The Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche is an American twin-engined cabin monoplane designed and built by Piper Aircraft. It was a twin-engined development of the PA-24 Comanche single-engined aircraft. A variant with counter-rotating propellers was designated the Piper PA-39 Twin Comanche C/R.
Development
The Piper PA-30 Twin Comanche was designed as a twin-engined variant of the Piper PA-24 Comanche. A complex light twin, with retractable landing gear, seating 4 (in original models) to 6 (in later models), and cruise speeds ranging from 160-210 mph on twin 150-160 horsepower engines, it competed with the more-powerful Cessna 310 and Beech Baron, and later with Piper's other light twins.
The Twin Comanche was designed to replace the Piper Apache in the company's lineup of products. The prototype was converted from the single-engined Comanche by Ed Swearingen who at the time operated a facility that specialized in the modification of production aircraft. A Comanche was modified with two 4-cylinder 160 hp (120 kW) Lycoming IO-320-B1A engines and first flew at San Antonio, Texas on 12 Apr 1961. The design was designated the PA-30 on the March 17, 1962 and named the Twin Comanche. The prototype (registered N7000Y) was built at Lock Haven and first flew on November 7, 1962. FAA Type approval was awarded on February 5, 1963, the first production aircraft was completed on April 2, 1963 and the first delivery made on July 15, 1963.
The first Twin Commanche B was announced on September 2, 1965 with deliveries starting in November 1965. The aircraft had minor changes with two additional seats and an extra cabin window on each side. A turbocharged variant of the Twin Comanche B was available with 160 hp (120 kW) Lycoming IO-320-C1A engines.
In 1966, the PA-30-200 was developed with two 200 hp engines, the prototype first flew on January 16, 1967 but Piper decided not to put the variant into production. Following the cancellation of the PA-30-200, the company introduced the Twin Comanche C. It had a new interior, a different external paint scheme, and a higher cruise speed. First deliveries of the Twin Comanche C were made in November 1968. The last PA-30 was completed at Lock Haven on November 5, 1969 when it was replaced on the line by the PA-39.
During 1969, a number of developments to improve the flight characteristics of the PA-30 were tested which resulted in the Twin Comanche D with counter-rotating engines, the prototype first flying on September 23, 1969. For marketing reasons, the type was re-designated the PA-39 and received FAA Type Approval on November 28, 1969. The first production aircraft was completed on December 23, 1969.
The Twin Comanche was produced on the same Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, production line as its single-engined cousin; production ceased when the factory was flooded in 1972. Piper chose at that time to focus on its equally popular Cherokee 140/180/235/Arrow line, manufactured in Florida, and its highly popular twin-engined Seneca, which is essentially a Twin Cherokee Six. The Piper PA-40 Arapaho had been scheduled to replace the PA-39 in the 1973-74 timeframe. Three were manufactured, and the aircraft was already fully certified when the decision was made not to proceed with the manufacture.
Design
The Twin Comanche is a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a retractable tricycle landing gear. With tip tanks, the aircraft holds 120 gallons (454 L) of fuel. Fuel burn at typical cruise settings is approximately 16 gal/h (58.7 L/h) with a cruise speed of 165 kn. It easily climbs to 18,000 feet (5,500 m) when desired (24,000 feet (7,300 m), if turbocharged). When compared with the Seminole, the Twin Comanche goes faster, carries more, burns less fuel, climbs more rapidly and ultimately higher, is quieter. When compared to the Seneca, which is really quite a different aircraft, the more noticeable differences are in handling. Another contemporary competitor to the Twin Comanche was the Beechcraft Travel Air. A similar airplane in form and function was the Gulfstream American GA-7 Cougar, which went into production after the Twin Comanche's production run ended.