Piper Cheyenne - The Largest Aircraft Built by Piper Aircraft Inc
Piper Aircraft Inc. is one of the well-known aircraft manufacturers to date. The company has been able to produce several models of single as well as twin engine aircraft. To be precise, they manufactured 160 models of aircraft, thereby releasing a total of 144,000 units. Of particular prowess is the Piper Cheyenne, which was first introduced to the market in 1969.
The Piper Cheyenne, or PA-31 aircraft, was noted specifically for its turboprop design and corporate styling. It instantly became a hit in business circles, and served as one of the primary sources of private business travel for executives. The aircraft had the power and class to take passengers around in style and comfort, which definitely contributed to its popularity - even today.
Although the first prototype flew in 1969 as a turboprop version of the pressurized Navajo, the original Cheyenne was produced between 1974 and 1977. In 1978, the Cheyenne I was introduced to the market as a low cost turboprop model that catered to Piper loyalists who wanted to fly one, one way or another. The Cheyenne I was definitely the most affordable model ever produced in this line. The Cheyenne I was actually the first variant of the Piper Cheyenne, but it was much slower than the original Cheyenne, which later became known as the Piper Cheyenne II.
Other variations of the Piper Cheyenne include the Cheyenne III, Cheyenne IIIA and Cheyenne IV. There is also a Cheyenne IIXL, which is a stretched version of the Cheyenne II, and comes with two more feet of fuselage space. Therefore, passengers had a much more comfortable ride thanks to the additional room.
Today, the Cheyenne 400 is the largest aircraft built by Piper, and only 45 units of this model were manufactured. It went back into the factory short after initial release, and was reintroduced to the market in 1974. It continues to sell well however is very hard to come by because such a small number was originally manufactured.
This 6 to 8 passenger turboprop aircraft has a very high resale value. If you happen to be looking for a Piper Cheyenne aircraft for your business and corporate flights, then you can definitely consider the Piper Cheyenne IV as your aircraft of choice. Not only is it powerful and sturdy, but also roomy, allowing you to have comfortable travel for the duration of your flight. It is quite an attractive turboprop aircraft that can easily be considered as part of the jet family introduced by Piper Aircraft Inc.
Showing posts with label Largest. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Largest. Show all posts
Monday, April 30, 2012
Wednesday, April 25, 2012
On This Day - November 2nd - Howard Hughes Flies the Largest Aircraft Ever Built
On This Day - November 2nd - Howard Hughes Flies the Largest Aircraft Ever Built
On this day in 1947, Howard Hughes manages to fly the biggest airplane ever built in the history of aviation. Howard Hughes manufactured a large airplane out of wood. This is how the airplane got the nickname "Spruce Goose" which Howard Hughes hated. The large aircraft was built because he was commissioned by the U.S. government to build a large boat like aircraft that could carry U boats during World War II. Howard Hughes was forced to build the large airplane out of wood because of a shortage of steel. The airplane cost about $23 million and the construction of the plane hadn't even finished by the time the war came to an end.
The United States Congress was angered at Hughes for spending so much money on this large aircraft and wanted Howard Hughes to prove that it could actually fly and during a series of press conferences held against Hughes by a congressmen, Howard Hughes threatened to leave the country and never return if the plane did not fly. On November 2nd, 1947, Howard Hughes brought the plane to Long Beach Harbor in California. There he managed to fly the airplane for several minutes before landing it. During his lifetime, Hughes made many great achievements in the field of aviation. Flying the Spruce goose was one of his greatest accomplishments. As he aged, the eccentric billionaire went into recluse because of obsessive compulsive disorder. Today the Spruce goose sits in a museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Click here to see a picture of the Spruce Goose.
On this day in 1947, Howard Hughes manages to fly the biggest airplane ever built in the history of aviation. Howard Hughes manufactured a large airplane out of wood. This is how the airplane got the nickname "Spruce Goose" which Howard Hughes hated. The large aircraft was built because he was commissioned by the U.S. government to build a large boat like aircraft that could carry U boats during World War II. Howard Hughes was forced to build the large airplane out of wood because of a shortage of steel. The airplane cost about $23 million and the construction of the plane hadn't even finished by the time the war came to an end.
The United States Congress was angered at Hughes for spending so much money on this large aircraft and wanted Howard Hughes to prove that it could actually fly and during a series of press conferences held against Hughes by a congressmen, Howard Hughes threatened to leave the country and never return if the plane did not fly. On November 2nd, 1947, Howard Hughes brought the plane to Long Beach Harbor in California. There he managed to fly the airplane for several minutes before landing it. During his lifetime, Hughes made many great achievements in the field of aviation. Flying the Spruce goose was one of his greatest accomplishments. As he aged, the eccentric billionaire went into recluse because of obsessive compulsive disorder. Today the Spruce goose sits in a museum in McMinnville, Oregon.
Click here to see a picture of the Spruce Goose.
Wednesday, March 28, 2012
Turbulence Continues For Airbus A380 - Largest Passenger Aircraft in Commercial Aviation
Turbulence Continues For Airbus A380 - Largest Passenger Aircraft in Commercial Aviation
It has been rough flying for the Airbus A380, the big double-decker "superjumbo" aircraft that was once hailed as the future of commercial aviation and was destined to take over the skies. Only a few years ago experts were praising it:
"Airbus had the prescience to correctly anticipate an environment of high fuel prices, public clamor for quieter airports, fewer emissions, and less crowded skies. This is the kind of superior product vision that has served our industry so well," former Engine Alliance President Bruce Hughes said.
One Airbus customer said: "The A380 is the future of flying."
The problems began long before the inaugural flight in October 2007, but they have persisted since the maiden journey. With just 10 deliveries in 2009 and 23 in total since 2007, enthusiasm for this big aircraft has waned.
By all means, the A380 is a magnificent aircraft. It combines the very latest aeronautical technologies and with nearly 50 percent more floor space. It offers unparalleled comfort in every class and more open space for more than 550 passengers to stretch their legs.
The aircraft has significantly reduced noise and emissions levels so it minimizes the effects on the environment. Its new generation engines and advanced wing and undercarriage design mean the A380 not only complies with today's noise limits but is significantly quieter than its competitor, producing half as much noise on take-off.
The A380's weight-saving composite materials help make it a highly fuel-efficient aircraft. It burns 12 percent less fuel than its competitor and it also has reduced exhaust emissions. In every category the A380 seems like a winner.
So what went wrong? It is hard to put your finger on one reason - this is a massive project that took many years, cost billions of dollars and was the combined effort of thousands of people from several European countries. But we have highlighted a few major issues:
Design Changes
The cost increases due to ongoing design changes hit suppliers with production problems and this has taken a toll. The price of the airplane has doubled since its inception, while the market has contracted by a greater proportion.
As costs of the A380 continue, the overall development price tag has risen to over $15 billion US. Meanwhile, the market for the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) continues to erode, and a current EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company) review about what went wrong is not going to help the A380'S fortunes.
Reliability
Qantas and Emirates have concerns about the A380's reliability.
"We had a number of unrelated issues that have brought down dispatch reliability," said Emirates Airline president Tim Clark.
Qantas had high-profile problems when technical issues grounded all three of its A380's briefly. The airline said two A380's were declared "unserviceable with a fuel tank indication system problem", while the third "experienced a nose-wheel ground steering issue and an unrelated fuel leak issue".
The A380's newest customer, Air France, also experienced a string of embarrassing problems with the A380.
Economy
The recession has not been kind to commercial aviation as many airlines continue to lose money. The struggling industry faces another $5.6 billion of losses next year, on top of the $11 billion in 2009. Many airliners have cancelled orders for the A380 including Lufthansa, Virgin Airlines, Thai Airways, Fed Ex and others. Certainly the recession has been a chief factor for the aircraft's uncertain future.
The question remains - is the world ready for a VLA - or will it ever be ready for this enormous plane? Time will tell. But the money spent to find out the answer was probably not worth it. It may well go down in the history books like the Concorde SST.
Whatever happens to the A380, Boeing certainly looks like the winner in this race when it decided to drop their own VLA plans 5 years ago and opt for an expanded version of their successful 747 (the 747-8) instead.
It has been rough flying for the Airbus A380, the big double-decker "superjumbo" aircraft that was once hailed as the future of commercial aviation and was destined to take over the skies. Only a few years ago experts were praising it:
"Airbus had the prescience to correctly anticipate an environment of high fuel prices, public clamor for quieter airports, fewer emissions, and less crowded skies. This is the kind of superior product vision that has served our industry so well," former Engine Alliance President Bruce Hughes said.
One Airbus customer said: "The A380 is the future of flying."
The problems began long before the inaugural flight in October 2007, but they have persisted since the maiden journey. With just 10 deliveries in 2009 and 23 in total since 2007, enthusiasm for this big aircraft has waned.
By all means, the A380 is a magnificent aircraft. It combines the very latest aeronautical technologies and with nearly 50 percent more floor space. It offers unparalleled comfort in every class and more open space for more than 550 passengers to stretch their legs.
The aircraft has significantly reduced noise and emissions levels so it minimizes the effects on the environment. Its new generation engines and advanced wing and undercarriage design mean the A380 not only complies with today's noise limits but is significantly quieter than its competitor, producing half as much noise on take-off.
The A380's weight-saving composite materials help make it a highly fuel-efficient aircraft. It burns 12 percent less fuel than its competitor and it also has reduced exhaust emissions. In every category the A380 seems like a winner.
So what went wrong? It is hard to put your finger on one reason - this is a massive project that took many years, cost billions of dollars and was the combined effort of thousands of people from several European countries. But we have highlighted a few major issues:
Design Changes
The cost increases due to ongoing design changes hit suppliers with production problems and this has taken a toll. The price of the airplane has doubled since its inception, while the market has contracted by a greater proportion.
As costs of the A380 continue, the overall development price tag has risen to over $15 billion US. Meanwhile, the market for the VLA (Very Large Aircraft) continues to erode, and a current EADS (European Aeronautic Defense and Space Company) review about what went wrong is not going to help the A380'S fortunes.
Reliability
Qantas and Emirates have concerns about the A380's reliability.
"We had a number of unrelated issues that have brought down dispatch reliability," said Emirates Airline president Tim Clark.
Qantas had high-profile problems when technical issues grounded all three of its A380's briefly. The airline said two A380's were declared "unserviceable with a fuel tank indication system problem", while the third "experienced a nose-wheel ground steering issue and an unrelated fuel leak issue".
The A380's newest customer, Air France, also experienced a string of embarrassing problems with the A380.
Economy
The recession has not been kind to commercial aviation as many airlines continue to lose money. The struggling industry faces another $5.6 billion of losses next year, on top of the $11 billion in 2009. Many airliners have cancelled orders for the A380 including Lufthansa, Virgin Airlines, Thai Airways, Fed Ex and others. Certainly the recession has been a chief factor for the aircraft's uncertain future.
The question remains - is the world ready for a VLA - or will it ever be ready for this enormous plane? Time will tell. But the money spent to find out the answer was probably not worth it. It may well go down in the history books like the Concorde SST.
Whatever happens to the A380, Boeing certainly looks like the winner in this race when it decided to drop their own VLA plans 5 years ago and opt for an expanded version of their successful 747 (the 747-8) instead.
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