piper aztec
 

Anyone flown the Aztec? Im just lookin for some performance specs, flying characteristics, and trying to find out the typical crusing speed.

Aztec
 

I can't remember much of the details however it is big, heavy, strong, burns a lot of gas and is made up of various car parts. The Aztec was originally designed to have a fabric covered fuselage but changed its mind mid-development and added metal over a welded tube structure. The results are a heavy but string plane. They come with a wide variety of engines.

Corrosion is an issue since the metal pipes are concealed by aluminum skin. Often you can not tell until the step falls off. If you are thinking of buying one and it has a loose step I would use caution.

In general it is a good plane however if you are planing to use it for instruction or as a time builder I would look at other twins instead. It is fun but very expensive to operate.

Skyhigh

Nicknamed the Aztruck for its honest, truck like handling and ability to carry a good payload.

Great airplane. Pretty much in the same class as the Baron and Cessna 310. Typically 250 HP per side, 6 seats, and a lot of room for baggage. My first few hours of hands on twin time were in an E model Aztruck.

Like its smaller predecessor, the Apache, the Az basically used the planform and shape of a piper cub's wing. This did two notable things: It made the airplane a great performer in terms of getting off the deck and made it too dirty to yield high cruise speeds. Take it from me, the Aztec is dirty well before you touch the gear or flaps.

I don't remember the exact numbers...but I think I remember seeing about 165-180 mph in cruise depending on conditions and power settings.

Respectable single engine performer. My last flight in an Aztec finished with a true single engine landing...we lost the nitrogen charge in the propdome and suffered a runaway propeller.

The Aztec is a great aircraft... very solid.. cruise, if I remember correctly was around 165mph give or take about 5mph.

Got several hundred hours in it. Never heard of any real corrosion problems despite the steel- Piper really zinc chromated their stuff well back then. 170 knots on about 28 gph in 75% cruise. There's a higher cruise setting but it's usually not worth the extra fuel. The prototype was originally designed by Stinson (called the "Twin Stinson") but put into production by Piper, initially as the Apache. You're paying for six seats and twelve cylinders. Most of us only need four and eight. Flying qualities, IMHO, are superior to Barons and 310's, but you give up a little speed.

I do believe I have an old AFM for an Aztec. I can send you some information if you're still interested...

An honest airplane. It is one of the only planes I know of that can carry it's own weight (empty wt approx 2600, max 5200). The later models had increased fuel capacity, which is great and it's still very hard to overweight the thing. 188 gal=1250sh pounds, which still leaves 1350 lbs for 6 pax and bags. You do trade off speed with the hershey bar wing, but you do get rough and short field performance and it's very stable for IFR. And it is one of the only light twins that will climb out at gross wt on one engine. The down side is that you are still "paying" for the 6 seats in fuel cost even when they are empty.

To sum up: Expensive, sturdy, slow hauler. Works good- lasts long time.