Piper PA-6

PA-6 Sky Sedan
Role	Light aircraft
Manufacturer	Piper Aircraft
First flight	1944
Number built	Two

The Piper PA-6 Sky Sedan was a 1940s American four-seat light aircraft designed and built in prototype form by Piper Aircraft at its Lock Haven, Pennsylvania, factory.^[1]

History

Towards the end of 1944 Piper announced a number of aircraft types it intended to build after World War II. One of these was the PWA-6 Sky Sedan (Post War Airplane 6). A prototype was built in 1945 as a development of Piper's unsuccessful two-seat PT-1 trainer. Its fuselage had a fabric-covered metal frame with a four-seat cabin. It was a low-wing cantilever monoplane with a conventional tail unit and a retractable tailwheel landing gear. Originally to be powered by a 140 hp Franklin engine, it had a 165 hp Continental E-165 engine. By the time it first flew the designation had been changed to PA-6. A second aircraft was built in 1947, it differed by having an all-metal construction, a 205 hp Continental E-185 engine and a one-piece windscreen. Neither version was placed into production at a time when a short boom in postwar general aviation was ending.^[2][3]

Specifications (PA-6)

Data from Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947^[4]

General characteristics

• Crew: 1
• Capacity: 3 pax
• Length: 26 ft 0 in (7.93 m)
• Wingspan: 34 ft 8 in (10.56 m)
• Height: 7 ft 0 in (2.13 m)
• Airfoil: Modified USA 35B
• Empty weight: 1,360 lb (617 kg)
• Gross weight: 2,400 lb (1,089 kg)
• Fuel capacity: 40 US gal (33 imp gal; 150 L) fuel; 2.5 US gal (2.1 imp gal; 9.5 L) oil
• Powerplant: 1 × Continental E165 6-cyl. horizontally-opposed air-cooled piston engine, 165 hp (123 kW)
• Propellers: 2-bladed Sensenich fixed pitch propeller

Performance

• Maximum speed: 160 mph (260 km/h, 140 kn)
• Cruise speed: 150 mph (240 km/h, 130 kn) at 125 hp (93 kW) and 140 mph (120 kn; 230 km/h) at 100 hp (75 kW) at sea level
• Economic cruising speed: 120 mph (100 kn; 190 km/h) at 40% power
• Landing speed: 49 mph (43 kn; 79 km/h) with flaps; 55 mph (48 kn; 89 km/h) without flaps
• Range: 620 mi (1,000 km, 540 nmi) at 140 mph (120 kn; 230 km/h)
• Fuel consumption: 1.664 lb/mi (0.469 kg/km)

See also

Aircraft of comparable role, configuration, and era

• Globe Swift

References

Notes

1. Air Progress: 85. November 1978. {{cite journal}}: Missing or empty |title= (help)
2. Brady (2000), p.244
3. Bednarek, Dr. Janet. "General Aviation - An Overview", United States Centennial of Flight Commission Archived 2012-09-15 at the Wayback Machine retrieved 11 August 2012
4. Bridgman, Leonard, ed. (1947). Jane's all the World's Aircraft 1947. London: Sampson Low, Marston & Co. p. 278c.

Bibliography

• Brady, Tim (2000). The American Aviation Experience: A History. Carbondale, Illinois: Southern Illinois University Press. ISBN 0-8093-2371-0.
• Roger W. Peperell and Colin M.Smith, Piper Aircraft and their forerunners, 1987, Air-Britain (Historians), ISBN 0-85130-149-5, Page 47 and 50.