Piper PA-34 Seneca
The Piper PA-34 Seneca is a light piston twin built around the Cherokee Six's fuselage, adding a second engine and counter-rotating propellers that remove the more dangerous 'critical engine' handling quirk found in most conventional twins. That safety-focused engine layout made it a favourite for multi-engine flight training as well as personal and light commercial travel. Turbocharged engines on later models maintain power at altitude, letting it climb over weather that would force a normally aspirated twin to divert. It has remained in near-continuous production for decades, one of the most common light twins still flying.
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Did you know?
The Seneca's counter-rotating propellers remove the extra-dangerous 'critical engine' handling quirk found in most light twins.
Specifications
| Length | 8.7 m (29 ft) |
|---|---|
| Wingspan | 11.9 m (39 ft) |
| Height | 3.1 m (10 ft) |
| Maximum passengers | 5 |
| Persons on board | 6 |
| Maximum take-off weight | 2 t |
| Range | 800 NM (1,482 km) |
| Maximum speed | 190 kt (352 km/h) |
| Service ceiling | 25,000 ft (7,620 m) |
| Optimum ceiling | 18,500 ft (5,639 m) |
| Rate of climb | 1,300 ft/min (6.6 m/s) |
| Take-off distance | 380 m (1,247 ft) |
| Landing distance | 630 m (2,067 ft) |
| Fuel capacity | 465 l |
| Engines | 2x Continental/Lycoming TSIO-360 |
Curated by CatchFlights from manufacturer documents, ICAO Doc 8643 and reference works; values are left out where no source could confirm them. Sources are listed on our credits page.
In CatchFlights
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