PA-22 Piper Tri-Pacer (Flying Milkstool)

Piper, which had been building the very successful tandem-seat Cub series, decided to add another low-cost item in 1948 and 1949, the fabric-winged PA15 Vagabonds, side-by-side two-seaters. These quickly grew into the four-seat Pacers, with more powerful engines than the Cubs. The much stubbler Pacer wing (about threequarters the total area of the Cub wing) did allow the Pacer to fly about 20 mph faster than the comparable Cub. Because of the lack of lift in the shorter wing, it climbed about two-thirds as fast as the Cub.

In 1951 Piper introduced its Piper PA-22 Tri-Pacer, basically a version of the PA-20 Pacer with tricycle landing gear that incorporated a steerable nosewheel. It also differed from the PA-20 by having initially a 150-hpAvco Lycoming 0-320 flat-four engine, and introduced an interconnected aileron and rudder pedal control system, enabling the Tri-Pacer to be flown entirely by the control column without the need to have an input from the rudder pedals during turns. This system was easily disconnected, however, to permit independent use of the ailerons, elevator and rudder. The Tri-Pacer proved a very popular model.

One of the most successful Piper aircraft of the 1950s, the PA-22 offered new pilots the benefits of tricycle landing gear. When production ended in the early 1960s a total of 7,668 had been built. This figure included a number of a slightly more austere version with the 150-hp engine which were marketed for airport operator and flying club use under the name Piper Caribbean.

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Purchase Information $3.95 Included in the folder are: BW, Large (shown), and regular sizes PLUS three versons Back to Light Aircraft

What people say... Thanks for the halloween goodies, loved the Pipe tripacer,now building the taildrager, version any possibility of a supercub or vagabond to keep my other pipers company, trying for the complete family. Chip, Attached are a couple of not so good pictures of the Tri Pacer I'm just completing Tried to round the nose cowl a bit so will have to match some paint to the red to cover the "white". Made the nose wheel strut from a coated paper clip that I cut the coating from to simulate the shock strut. Same with the main landing gear. You might mention in the next update that the nose strut should be about 9/16" long from the bottom of the cowl scoop to the axle. That worked out about right for the strut length you have for the main gear shock struts. Enjoyed building the little jewel, as the Tri Pacer is one of my favorites. They do fly well and for their time, competed well in a very competitive market. Take care...and keep those wonderful models coming. Thanks. John

George, our little Westie pup, was having 'issues" and ate my display model... chip