Chieftain or Navajo

[airman1]

Just my two cents......

You will find a Navajo when fully loaded becomes very switchey in pitch, the early model PA31 - 310's which didn’t have wing lockers are rocket machines and as Triple Captain stated the ZFW is increased. Not too many around and the ones about are usely already converted into freighters. The VMCA and blue line figures always vary with this machine depending on serial number (Wing locker & VG kit) always pays to double check each machines manual when dealing with a Navajo. Also when shopping around even if the flap indicator or selector isn’t placard 25 Deg or 40 Deg just check the flap rails to see if there is a restrictor (basically a bolt and washer) otherwise they may tell you the motor ratio AD has been completed but they have just changed the flap indicator to suit. Believe it or not I have seen this on a few machines! I always used to work off 150 Lts/hr for a Navajo and 31/22 power setting. Marvellous machine to fly when heavy out of short strips!

A chieftain PA31-350 - always found to be a very graceful machine to fly, but climb out at MTOW was always very interesting especially at night! The counter rotating engines are a real pain for spares. Fuel burn - 170 Lts/Hr and a power setting of 31/23. But from memory the fuel total on a PA31-350 is reduced to 690lts. So you can never go as a far as you can in a Navajo. The undercarriage is very robust as long as it is maintained.

In summary to own either machine my pick would be a later model Navajo