They wanted to be able to easily demonstrate spins, and – fortunately, or unfortunately – the Tomahawk delivers on this aspect as well.Īs already mentioned, the Tomahawk also tends to drop a wing when it is in a stall. This was so that they could teach these maneuvers to their students.

In a survey of flight instructors, many said they wanted an aircraft exhibiting definite stall characteristics and could even go into a spin. However, the stall characteristics are intentional. I still remember this happening when I was a fairly new student pilot, and I literally shook with fright for quite a while afterward! This is the reason for the aircraft’s nickname of ‘traumahawk’. It is renowned for its fairly dramatic stall characteristics, often dropping a wing in the stall. Performance and HandlingĪlthough the Tomahawk is not a difficult aircraft to fly, it does frighten a lot of low-hours students. They are also, not surprisingly, more expensive. The Tomahawk IIs are also harder to find than the original Tomahawks because, in addition to their higher demand, fewer than 500 of them were produced. The Tomahawk II, the later model, is the preferred variant when searching for a secondhand Piper Tomahawk. Annuals are also fairly cheap, at around $800. Unlike for some old aircraft, parts are still available at fairly reasonable prices – more about this later. Prices generally range from about $25,000 to approximately $33,000. It was affordable when produced and remains so to this day, although prices increase with the model year, as might be expected. The aircraft only had a five-year production run, from 1978 to 1982, although as many as 2,500 aircraft rolled off the production line during that time. The only tomahawks available today will be secondhand ones. Demonstrated Crosswind Component: 15 kts.Fuel Consumption: 6.5 gallons per hour at 75% power.Rate of Climb, Sea Level: 718 feet per minute.Propeller: Sensenich 72-inch fixed pitch 2-blade.It is no longer manufactured but is still used today by several flying schools and a few private owners. But when the PA-38-112 Tomahawk made its debut in 1978, it was one of the most affordable aircraft and grew in popularity.

Some of these are still flying today.Īfter World War II, Piper’s sales declined, but the company continued developing its range of aircraft. But next came the well-known and popular Piper J-3 Cub, which many pilots remember with fondness. The new company started production with its E-2 Cub. Piper purchased Taylor Brothers Aircraft Manufacturing Company and changed its name to Piper Aircraft. But let’s start by taking a look at its history. It’s enough to say that I look back on my Tomahawk flying days with a certain amount of nostalgia, and I think I learned a lot from flying it. Like many others, I had a kind of love-hate relationship with it, often referring to it as the ‘traumahawk,’ as many pilots still do. When it comes to the Tomahawk, I have to admit to being a little bit biased! This is the airplane I learned to fly many years ago. Generations of pilots have learned to fly on this two-seater single-engined aircraft, for it was designed as a trainer, which is mainly used for it. The Piper PA 38 Tomahawk – usually just known as the Tomahawk’ – is a fairly old aircraft, having been introduced in 1978, though it first flew in 1973.

Piper tomahawk for sale