A spin trainer the Tomahawk isnt.Ĭessna was the first to tap the trainer market in large volume with its wildly successful and numerous 150. But we have misgivings about the airplanes spin qualities and advise buyers to exercise extreme caution in flying them. At between $15,000 and $18,000-depending on year-its one of the cheapest trainers going and flightschools that operate Tomahawks seem to like them.Īs long as the airplanes service history is adequately accounted for, that cheap buy-in makes for a good deal. Today, a Tomahawk is a bit of a market oddity, having been made for only five years. The PA-38s mechanical troubles were rectified through ADs and service bulletins, but before the models reputation could be restored, production was discontinued along with most other light aircraft. As noted elsewhere in this report, the Tomahawk isnt at the top of our list for overall safety but one model is actually a little worse, the Cessna 152. It has especially been the subject of unflattering attention for trick stall/spin characteristics.
#Piper tomahawk series#
The Tomahawk was sportier-looking than its main competition, the Cessna 152, it offered a reliable engine, good visibility and relatively benign handling if kept comfortably in the middle of its performance envelope.īut the Tomahawk was hit with a series of troubles early on-mostly ADs and service bulletins-but as the model has aged, its reputation has been tarnished by a less-than-stellar safety record. Designed from the ground up as a trainer, it was supposed to precisely match the wishes of flight instructors and students. Such was the reasoning behind Pipers PA-38 Tomahawk, one new design from the company prior to great general aviation slump of the 1980s. Some money could be made, of course, but a driving market force was the perception that entry level pilots developed brand loyalty and would step up from a basic trainer, to a retrac to a twin, all from the same manufacturer. In the heyday of GA, every major manufacturer-even the staid and upper crust Beechcraft-had a trainer. Thats one reason why new trainer production came to a standstill during the 1980s and 1990s and why the volume in this market continues to be low.īut it wasnt always that way. Just as in the car industry, if the notion of sure-thing profit exists in the world of general aviation, its in high-dollar airframes, not entry level two-place designs.
0 kommentar(er)
