Development
The Tomahawk was Piper's attempt at creating an affordable two-place trainer. Before designing the aircraft, Piper widely surveyed flight instructors for their input into the design. Instructors requested a more spinnable aircraft for training purposes, since other two-place trainers such as the Cessna 150 or Cessna 152 were designed to spontaneously fly out of a spin. The Tomahawk's NASA GA(W)-1 Whitcomb airfoil addresses this requirement by requiring specific pilot input in recovering from spins, thus allowing pilots to develop proficiency in dealing with spin recovery.
Another characteristic of the Piper Tomahawk that favors its suitability as a primary trainer is that the flight control forces mimic those of a much heavier aircraft. As a result, student pilots that learn to fly in a Tomahawk transition much more successfully to larger aircraft, hence the popularity of the Tomahawk with U.S. Air Force flying clubs.
Production
The Tomahawk was introduced in 1977 as a 1978 model. The aircraft was in continuous production until 1982 when production was completed, with 2,484 aircraft built.
The 1981 and 1982 models were designated as the Tomahawk II. They incorporated improved cabin heating and windshield defroster performance, an improved elevator trim system, improved engine thrust vector, 100% airframe zirconium anti-corrosion treatment, better cockpit soundproofing, larger 6" wheels and tires for greater propeller ground clearance and improved performance on grass and dirt runways, among other enhancements.
Specifications (PA-38-112 Tomahawk)
General characteristics
* Crew: 1 pilot
* Capacity: 2
* Length: 7.04 m (23 ft 1 in)
* Wingspan: 10.36 m (34 ft 0 in)
* Height: 2.77 m (9 ft 1 in)
* Wing area: 11.6 m² (125 ft²)
* Empty weight: 512 kg (1,128 lb)
* Max takeoff weight: 757 kg (1,670 lb)
* Powerplant: 1× Avco Lycoming O-235-L2A (Bendix magnetos) & O-235-L2C (Slick magnetos) Sensenich (72CK-0-56), 112 hp (85 kW)
Performance
* Never exceed speed: 138 knot (256km/h) (159 mph)
* Maximum speed: 202 km/h (110 knots, 126 mph)
* Range: 542 miles (471 nm, 867 km)
* Service ceiling: 4000 m (13000 ft)
* Rate of climb: 219 m/min (718 ft/min)
* Wing loading: 65.38 kg/m² (13.39 lb/ft²)
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