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| STANDARD DATA: Seats 4. Gross wt. 3,725. Empty wt. 2,210. Fuel capacity 30. Engines two 160-hp Lycomings. PERFORMANCE: Top mph 205. Cruise mph 194. Stall mph 69. Initial climb rate 1,460. Range 948. Ceiling 18,600. Takeoff run 950. Landing roll 700. |
The Twin Comanche was a derivative of the single engine Comanche and was introduced in 1963 as a replacement for the Apache H. Little was done to the original Comanche fuselage when it was adapted for use in the Twin Comanche in order to simplify tooling and assembly operations. The PA-30 was offered in four models: Standard, Custom, Sportsman, and Turbo. The latter differed in engine power, and the rest contained different interior appointments, electronics, and instrumentation. Piper announced the end of PA-30 production in 1970 and introduced a new PA-39 line. The new Twin Comanche was fitted with counter-rotating props to simplify engine-out procedures. A starboard engine that was a mirror image of the port engine equalized the single-engine performance of both powerplants. Piper also claimed improved flight characteristics due to a balanced airflow over each wing.
