Page 12 - Volume 17 Number 10

The story goes that the Piper PA-31 Navajo wasthe last airplane William T. Piper, Sr. had a hand in developing. The patriarch of Lock Haven, Penn- sylvania, simply wanted a cabin-class airplane that was roomy and comfortable at every seat, front to back. In accordance with Piper’s traditional standards, it would be priced less than similar aircraft on the market, be easy to fly and maintain, and perform well. The Piper fam- ily got what it wanted, and so did the Navajo customers. Bill Piper passed away at age 89 on January 15, 1970.Navajo development began in 1964, just ten years after Piper introduced its first twin, the PA-23 Apache. That airplane had grown into the Aztec, a good six- place hauler, but something larger was needed for business and charter operators. The first prototype of the PA-31 flew in 1966, sans the rearmost windows and bearing the short-lived name Inca. Final certificationby LeRoy Cook10 • TWIN & TURBINEOCTOBER 2013