Page 12 - Volume 15 Number 8

Piper built 50 Mojaves in 1984 before ceasing production at its Lock Haven, Pa., facility. Today, 31 remain on the FAA registry with a handful more operating internationally.
Unique Lineage
Although many think of the Mojave as a piston-engine version of the Cheyenne I, those who know the Piper twin lineage will point out its Navajo and Chieftain heritage.
The fact that Piper only built 50 Mojaves might lead some to believe that the design must have been flawed or that it did not meet market expectations. To the contrary, the Mojave is a fantastic performer, offers a cavernous cabin while retaining the nice handling features of the Navajo family. However, the aircraft was introduced just as the general aviation industry was entering a severe downturn, thanks to the rise of product liability lawsuits and a soft economy. As a result, Piper and the rest of the G/A manufacturers were forced to greatly downsize their
10 • TWIN & TURBINE
operations and cut production of many big-twin models.
According to Edward H. Phillips, the author of Piper: A Legend Aloft (published by Flying Books International), the Piper PA-31P-350 Mojave was initially conceived in the early 1980s as a follow-on airplane to the then defunct PA-31P Pressurized Navajo. The Navajo, conceived in 1966 as Piper’s answer to Beech Aircraft’s successful Model 60 Duke, and was aimed at the same owner-flown, high-performance piston-twin market. The PA-31P seated six passengers while the Duke seated four, and both airplanes were powered by Lycoming engines. Based on the PA-31-350 Navajo, the PA-31P first flew in March 1968 and production began at the Lock Haven facility early in 1970.
After battling the Duke for seven years, Piper terminated production of the Pressurized Navajo in 1977. A total of 259 airplanes had been built. As for the Duke, it continued in production until 1982 and when manufacture was terminated with the B60 version. At that point, 596 Dukes had been manufactured.
Piper management, however, returned to the Pressurized Navajo theme in 1982. They revived the design, but with significant changes along with a new designation and name: the PA31-P-350 Mojave. Piper engineers mated the fuselage of the turboprop-powered Cheyenne I to the wings and empennage of the popular Navajo Chieftain. Wingspan was increased by four feet and structural modifications made to the airframe. First flight of the Mojave was in 1982.
AUGUST 2011