1

|eng1 hp= 115

|eng1 kw=86

|max speed kts= 109

|max speed mph=125

|max speed kmh=203

|cruise speed kts=102

|cruise speed mph=117

|cruise speed kmh=188

|stall speed kts= 43

|stall speed mph=50

|stall speed kmh=80

|never exceed speed kts=122

|never exceed speed mph=140

|never exceed speed kmh=225

|range nmi= 417

|range miles=480

|range km=778

|ceiling ft= 11000

|ceiling m= 3385

|climb rate ftmin= 580

|power/mass = {{cvt|0.115|kW/kg|hp/lb|order=flip}}

|avionics=Originally none were fitted. Many now have VHF Nav-com radios, GPS and transponders installed.

}}

{{aircontent

|see also=

|related=

• PA-15/17 Vagabond
• PA-20 Pacer, PA-22 Tri-Pacer/Caribbean, PA-22-108 Colt

|similar aircraft=

• Cessna 170

|lists=

|similar engines=

}}

;Notes

{{reflist|refs=

Peperell 1987, p. 65

}}

;Bibliography

• Piper's Golden Age by Alan Abel, Drina Welch Abel, and Paul Matt
• The Pilot's Guide to Affordable Classics by Bill Clarke
• {{cite book |last=Peperell |first=Roger W |author2=Smith, Colin M | title= Piper Aircraft and their forerunners | date=1987 |publisher=Air-Britain | location=Tonbridge, Kent, England | isbn=0-85130-149-5}}

• {{commons category-inline|Piper PA-16 Clipper}}

{{Piper}}

{{Piper Cub aircraft}}

Category:1940s United States sport aircraft

Category:High-wing aircraft

Category:Single-engined tractor aircraft

Clipper

Category:Aircraft first flown in 1947

Category:Aircraft with fixed conventional landing gear

Category:Single-engined piston aircraft