Photograph:
Piper PA-32RT-300 Lance VH-SEQ (c/n 32R-7885072) at Camden, NSW in September 2016 (David C Eyre)
Country of origin:
United States of America
Description:
Six/seven seat single-engine cabin monoplane
Power Plant:
One 224 kw (300 hp) Lycoming IO-540-K1A5D six-cylinder horizontally-opposed air-cooled engine
Specifications:
- Wingspan: 9.99 m (32 ft 9½ in)
- Length: 8.45 m (27 ft 8¾ in)
- Height: 2.41 m (7 ft 11 in)
- Wing area: 16.21 m² (174.5 sq ft)
- Max speed: 306 km/h (190 mph)
- Max cruising speed at 75% power: 293 km/h (182 mph)
- Stalling speed: 106 km/h (66 mph)
- Max rate of climb: 305 m/min (1,000 ft/min)
- Service ceiling: 4,450 m (14,600 ft)
- Range at 75% power: 1,618 km (1,005 miles)
- Range at 55% power: 1,803 km (1,120 miles)
- Empty weight: 867 kg (1,910 lb)
- Loaded weight: 1,633 kg (3,600 lb)
History:
The prototype of the PA-32 Lance series was flown for the first time on 30 August 1974, and customer deliveries began in October 1975. Featuring an essentially similar fuselage to the twin-engine Seneca, and resembling the Cherokee Six in appearance, the Lance had the same type of retractable undercarriage as the Seneca, and a four-tank fuel system. The Lance, which was built on the same production line as the Seneca and Cherokee Six, could seat six persons in pairs with an optional seventh seat between the two centre seats. Dual controls were standard. During 1978 and 1979 the Cherokee Six and Lance were produced concurrently and four variants were available but the Cherokee Six was dropped in 1980 from the line in favour of the Saratoga, four models being made available, normally aspirated and turbocharged, fixed undercarriage and retractable undercarriage.
A new model appeared known as the PA-32R-300 Cherokee Lance, and the prototype first flew on 30 August 1974, the second in 1975. The new model was very popular, some 523 being delivered in 1976, 548 in 1977 and 68 in 1978, a total of 1,141. In 1977 the type became known as the Lance, the ‘Cherokee’ being removed from the title. In 1978 a new refined model of the Lance appeared and was known as the Lance II.
In October 1977 a turbo-supercharged variant appeared to meet customer requirements in higher and hotter areas, and this became known as the PA-32RT-300T Turbo Lance II. The prototype of this model flew on 19 November 1976. The new models introduced the ‘T’-type tail assembly to the series. The PA-32RT-300T Turbo Lance II with the 224 kw (300 hp) Lycoming TIO-540-S1AD turbo-supercharged engine was capable of a maximum speed of 358 km/h (222 mph) and had a range of 1,371 km (852 miles) cruising at 324 km/h (201 mph). The Lance II also was popular, with 572 delivered in 1978 and 231 in 1979 but at this time there was a downturn in the general aviation industry in the United States.
In 1978 development lead to the PA-32RT-301 Lance III and PA-32RT-301T Turbo Lance III with a re-designed wing with larger stabilator, this being aimed at overcoming some handling problems. The two prototypes flew in November 1978 and January 1979 but it was only in production for a short time. In early 1980 the PA-32R Lance series was replaced on the production line by the PA-32 Saratoga series.
The series has been very popular in this region and examples have been registered in Australia and in New Zealand.